Challenging a rogue landlord: Leanne’s story
Supporting a vulnerable woman in a long-running dispute about inadequate living conditions and rent arrears.
Leanne had been forced to move out of her home in 2022 after two years of living without hot water.
In March 2020, her boiler broke. The landlord had inspected the boiler and told Leanne that there was nothing wrong with it other than the thermostat setting. When she told the landlord that the boiler was still broken, he refused to take any further action on the basis that social distancing rules were in place, as it was during the Covid-19 pandemic. This meant that Leanne was forced to live without hot water. She started to refuse to pay her rent in full.
In April 2020, Leanne was asked to vacate the property and a claim for possession was made in 2021. The relationship between Leanne and her landlord worsened, and on one occasion, Leanne claims she had to call the police as he had tried to enter the property unlawfully while she was inside. Leanne was intimidated and distressed by this incident.
Leanne did not move out of the property until August 2022. Throughout this period, the landlord refused to fix the boiler, meaning she had no hot water for over two years.
Upon moving out, Leanne sought advice from a solicitor. She paid for a surveyor report on the property, and the defects recorded included the broken boiler and no fixed source of heat, in addition to mold and a crumbling ceiling.
She then lost her job, and could no longer afford to continue paying the solicitor. She was not eligible for legal aid.
With nowhere else to turn, Leanne applied to Advocate for help. Panel member Patrick Wise-Walsh of Thomas More Chambers agreed to provide advice and helped Leanne draft her witness statement. Matthew Innes of Serle Court represented Leanne at her two-part trial in March and June 2024, and Hugh Rowan of Tanfield Chambers provided advice on the appeal and procedure.
At this trial, her disrepair claim was allowed on the basis of a finding that the property was unsuitable for habitation for the entire period of habitation. The principal basis for this was the deficiencies in the heating systems provided by the landlord and the lack of central heating.
Leanne’s rent arrears of £14,850 (plus interest) were offset by the damages awarded for disrepair, as well as for failure to protect the deposit and unlawful rent increase.
This resulted in Leanne being due approximately £2,000, and we are hugely grateful to our panel members for their support on this case.
Read more stories from people we have supported with life-changing cases.