Private renters have been given a leg-up by the government with a new free online tool that supports them if a landlord or letting agent is failing to maintain their property adequately – or at all.

It has been launched by the Ministry of Justice in partnership with the housing ministry and uses a Q&A style quiz to lead tenants through the process of getting outstanding repairs and maintenance to their property fixed.

The tool asks them questions about how the disrepair problem has affects their property, circumstances, health and finances, whether it’s an urgent issue or not and also how their landlord or agent has behaved.

Renters are then offered the most appropriate plan to prompt their landlord into action ranging from mediation to getting the local council involved.

The tool is designed to overcome one of the key reasons there are so many rogue landlords out there – most tenants are completely unaware of their rights and usually afraid they will get evicted should they complain about leaky taps, cracked ceilings, draughty windows and faulty boilers, for example.

The tool also features dozens of links to the Shelter tenant helpline and website guides and is designed to stop disputes escalating.

This is a key milestone in the government’s Legal Support Action Plan, in which the government committed to exploring a number of changes across the full breadth of legal support, focusing on what legal support works for the people who need it.

“We are committed to ensuring that people have access to early legal support as it is vital that problems are resolved before they escalate,” says Justice Minister, Lord Wolfson.

“This pilot will help us understand the role of early legal support and how this can be designed around what works for people who need it. I am delighted that we are able to deliver this work with support from MHCLG and advice sector organisations."

Expertise

Timothy Douglas, Policy and Campaigns Manager for trade association Propertymark, says: “Alongside this pilot the UK Government should be highlighting the expertise professional letting agents offer.

“They help both landlords and tenants understand their rights and responsibilities and look to resolve issues before problems escalate.

“Across the private rented sector, we know poor communication can be at the root of the problem and a diligent agent will ensure a tenant’s home is safe, warm and not in a state of disrepair meaning less disputes to be resolved by relevant authorities.”

CreditLadder can help you improve your credit score

If you want to improve your credit position by reporting your rent payments, CreditLadder is the only way to improve your credit score and position across all four of the main Credit Reference Agencies in the UK, namely Experian, Equifax, TransUnion and Crediva. Building up a high credit score has a lot of benefits, including helping you access finance at better rates - this can also help save you money.

CreditLadder also runs a free mortgage application service in partnership with Tembo which will tell you how much you could borrow.

Remember the information provided in this article is for information purposes only and should not be considered as advice.