Why was the scheme introduced
With all large social landlords, there are times when things go wrong and fail to be put right, even after a complaint is made. This Disrepair Arbitration Scheme was introduced to make sure your repairs are resolved, and that you are awarded compensation wherever you have a legal right to it.
In 2021 there were 585 disrepair claims raised against Lambeth Council, up from 342 in 2020. This is approximately a 5-fold increase in annual cases raised compared to 2015 to 2019.
This isn’t due to the repairs service being worse than before (although there are occasions where it should have performed better), but because there has been a surge in opportunistic legal firms encouraging claims. It is a country-wide problem, but one that particularly affects London.
This means that often the main financial beneficiary of a legal disrepair claim isn’t the tenant raising the issue – it’s their lawyer. Because even in a no-win no-fee scenario, if the win comes, the fee can be up to 70% to 80% of the award, despite claims firms recovering their legal costs from the council.
We want to support residents in getting the most effective resolution without devoting more resources than necessary to resolving their dispute. Plus, every pound spent on legal costs is one less put towards repairs or other housing management services.
We believe creating a less combative route saves time, money and reduces levels of stress for residents in an already difficult period.