FOI Request - Housing Disrepair Claims

Request 101003665603

Purpose – non-commercial use. To aid understanding of best approach to disrepair for social landlords, with a view to reducing the burden on rent accounts and deterring use of no-win no-fee solicitors. This relates only to claims under the pre-action protocol.

If you do not have a housing stock, please ignore this FOI.

1.  How many homes do you own?

2.  How many live housing disrepair cases are you managing?

Please state if this figure does or does not include ‘dormant’ cases – i.e. those with no communication from claimant’s solicitor in 12 months or more.

3.  Is your approach generally to defend claims, or attempt early settlement?

4.  For the financial years 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-23, 2023-24, can you please provide the following:

•  Disrepair claims received
•  Disrepair claims settled in the claimants favour (within that year, even if originally receive in a different year)
•  Average cost of each claim settled in the claimants favour
•  Disrepair claims settled in the defendant’s favour (within that year, even if originally receive in a different year)
•  Average cost of each claim settled in the defendant’s favour
•  Total annual spend on defendent costs (legal and expert)
•  Total Annual Spend on claimant costs (legal and expert) and Compensation

If it is not possible to provide all of the information easily, could you please focus on questions 1-3 and for the 4th, perhaps focus on just 2023-24?

Response 27-11-2024 

1. 6409 as at 31 March 2024

2. The number of live housing disrepair cases is less than 5. Due to the low numbers involved, release of this information could result in the identification of individuals. This information is therefore exempt under Section 38(1)(b) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 - Personal Information.

3. Yes, although this would be dependent on the individual circumstances of the case.  

4. Nil response.