£5,500 damages in three months after two years of ceiling leaks in a Notting Hill Genesis family home
Our client, a Notting Hill Genesis tenant in Fulham, London, lived with persistent leaks from the ceiling in the kitchen and living room for around two years. Damp and mould followed. The household includes young children.
Our client complained to the landlord from September 2024 onwards. The landlord inspected and attended repeatedly, but it did not rectify the leaks within a reasonable time, and the two rooms could not be used properly.
Our client instructed Antony Hodari Solicitors in June 2026 on a no win, no fee basis. Our independent surveyor confirmed the disrepair in August 2026 and estimated the repairs at around £3,400. We were on the point of issuing Court proceedings when the claim settled.
The claim settled in October 2026 on the acceptance of a Part 36 offer, three months after the letter of claim. Notting Hill Genesis agreed to carry out repair works within 120 days and to pay our client £5,500 in damages and their legal costs.
Case at a glance
What problems had our client reported?
Our client had complained about persistent leaks from the ceiling in the kitchen and the living room for around two years, from September 2024, before contacting us.
The leaks meant the family could not use either room as they should. For a family with young children, losing the proper use of the kitchen and the living room affects every day.
Living with the leaks over that period caused our client stress and anxiety.
Why did the problem persist?
The problem persisted because the landlord's repeated attendances never resolved the leaks. The landlord inspected, but its approach to the problem was at best apathetic, and it failed to rectify the leaks within a reasonable time.
A leak that is attended to without being traced to its source will return. Each visit that ends without an effective repair adds to the period the tenant lives with the problem.
What did Antony Hodari Solicitors do?
We sent a letter of claim in July 2026 under the Pre-Action Protocol for Housing Conditions Claims. The Protocol requires the landlord to disclose its repair records, which in a case like this show every attendance that did not fix the leak.
We arranged an independent surveyor's inspection in August 2026. The surveyor, instructed by Antony Hodari Solicitors, confirmed the disrepair and estimated the repairs at around £3,400.
When the landlord did not resolve the claim at the Protocol stage, we prepared Court proceedings. The claim settled on the point of issue.
How did the claim settle?
The claim settled in October 2026 on the acceptance of a Part 36 offer, three months after the letter of claim and approximately three months after our client instructed us.
Notting Hill Genesis agreed to carry out repair works within 120 days and to pay our client £5,500 in damages and their legal costs. The settlement contained no confidentiality clause, so the outcome can be reported in full.
Is a housing association responsible for leaks coming through the ceiling?
Under section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, a housing association must keep the structure and exterior of the home in repair. That duty includes the installations for water, sanitation and heating. A leak from the roof, the structure or pipework the landlord controls will usually fall within that duty. Liability depends on the tenancy, the defect, notice to the landlord, a reasonable time to repair and the landlord's response.
In this case the independent surveyor confirmed the disrepair after two years of complaints.
My landlord keeps sending someone out but the leak comes back. Can I claim?
Yes. A landlord's duty is to carry out an effective repair within a reasonable time, not simply to attend. Repeated visits that do not resolve the leak do not discharge that duty, and the repair records will show the pattern.
Here the landlord attended repeatedly over two years without resolving the leaks.
Can I claim compensation for rooms I cannot use?
Yes. Loss of use of part of the home is a recognised head of compensation in a housing disrepair claim. The amount depends on which rooms were affected, for how long and how badly.
In this case the kitchen and living room could not be used properly for around two years, and our client secured £5,500 in damages.
What is a Part 36 offer?
A Part 36 offer is a formal offer to settle made under Part 36 of the Civil Procedure Rules. It can be made before or after proceedings are issued. If it is refused and the Court later awards an outcome at least as good as the offer, the party who refused it usually faces costs consequences.
This claim settled on the acceptance of a Part 36 offer in October 2026.
How long does a housing disrepair claim take?
It depends on the defects, the landlord's response and whether proceedings are needed. Where the evidence is clear and the landlord engages at the Protocol stage, a claim can conclude within a few months.
This claim concluded three months after the letter of claim, without Court proceedings.
Related case studies
Is a leak in your home still there after repeated visits from your landlord?
Antony Hodari Solicitors acts for social housing tenants across England. If your landlord has attended to a leak more than once without fixing it, we can assess whether you may have a claim.
We act on a no win, no fee basis in eligible housing disrepair cases, and you can read more of our case studies to see how similar matters have concluded.
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