Pellings supports social housing disrepair claims

An expert witness is a person or company that gets called to advise on legal proceedings in which their level of expertise is relevant and beneficial to the case. Pellings is a London-based company that provides surveying, architectural, planning and project management services. It also facilities management services for housing, education and healthcare projects.

Because of its level of expertise, the company is often engaged as an expert witness in housing disrepair claims. In most cases, it acts as a single expert for both solicitors and their clients (the claimants), who are often social housing tenants, and the local authorities and housing association landlords (the defendants).

Pellings has provided expert reports for many years in London and has worked under various acts and guidance, including the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, the government’s Decent Home Standard, the housing health and safety rating system (HHSRS) pursuant to section 2 of the Housing Act 2004, the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 and the Equality Act 2010.

Housing disrepair

Many of Pellings’ clients are social housing tenants who live in substandard conditions and require support in their claims against their landlords.

Single expert

A single expert must ensure the information presented is unbiased and accurate.

A pillar of Pellings is keeping its service impartial and accurate. The company works with chartered building surveyors who carry out thorough inspections in order to diagnose the causes of and remedies for an issue. They take all factors into account when providing their report, including the costs to rectify typical building defects. With Pellings’ years of experience in the construction field, the company also has a full understanding of any other liabilities that may exist under relevant acts.

Owing to the quality of the reports provided by Pellings, many of its clients report that they were able to reach a settlement without incurring the costs and delays of taking the matter to court. This is a great triumph to many social housing tenants, who often have been living in subpar housing conditions for many years. Reaching this result ensures the required repairs are undertaken without further delay.

Pellings’ excellent reputation has often led to the company being contacted by landlords who it has previously created a report for a claim against requesting support in producing a report for their defence in future claims.

One of Pellings’ clients, Jessica Hampson, Managing Director of CEL Solicitors, states: “CEL Solicitors is a ‘people before profits’ law firm. We pride ourselves on our ‘clients first’ approach, and whenever we engage the services of any third party, either directly or on behalf of our client, it is imperative that the company is aligned with our beliefs and values. We believe that Pellings shares our desire to gain the best results for our clients.

“In February 2019, CEL Solicitors received instruction on one of the worst cases of disrepair to date. All areas of the property presented a huge cause for concern. We advised our client to use Pellings because of their thorough approach and attention to detail. Our surveyor left no stone unturned and our expert report proved invaluable in enabling us to obtain compensation in excess of £19,000 for our client along with repairs to the value of £40,000.”

For further information, please contact Alan Jeffery at ajeffery@pellings.co.uk or +44 (0)7583 076960.