Be careful of disrepair claim companies

Some customers have been contacted by disrepair claim companies. These companies may knock on your door, phone you, or say they can help you get money for repairs in your home.

They may promise quick repairs or a large payment. Some may also say they work with Incommunities or are from a disrepair team, even when this is not true.

We are warning customers to be careful before signing anything.

 

Some companies advertising housing disrepair claims are not solicitors.

They may not be trained or allowed to give legal advice.

Some act as a middleman. They collect your details and pass your claim to a solicitor or another business for payment.

“No win, no fee” does not always mean there will be no cost to you.

Part of any money you get may be taken to cover fees, costs or insurance.

You may have to pay a fee if you change your mind or decide not to go ahead.

Before you sign anything, read the agreement carefully. Make sure you know who you are dealing with, who will handle your claim, and how your personal information will be used or shared.

Making a claim does not always mean you will get compensation. It also does not mean your repair will be done more quickly.

You have the legal right to make a disrepair claim. Please talk to us first. We're here to help and put things right in your home.

Legal claims can take many months or even years. Some customers get less money than they expected after fees, costs or insurance are taken off.

Once solicitors are involved, messages often have to go through them. This can slow things down and make it harder to sort repairs quickly.

Turn up without an appointment.

Pretends to be a surveyor or says they work with Incommunities when they do not..

Says you are entitled to compensation before properly looking at your situation.

Pushes you to sign papers straight away.

Tells you not to contact Incommunities directly.

Offers gifts, vouchers, cash or rewards for signing up.

Keeps contacting you after you have said you are not interested.

The fastest way to get a repair sorted is to tell us directly

Emergency repairs are problems that put you or your home at serious risk. We aim to attend these within 24 hours.

Urgent repairs are repairs that won't cause a serious risk to your home but do cause an inconvenience and might get worse if not fixed quickly. We aim to fix these within 5 working days.

Routine repairs are smaller problems that are not dangerous, and we aim to complete these within 20 working days.

You do have a legal right to make a disrepair claim but this should be a last resort.

Please come to us first. We are here to help, and we do not want you to be left out of pocket or waiting longer than you need to.

Read the full Disrepair Policy