You may be able to claim compensation
If a structural problem has not been properly fixed, you may be able to claim repairs and compensation from your council or housing association.
Structural problems compensation claims for council and housing association tenants
If you rent from a council or housing association and you are living with cracked walls, subsidence, movement, or another structural problem that has not been properly fixed, you may be able to make a structural problems compensation claim for repairs and compensation. Here is how to tell what's dangerous right now, what's your landlord's job and what's yours, how to read a crack, and what evidence helps.
Structural problems at a glance
The structure is your landlord's job
Council and housing association landlords must keep the structure and exterior of your home in repair: walls, roof structure, foundations, floors and external walkways.
Not every crack is serious
Many cracks are cosmetic and come from normal settlement. A few signs mean a crack needs looking at urgently, not just filling in.
Say who is vulnerable
Children, older people and anyone with mobility issues are more at risk if a structural problem affects safe access to or around the home. Tell your landlord in writing.
Warning signs of a structural problem
Structural problems don't always look dramatic. These are the signs worth acting on.
Growing or wide cracks
A crack that is wider than a pound coin, or that you can see getting bigger over weeks or months.
Diagonal cracking
Cracks running diagonally from the corners of window or door frames, rather than straight up and down.
Doors and windows sticking
Doors or windows that suddenly stop closing properly, or gaps opening up around their frames.
Sloping or bouncy floors
A floor that visibly slopes, or that feels soft, bouncy or uneven underfoot.
External wall damage
Render, brickwork or external wall panels cracking, bulging or coming away from the wall.
Gaps around fittings
New gaps opening up around skirting boards, door frames, or where an extension or porch joins the main house.
Is it dangerous right now?
A few signs mean you should treat a structural problem as an emergency, not a routine repair request.
See a bulging or sagging ceiling, falling debris, or sudden rapid movement?
Leave the room or the property if you can do so safely, keep others away from the area, and call your landlord's emergency repairs line straight away. If the building feels unsafe to stay in, or there is a risk of collapse, get everyone out and call 999.
Treat as an emergency
A bulging or sagging ceiling, falling debris, sudden or rapid new movement, or a crack you can see daylight or the outside through.
Report urgently, but not a 999 emergency
A crack wider than a pound coin, new diagonal cracking, a door or window that has suddenly stopped closing, or a sloping floor.
Routine repair
A thin, stable hairline crack with no other signs, especially one you recognise from before and that hasn't changed.
Who's responsible: landlord or tenant?
The building's structure and exterior are your landlord's responsibility. Minor decorating is usually yours.
| What | What it covers | Who's responsible |
|---|---|---|
| Walls, roof and foundations | The structure and exterior of the building, including load-bearing walls and the roof structure itself | Your landlord |
| Floors and joists | The structural floor and its supporting joists, not just the floor covering | Your landlord |
| External render, brickwork and cladding | The outer skin of the building and any cladding or external wall system | Your landlord |
| Balconies and external walkways | Structural balconies, access decks and walkways serving your home | Your landlord, or its managing agent |
| Internal plaster finish | Minor, stable cracking in the plaster skim that isn't linked to movement in the structure behind it | Often a shared or tenant decorating matter, but report it if you're unsure |
| Your own decorating | Wallpaper, paint and fittings you've added yourself | You |
| Garden structures you've added | A shed, fence or structure you've put up yourself, rather than one that came with the property | You, in most cases |
Types of structural problems in social housing
What's happening, and how urgent it is, depends on the cause and where it shows up.
Subsidence, heave and settlement
Ground movement under or around the building that causes the structure to move, often showing up as cracking that gets steadily worse.
Cracking: cosmetic vs structural
Hairline cracks in plaster are common and usually cosmetic. Wider, diagonal or growing cracks, especially running from window or door corners, can point to movement in the structure.
Roof structure problems
Sagging roof lines, spreading roof timbers, or a ridge that's no longer straight. This is different from a leaking roof, which is covered on its own page.
Failed wall ties
Metal ties that hold the inner and outer leaves of a cavity wall together can corrode and fail, sometimes showing as horizontal cracking or a bulging wall.
Floor and joist problems
Sloping, bouncy or sagging floors, often linked to damp, rot or movement affecting the joists underneath.
Balconies and external walkways
Cracking, movement or visible deterioration in structural balconies, access decks or walkways.
Cladding and external wall systems
Problems with cladding, render systems or insulation fixed to the outside of the building, including issues identified by an EWS1-type external wall survey.
Extensions and additions
Cracking where an extension, porch or outbuilding meets the original building, which can indicate the two parts are moving differently.
Living with a structural problem?
