Landlords will soon be legally required to keep their rented homes ‘fit for human habitation’.

This means long-suffering tenants will have the power to sue their landlords if they fail to maintain the upkeep of their properties.

The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act will become law on March 20 and it directly goes after homes kept in a sorry state of repair.

The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act will become law on March 20 (Picture: PA)

But before you start threatening your landlord with the next series of Law & Order, the house or flat must be deemed ‘unfit for living’.


If the property you’re renting is too cold, too hot, has damp, asbestos or issues with noise and lighting, then you can take your landlord to court.



However, this new law will only apply to tenancies of less than seven years in England and Wales.

Housing organisation Shelter says the new law could help prevent another tragedy like the Grenfell tower fire.

Long-suffering tenants won’t have to put up with damp anymore (Picture: BPM Media)

Landlords will be legally required to keep their homes ‘fit for human habitation’ (Picture: BPM Media)

There are currently almost one million rented homes with hazards that pose a serious risk to health and safety, according to Shelter.

The housing experts says this affects around 2.5 million people, who will all benefit from this landmark change in the law.

‘The Bill revives legislation requiring homes to be ‘fit for human habitation’ at the start of the tenancy and to remain so throughout,’ Shelter wrote in a blog post.

Tenants will have the right to sue their landlord if their property is full of mould and damp (Picture: BPM Media)

‘Extraordinarily, this is a not a protection currently enjoyed by any renter – social or private – in England.

‘Although landlords have responsibilities to do repairs, there are some glaring omissions – including, for example, damp and mould caused by the structure of the building.

‘Crucially, the Bill will help private and social renter’s voices to be heard, by giving them the right to take their landlord to court over unfit and unsafe conditions like these in their home.’

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