“Now I have stability and peace of mind again”

Annabelle lives with her daughter in social housing. For a long time, her home was not the safe and secure place it should have been.

Since the start of her tenancy, Annabelle had been living with a mice infestation. The problem caused distress for both her and her daughter, leaving them feeling anxious and unsettled in their own home. To make matters worse, a leak from the property above led to damp and mould in her living room.

Annabelle reported the issues, but although some patch repairs were carried out, the problems were never properly resolved.

At the same time, Annabelle was struggling financially. While raising her daughter and working, her housing benefit was not enough to cover the rent. She fell into arrears with her rent, council tax and car finance, and began to feel overwhelmed.

Annabelle tried to take control of the situation by applying for a Debt Relief Order, giving her some breathing space from her creditors and time to regularise her finances. But while she was trying to move forward, her landlord took her to court because of the rent arrears, and her case was listed for a possession hearing.

South West London Law Centres’ duty advisers, Jeinsen and Florence, provided Annabelle with emergency advice and representation. They informed the court that Annabelle may have a claim for compensation because of the landlord’s failure to repair the property. As a result, the case was adjourned.

Annabelle then applied for legal aid through the Law Centre. Jeinsen and Florence formalised her defence, helped obtain an expert report, and supported Annabelle to set out her experiences in a formal witness statement.

The Debt Relief Order meant that Annabelle’s rent arrears were cleared, which put pressure on the landlord not to take the case to a final hearing. Jeinsen and Florence negotiated a settlement which secured £15,000 in compensation for Annabelle, as well as a commitment from the landlord to eliminate the mice infestation and carry out urgent repairs to address the leak, damp and mould in her living room.

The settlement has now been approved, and Annabelle’s home is finally being made safe.

When she found out that the settlement had been approved, Annabelle said:

“Amazing! I’m speechless. So happy this is finally over and I am getting my home repaired. I cannot thank you enough, Mr Lam.”

Reflecting on the outcome, Annabelle described it as life-changing:

“It’s a life-changing result. I can finally repair my home and know that my landlord will take swift and appropriate action when I report future repairs. It would not have been possible without you both.”

Before getting help, Annabelle said she felt frightened and uncertain about what would happen next.

“When my landlord tried to evict me, I felt scared, overwhelmed and uncertain about the future. My home is where I feel safe and raised my family, and the possibility of losing it caused a huge amount of stress and anxiety. I didn’t know what my rights were or whether I would be able to challenge what was happening.”

With the support of the Law Centre, Annabelle no longer felt alone.

“Both Jeinsen and Florence took the time to explain everything clearly, keep me informed throughout the process and made me feel that someone was finally listening to me and fighting my corner. Having professional support made a difficult situation feel much more manageable.”

For Annabelle, legal aid made the difference between facing eviction alone and being able to defend her home.

“Legal aid was incredibly important in my case. Without it, I would not have been able to access the legal advice and representation I needed. It helped level the playing field and ensured that I understood my rights and had a fair opportunity to challenge the eviction. Many people like myself would not even know they have a right to challenge their landlord.”

Now, Annabelle can focus on rebuilding stability for herself and her daughter.

“Now that my case is over, I have stability and peace of mind again. Everything is falling into place. The uncertainty has gone, and I can focus on moving forward with my life instead of worrying about losing my home. The outcome has had a positive impact on my wellbeing and I am extremely grateful for the support I received throughout the process.”

Annabelle’s name has been changed.