Repairs and disrepair — GreenSquareAccord

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

Report the repair. Use GreenSquareAccord's online repair form (opens in new tab) or your myGSA account, or call 0300 111 7000 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm). Outside those hours, calls to the same number are answered by its emergency service.^[19]

Report damp and mould in detail. Say where it is, roughly how big it is and when you first noticed it. Mention anyone in your home whose health it could harm.^[20]

Then complain, if it isn't fixed. Complain by phone on the same number or through GreenSquareAccord's online complaint form (opens in new tab).^[19] Its process has two stages:^[16]

• it acknowledges a complaint within 5 working days;
• it aims to respond at Stage 1 within 10 working days, or up to 20 for complex cases;
• you then have 20 working days to ask for Stage 2, which someone not involved at Stage 1 reviews;
• it aims to respond at Stage 2 within 20 working days, or up to 40 for complex cases.^[16]

Complain in time, and before any claim. GreenSquareAccord's complaints policy does not normally cover issues more than 12 months old. It also handles disrepair compensation claims, and matters where a claim has been filed in court, outside its complaints process — so say clearly that you are making a complaint.^[16]

If the complaint doesn't fix it: the Housing Ombudsman. After GreenSquareAccord's two stages — or if your complaint is not progressing — you can go to the Housing Ombudsman.^[16] It is free and independent, and can order repairs, an apology and compensation. You need no claims company or solicitor to use it.

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 GreenSquareAccord if all of these apply:

1. GreenSquareAccord is your landlord. Check your tenancy agreement — the landlord named on it is what counts. GreenSquareAccord was formed in 2021 when GreenSquare and Accord Housing Association merged.^[1] If your agreement names Accord or GreenSquare, ask GreenSquareAccord to confirm who your landlord is now.
2. GreenSquareAccord knew about the problem. Usually that means you reported it — online, through myGSA or by phone — so keep your repair reference numbers, emails, photos and appointment records.^[19]
3. It failed to fix the problem in a reasonable time. What is "reasonable" depends on the problem — GreenSquareAccord's own published timescales, 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 or a leaseholder in a GreenSquareAccord home, 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 GreenSquareAccord to carry out the work. GreenSquareAccord says that when a claim is made, its own surveyor inspects the home and it arranges any repairs that are its responsibility;^[21]
• 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 or bathroom you could not safely use.

A claim is not the only way to get compensation. The Housing Ombudsman can order it for free: in its 2025-26 GreenSquareAccord cases, 115 of its orders were for compensation, alongside orders for apologies and repairs.^[6]

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 GreenSquareAccord 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 GreenSquareAccord formally, and usually arranging an independent inspection of your home. Most disrepair cases settle without anyone going to court.

What GreenSquareAccord says about claims. GreenSquareAccord's disrepair-claims page warns that companies approach its tenants to encourage claims, sometimes saying they work on its behalf, and asks tenants to use its complaints process and the Ombudsman first.^[21] Whoever you talk to — us included — you should never be pressed to sign anything on the doorstep, and you can complain to GreenSquareAccord directly at any stage.

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.^[23] 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.^[23] 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.