Repairs and disrepair — Be One Homes

Before thinking about any legal claim, report the problem to Be One Homes and, if it is not fixed, complain. It is free, often the fastest way to get repairs moving, and creates a written record of what you reported and when.

Report the repair. Call 01204 328000. Lines are open 8am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday, and you can call out of hours to report an emergency repair. Emergency repairs must be reported by phone or in person. For other repairs you can also email info@beonehomes.com, use the live chat on its website, or visit its reception or a local UCAN centre.^[14] If you smell gas, call the free gas emergency line on 0800 111 999.^[14]

Report damp and mould by phone. Be One Homes asks tenants to call the same number. It says it will clean mould and remove hazards within 10 days for a significant hazard, and within 24 hours for an emergency.^[16]

Then complain, if it isn't fixed. Use the web form on its complaints page (opens in new tab), email customer.care@beonehomes.com, call the same number or write to its Bolton office.^[12] It sets out a two-stage process:

• it acknowledges a complaint within 5 working days;
• it aims to give a full Stage 1 response within 10 working days, and explains if it needs longer;
• at Stage 2, a senior manager or director usually reviews the complaint;
• it gives a written Stage 2 response within 20 working days.^[12]

If the complaint doesn't fix it: the Housing Ombudsman. Once you have completed Be One Homes' complaints process, you can go to the Housing Ombudsman.^[12] It is free and independent, can order repairs, an apology and compensation, and needs no claims company or solicitor.

Free advice. Shelter and Citizens Advice give free, independent housing advice. A local law centre can tell you whether you qualify for legal aid — available for disrepair that seriously risks health or safety, but not normally for a compensation-only claim.

"Disrepair" means problems with your home that your landlord is legally responsible for fixing but hasn't. Common examples include:

• damp and mould
• leaks — from the roof, pipes, or a flat above
• broken heating or no hot water
• rotten or draughty windows and doors
• cracked walls, unsafe ceilings or other structural problems
• faulty electrics.

You may have a claim against Be One Homes if all of these apply:

1. Be One Homes is your landlord. Check your tenancy agreement or rent statement. If it names Bolton at Home, that is the same landlord under its old name.^[10] Be One Homes also now repairs homes once managed by Arcon Housing Association.^[10]
2. Be One Homes knew about the problem. Usually that means you reported it, so keep your repair reference numbers, emails, photos and appointment records.^[14]
3. It failed to fix the problem in a reasonable time. What is "reasonable" depends on the problem — Be One Homes' own published targets, in the FAQs below, are a good guide.
4. You were affected — for example, your health suffered, your belongings were damaged, or part of your home became unusable.

If you are a shared owner in a Be One Homes property, you have rights too, though the route is a little different — see the shared-owner question in the FAQs below.

A housing disrepair claim can deal with two things: getting the repairs done, and recognising what living with the problem has cost you. Depending on your situation, a claim may cover:

• the repairs themselves — a court can order Be One Homes to carry out the work;
• inconvenience and distress — compensation may be sought for the disruption of living with the problem;
• effects on health — for example where damp and mould have made a breathing condition worse;
• damaged belongings — clothes, furniture, carpets or electronics ruined by damp, mould or leaks;
• loss of use of part of your home — such as a bedroom, bathroom or kitchen you could not use properly.

A claim is not the only way to get compensation. The Housing Ombudsman can order it for free: in its 2025-26 Be One Homes cases, 14 of its orders were for compensation, alongside orders for apologies and repairs.^[6] In one case about roof and bathroom leaks, it ordered compensation of 20% of the tenant's rent for the period of her complaint, from May 2022 to January 2025.^[8]

Every case is different, and no reliable figure can be put on a claim before the evidence has been looked at.

Step 1 — tell us what's happened. You answer some straightforward questions: what the problem is, when you reported it, what Be One Homes did (or didn't do), and how it has affected your household. Photos, repair references and complaint responses all help.

Step 2 — get your free report. We assess your answers against the legal tests on this page and give you a clear written view of whether you may have a claim and how strong it looks. Your first conversation with us is always free.

Step 3 — if your case is strong. We connect you with an independent, regulated law firm — and we will be upfront about that before you commit to anything. They take it from there: advising you, notifying Be One Homes formally, and usually arranging an independent inspection of your home. Most disrepair cases settle without anyone going to court.

Your complaint and a claim. Be One Homes says it will not take a complaint through its complaints process once legal proceedings are pending or have started.^[12] So it makes sense to complain, and give it the chance to fix things, before any claim begins.

Whoever you talk to — us included — you should never be pressed to sign anything on the doorstep.

A note on time limits. A disrepair claim is normally treated as a contract claim, with a limitation period of six years from when the landlord should have fixed the problem.^[18] Where part of the claim is for an injury to health — damp-related breathing problems, for instance — that element usually carries a shorter, three-year limit instead.^[18] Even long-running problems can often still be claimed for, but it makes sense to check where you stand rather than assume.

How long a claim takes. Disrepair claims are rarely quick — which is one more reason to complain first and keep the pressure on for repairs while any claim runs.