Northumberland County Council has urged residents to be vigilant about cold callers following a rise in unsolicited contact from housing claims companies.

In a statement yesterday, the local authority issued a warning to tenants about the surge in third-party companies who have been contacting residents and suggesting that they make housing disrepair claims.

According to the council, the companies have been approaching tenants through phone calls, leaflets, doorstep visits, and social media adverts.

It has cautioned that the callers are only attempting to make profit, despite falsely claiming that they are employed by the council, a repairs team, housing maintenance department or another official organisation. 

Housing disrepair claims are legal cases where a resident makes a legal challenge against their landlord, for issues such as a failure to fix repairs in the required timeframe, the council has explained. It added that the third-party companies might insist that they can deliver faster repairs or deliver a lump sum of money.

To help protect residents against these risks, the council has recommended that tenants should contact their local authority directly if they have problems relating to housing repairs.

It also emphasised that tenants should be wary of the following issues:

• Companies will typically advise tenants not to allow access their landlord if they pursue a disrepair claim, which would breach the tenancy agreement
• The signing of agreements with claims companies could incur fees if tenants later change their mind about proceeding with them
• Any compensation could be offset against rent arrears and solicitor costs
• The council would usually have had to be notified of the repair issue first and ‘given a reasonable opportunity to address it’ for a disrepair claim to succeed.

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Northumberland County Cllr Colin Horncastle, Cabinet Member for Housing said: ‘We are asking tenants to be very cautious of unsolicited approaches from claims companies. Residents should never share personal information with unknown callers or sign documents without fully understanding what they are agreeing to. 

‘For repairs, speaking to the council first is the quickest and most effective way to get problems resolved and ensure residents receive the support they need. 

‘We prioritise repairs according to whether they are an emergency, a priority or routine. We understand it can be frustrating if you’re experiencing delays but be aware there are downsides to disrepair claims.’