0151 665 0320A change of landlord or agent partway through a tenancy is one of the most reliable places to find a deposit protection breach, and almost nobody checks. The short version: when ownership or management changes, the deposit needs to be correctly held and protected for the new landlord, and you need to be told who […]
Author Archives: COOK LEGAL SOLICITORS
One question decides whether the tenancy deposit rules apply to you at all: did your landlord live in the property with you? The short version: if you were a lodger sharing your landlord’s own home, you almost certainly had a licence rather than an assured shorthold tenancy, and deposit protection law does not apply. You […]
Section 82 claims are won and lost on two things: whether the notice was served properly, and whether you can prove the nuisance existed on the day you complained. The short version: photograph everything over time, keep your reporting history, get a medical record if your health is affected, and get the 21-day notice drafted […]
When a landlord will not deal with a serious problem, tenants usually have two routes. Most people only know about the first. The short version: the council route is free but you are not in control of it. The section 82 route puts you in control and can recover your costs, but it needs the […]
“Statutory nuisance” sounds like something to do with noisy neighbours. It is much broader than that, and for tenants it is one of the most useful phrases in housing law. The short version: a statutory nuisance is a condition listed in section 79 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 that is either prejudicial to health […]
If your landlord will not deal with damp, mould or a serious defect in your home, you do not have to wait for the council to act. Under section 82 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 you can take your landlord to the magistrates’ court yourself. The short version: if the condition of your home […]
Over the years we have answered thousands of tenancy deposit claim questions from worried tenants. Most boil down to the same core concerns: do I have a claim, how much could I get, and how do I start? This capstone brings together the 15 questions tenants ask us most, with clear, honest answers. Think of […]
A deposit that wasn’t protected is one of the most common reasons tenants take action – but it is far from the only one. If your landlord cut corners, there may be more than one claim against a landlord open to you. This guide covers three powerful but less well-known routes: Rent Repayment Orders, housing […]
Nobody hands you a leaflet on deposit law during Freshers’ Week. Yet if you rent privately as a student, the same legal protections apply to your student tenancy deposit as to anyone else – and if your landlord gets it wrong, you could be owed compensation of up to three times your deposit. This guide […]
One of the most common worries we hear is, “I think my landlord broke the rules, but I don’t have all my paperwork.” Good news: the evidence for a deposit claim is often easier to gather than people expect, and you usually do not need a perfect file to begin. This short checklist explains what […]