Find out in minutes if you could claim compensation for cracks, subsidence or other structural issues. It costs you nothing to check.
We are a claims management company, not a law firm. You don't have to use us: you can complain to your landlord, then the relevant ombudsman*.
*England: Housing Ombudsman. Wales: Public Services Ombudsman
What a crack tells you
A solicitor's rule of thumb: a crack roughly the width of a pound coin or wider is the point to start taking it seriously, especially alongside other signs.
| Category | Usually just cosmetic | Worth getting checked |
|---|---|---|
| Width | Narrower than a pound coin, stable over time | Wider than a pound coin, or visibly growing |
| Direction | Vertical or follows a straight plaster joint | Diagonal, often running from a window or door corner |
| Location | In the middle of a flat plastered wall or ceiling | Where an extension joins the house, or near corners and openings |
| Age | Old, painted over, unchanged for years | New, or reopening after being filled |
| What else is happening | Nothing else: doors and windows still work normally | Doors or windows sticking, floors sloping, gaps opening elsewhere |
What to do, and what to leave to a professional
A few things help your claim straight away. Anything involving the structure itself should be left to a qualified surveyor or engineer.
Do
Photograph it against a scale
Use a ruler or a pound coin next to the crack, with the date, so the size is clear.
Report it in writing
Even if you've reported it by phone, follow up in writing and keep a copy.
Keep a simple log
Note when you first noticed it, and any changes to its size, length or direction.
Mention anything else that's changed
Sticking doors, sloping floors or gaps elsewhere can all be relevant, even if they don't seem connected.
Ask who is vulnerable to be recorded
If anyone in the household is more at risk, make sure your landlord has this in writing.
Do not
Don't fill or paint over a growing crack before it's assessed
This can hide evidence of the problem getting worse, which matters for a claim.
Don't carry out structural repairs yourself
Leave anything affecting walls, floors, the roof structure or foundations to a qualified professional.
Don't ignore doors or windows that stop closing
This is often one of the first signs of structural movement, and is worth reporting alongside any cracking.
Don't climb on or near anything that looks unstable
A bulging wall, sagging ceiling or unstable balcony should be avoided, not inspected up close.
Don't assume it's "just an old house settling"
Older buildings do move, but a professional assessment is the only way to know whether it's normal or not.
The impact of structural problems
Structural problems are not just cosmetic. They can affect safety, warmth and day-to-day life.
Safety risk
Serious structural movement can risk collapse, falling debris or an unstable building, in rare but real cases.
Doors and windows
Problems opening or closing doors and windows can affect fire escape routes and day-to-day life.
Damp and cold
Cracks in the external wall let in water and cold air, which can lead to damp and mould inside the home.
Disruption from repairs
Structural repairs can mean scaffolding, props, or even a temporary move while work is carried out.
Extra costs
Damage to belongings from falling debris or water ingress, or costs from a temporary move.
Stress and anxiety
Living with visible cracking or movement in your home, especially with children, takes a toll.
What your landlord must do
These duties apply to your tenancy automatically, and your landlord can't contract out of them.
Landlord and Tenant Act 1985
Section 11 requires your landlord to keep the structure and exterior of your home in repair, including walls, the roof structure and foundations.
Read the guideHomes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018
Your home must be fit to live in. A home with a serious structural hazard, including a risk of collapse, may not be.
Read the guideHousing Health and Safety Rating System
Structural collapse and falling elements are hazards local authorities can assess and act on under this system.
Read the guideAwaab's Law (England)
Structural collapse is due to be brought into Awaab's Law's strict time limits from Phase 2, alongside excess cold and heat, falls, fire and explosions, electrical safety and hygiene.
Read the guideWhat a proper fix looks like
- A proper survey or structural engineer's assessment, not just a filled-in crack
- Fixes the underlying cause, not just the visible symptom
- Gives you written confirmation of what was found and done
- Monitors movement over time where that's appropriate
Structural problems in a council house or housing association home: claiming compensation
Council and housing association landlords owe the same core repair duties. The complaints route differs slightly depending on who your landlord is.
Structural problems in a council house: claiming from your council
If you rent from your council, or from an organisation it has set up to manage its homes, that landlord owes the repair duties above. Follow its complaints process first, then take it to the relevant ombudsman*. Shared structural elements in blocks, such as external walls or balconies, usually remain your landlord's responsibility, even if a managing agent runs the building.
Structural problems in a housing association home: claiming from your housing association
Housing association tenants have the same core repair rights, whether the landlord is a large national association or a small local one. Complain to your housing association first, then take it to the relevant ombudsman*.
