HOUSING DISREPAIR CLAIM LETTER
Important housing and procedural warning
This fictional letter is an illustrative England and Wales housing complaint and potential letter of claim, not legal advice and not a universally valid notice. A tenant should check the tenancy, landlord identity, repair reporting route, limitation, rent obligations, retaliatory-eviction protections, local authority powers, housing conditions and the current Pre-Action Protocol for Housing Conditions Claims. Urgent hazards, homelessness, domestic abuse, electrical danger or health risks may require immediate help rather than waiting for the deadline in this sample. Do not withhold rent without specific advice.
To: Westmere Homes Ltd, company number 07491863, 88 Kingsley Road, Reading RG1 4QJ
From: Daniel Joseph Mercer, 16 Rowan Court, Reading RG2 8LS
Date: 3 October 2026
Re: Disrepair at 16 Rowan Court, Reading RG2 8LS
1. Tenancy and responsibility
I am the tenant of the second-floor flat at 16 Rowan Court under an assured shorthold tenancy dated 1 March 2024. The current rent is £1,185 per calendar month, paid by standing order on the first day of each month. Westmere Homes Ltd is the landlord named in the tenancy and Elena Morris, the managing agent at Westmere Property Desk, has accepted repair reports on its behalf. I occupy the flat with my daughter, Lucy Anne Mercer.
I have paid rent when due and have not caused the defects described below. I have allowed reasonable access for inspections and repairs, except where a proposed appointment was changed without notice. This letter is intended to give a clear opportunity to investigate and remedy the conditions and to preserve a record of my earlier reports.
2. Defects and dates reported
On 14 January 2026, I reported damp staining and flaking paint around the bedroom window through the landlord's online repair portal. The report number was WM-61184. A contractor attended on 22 January and said the external seal required inspection. No external work followed.
On 9 March 2026, after persistent rain, water entered around the window frame and damaged the plaster beneath it. I emailed photographs to Elena Morris and asked for a proper inspection. On 18 March a contractor applied a small amount of sealant to the internal edge. The staining returned during rain on 2 April. I reported the recurrence on 4 April and explained that the bedroom smelled musty and could not reasonably be used for storage of clothing.
On 27 May 2026, I reported mould on the bedroom wall and in the bathroom ceiling. The bathroom extractor fan had stopped working and a kitchen window frame had become loose. Westmere arranged a visit for 8 June, but the contractor inspected only the bathroom fan and did not test the window or investigate the external cause of damp. The fan was not replaced.
On 12 August 2026, I sent a formal repair request with photographs, a room-by-room list and a request for the inspection report. I reported mould beside my daughter's bed, peeling bathroom ceiling paint, and water dripping onto the sill when it rained. I requested a safe arrangement if the bedroom could not be used during works. No written plan has been provided.
3. Effect and evidence
The bedroom has remained partly unusable since 2 April. My daughter has experienced coughing at night and missed two school days during September after a particularly damp week. Her GP, Dr Saira Mahmood, recorded on 21 September that the family should reduce exposure to visible mould and improve ventilation, without expressing a final view on causation. I have retained the appointment note.
I have photographed the affected areas on 14 January, 2 April, 12 August and 28 September. I have kept copies of portal reports, emails, contractor visit notes, electricity bills showing use of a dehumidifier, and receipts for anti-mould cleaning materials costing £86.40. I do not accept that cleaning and ventilation alone address penetrating moisture, failed seals or the broken extractor fan.
4. Action requested
Within 14 days after the date of this letter, please confirm in writing:
That a suitably qualified surveyor will inspect the flat and external window and roof elevations;
The cause of the water penetration and mould, together with a programme to repair it rather than merely repainting;
The date for replacing or repairing the bathroom extractor fan and securing the kitchen window;
How the landlord will protect occupants and belongings during the works and whether temporary accommodation is needed; and
The contact details of the person responsible for coordinating the work.
Please propose appointments with at least 48 hours' notice and consider my work schedule. I will provide reasonable access. If an appointment is missed or the proposed work is inadequate, please explain the reason promptly.
I also seek reimbursement of £86.40 for reasonable cleaning and dehumidifier-related expenditure, subject to supporting receipts, and reserve the right to claim any further proven loss, inconvenience, rent reduction or other remedy available under the tenancy and applicable law. I am not presently deducting any sum from rent.
5. Intended next steps
If I do not receive a satisfactory response by 17 October 2026, I will consider contacting Reading Borough Council's environmental health service and obtaining an independent surveyor's report. I may also seek legal advice and start appropriate court proceedings. I will comply with any applicable pre-action protocol, but nothing in this letter prevents an urgent application or report if a serious hazard develops.
This letter is intended to resolve the matter without proceedings. It is not a notice terminating the tenancy, an admission about liability, or permission for unannounced entry. Please preserve inspection records, contractor notes, photographs, complaints, repair invoices and any reports relating to these defects.
6. Signature
Yours faithfully,
Daniel Joseph Mercer
Signature: ____________________ Date: 3 October 2026
Address: 16 Rowan Court, Reading RG2 8LS
Telephone: 0118 555 6318
Email: daniel.mercer@example.test
Copies: Elena Morris, Westmere Property Desk; repair portal reports WM-61184 and subsequent reports; photographs dated 14 January, 2 April, 12 August and 28 September 2026.