Rotten & Broken Window Compensation Claims

Who Can Make A Window Disrepair Claim?

We act for council and housing association tenants in England and Wales. If you rent from a private landlord or letting agent, or your home is in Scotland, we are not able to take your claim. Your council's environmental health team and Shelter can both advise you instead.

Why Windows Matter More Than People Think

A failed window is rarely just a window. It usually causes at least one other problem that is more serious than the frame itself.

Damp and mould

Rotten frames and failed seals let water into the wall, and cold single glazing produces streaming condensation every morning. If a room has mould that keeps returning no matter how often you clean it, the window is one of the first things to look at. Landlords blame the tenant for condensation far more often than they check the window.

Cold and heating costs

A draughty or single glazed window makes a room expensive or impossible to heat. That matters on its own, and from 30 November 2026 excess cold comes within Awaab's Law for social landlords in England, which will put fixed deadlines on it.

Fire escape and safety

A window that is painted shut, jammed, or has a broken handle can matter a great deal in a fire, particularly upstairs. Broken safety restrictors on an upstairs window are a serious risk where children live in the home. Report either of these as urgent, in writing, and say why.

Security

A window that will not lock, or glass that has been smashed and boarded rather than replaced, leaves your home insecure. That should be treated as an emergency repair, not put on a waiting list.

How Much Compensation For Rotten Windows?

There is no fixed payout. Compensation is usually made up of two parts.

General damages

This covers the loss of enjoyment of your home. Courts often work it out as a proportion of the rent you paid while the windows went unrepaired. A bedroom that was too cold to use, or a room you could not keep free of mould, pushes the proportion higher.

Special damages

This covers money you actually lost. Higher heating bills from trying to warm a draughty room, curtains, bedding, furniture or clothing ruined by damp and mould around the frame, and anything you bought to block the draughts yourself. Keep your bills and receipts.

If damp and mould from the windows has caused or worsened a health condition, a personal injury element may also be considered.

What affects the amount

We cannot tell you what your claim is worth until we have seen your evidence. Every case is different.

Your Landlord's Legal Responsibilities

Windows sit clearly inside the repairing duties owed by your council or housing association.

Section 11, Landlord and Tenant Act 1985

Your landlord must keep the structure and exterior of your home in repair, and windows are part of the exterior. That covers the frames, the sills, the glazing and the fittings that make the window work.

Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018

Your home must be fit to live in for the whole of your tenancy. Windows that make a home cold, damp or unsafe can make a property legally unfit, and you can take your landlord to court directly under this Act.

Housing Health and Safety Rating System

Excess cold, damp and mould growth, entry by intruders and falls from height are all recognised hazards under the Housing Act 2004. Failed windows can trigger several of them at once, and your council's environmental health team can inspect and require action.

Awaab's Law

Since 27 October 2025, social landlords in England have had fixed deadlines for reported damp and mould hazards. From 30 November 2026 the rules widen to cover further hazards including excess cold, which is directly relevant where the windows are the reason a home cannot be kept warm.

What to do if your landlord will not fix the windows