Not sure who your landlord is? We can help check.
*England: Housing Ombudsman. Wales: Public Services Ombudsman
Evidence you need for a structural problems claim
- Photos of the crack or damage next to a ruler or a pound coin for scale, dated
- A simple log: when you first noticed it, and any changes since
- Photos of anything else that's changed: sticking doors, sloping floors, gaps elsewhere
- Every report: emails, portal messages, call dates and reference numbers
- Any surveyor's or structural engineer's report, including an EWS1 if one exists for your block
- Receipts for any extra costs: damaged belongings, a temporary move
- Photos from outside the building as well as inside, where it's safe to take them
- GP letters and details of anyone vulnerable in the household, if health or safety has been affected
A crack log, set out simply
| Date | What happened | Reported and reply |
|---|---|---|
| [date] | Crack first noticed | Called [time], ref [number] |
| [date] | Crack wider, photographed | Emailed; told surveyor due [date] |
| [date] | Surveyor visited | Report awaited |
An example layout. Keep it up to date every time something changes.
Structural problems compensation: what could a claim include?
There are no fixed amounts. They depend on the factors below, and there are no guarantees.
Repairs, made safe
The structural problem properly assessed and fixed by a qualified professional.
Structural problems compensation
For the disruption, inconvenience and any worry caused by living with an unresolved structural problem.
Extra costs
Provable extra costs, such as damaged belongings or a temporary move while work is carried out.
Health and safety impact
Any effect on your health or safety, including the stress of living with visible movement or cracking.
How much compensation could I receive?
There is no set figure. What a claim could be worth depends on the facts. These are the things that usually matter:
- How long the problem went on for
- How serious or dangerous the problem was, and whether it was ever treated as an emergency
- Whether it affected the whole home or part of it
- Who lives there: children, older people, health conditions
- How your landlord responded, including any temporary works or a decant
- Your evidence, and any extra costs
Your solicitor can explain what your circumstances may support once your case has been assessed.
How to make a structural problems compensation claim
- 1
Make it safe, then report it
Keep clear of anything that looks unstable, and use the emergency repairs line for anything dangerous. Follow up in writing with photos.
- 2
Keep a simple crack log
Photos against a scale, dated, and every change you notice.
- 3
Make a formal complaint
If it is not fixed in a reasonable time, use your landlord's complaints process.
- 4
Go to the relevant ombudsman*
It is free. If your landlord has not resolved the complaint, you can take it further.
- 5
Find out whether you could make a claim
You are not required to use us, but a free check takes a few minutes.
*England: Housing Ombudsman. Wales: Public Services Ombudsman
Living with a structural problem?
Find out in minutes if you could claim compensation for cracks, subsidence or other structural issues. It costs you nothing to check.
We are a claims management company, not a law firm. You don't have to use us: you can complain to your landlord, then the relevant ombudsman*.
*England: Housing Ombudsman. Wales: Public Services Ombudsman
Who can make a claim?
You may be able to claim if:
- You rent your home from a council or housing association
- You've reported the problem and they've had a fair chance to fix it
- It has affected your health, safety or quality of life
- The problems are ongoing, or repairs came too late
You may not be able to claim if:
- You own your home, even part of it (such as shared ownership)
- You rent from a private landlord as your repair rights may be different
- You haven't reported the problem to your landlord yet
- You have moved out of the affected property
Not sure who your landlord is? We can help check.
How it works
Tell us what's wrong
Answer a few quick questions about your home and what you've already reported.
What evidence helps your claimWe review your details
We review what you tell us to see if a solicitor may be able to help.
A solicitor takes over
If it looks suitable, we refer you to a specialist solicitor, who explains what happens next.
If your case is referred to a solicitor, we receive a referral fee from them. This is not charged to you.
Structural problems: common questions
Related
Other types of disrepair
Damp and mouldLeaking roofHeating and hot waterLeaks and water damageFaulty electricsStructural problemsPests and infestationsBroken windows, doors or locks
Guides
Structural repairs: your rightsAwaab's Law (England)Housing disrepair in WalesLandlord responsibilitiesWhat evidence do you need?Step-by-step claims checklist
About this guide
Last reviewed: 15 October 2026
Sources: UK Parliament written statement on Awaab's Law, 13 July 2026Housing Health and Safety Rating System operating guidanceHousing Ombudsman guidance
This is general information, not legal advice.
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Remember
You don't have to use a claims management company. There is no guarantee that using a claims management company will make your claim quicker or get you a better outcome. You can complain to your landlord, then the relevant ombudsman*, for free.
*England: Housing Ombudsman. Wales: Public Services Ombudsman