Living with HIVIf you are living with HIV, your life can seem more complex than before and you may face all kinds of day-to-day problems. We can help you navigate your way through them. |  |
Illness
Rented accommodation can vary hugely in quality. Some property might have conditions which could make you ill; such as damp, condensation or lead pollution. Although these things wouldn't be covered by disrepair regulations, they can be 'deemed to be prejudicial to health'.
Similarly, it could be that your neighbours' behaviour is a nuisance and is affecting the quality of your life: perhaps they are being noisy or allowing water to leak into your flat.
A nuisance can be a 'public' nuisance or a 'private' nuisance. A public nuisance is one which materially affects the comfort or quality life of the public generally. A private nuisance is one which substantially interferes with the use and enjoyment of adjoining property.
You don't have to live like this. In all of these cases the law has a system in place to try to help when this happens and a procedure you can follow.
What you can do
If you experience any of these issues you should contact the environmental health officers at your local council to get them to investigate. Where the local authority identifies a statutory nuisance, they must serve an 'abatement notice' on the person responsible for the nuisance and set a time limit for completion, which means a time by which they must stop. If you need to find your local authority use the Upmystreet website.
If you need advice or support with these problems contact THT Direct.
Disclaimer
The information contained within these pages is written for people resident in, or affected by, the laws of England and Wales only and is correct in December 2007. If you're resident in Scotland please contact THT Direct who'll put you in touch with a specialist in Scottish legislation.
This information does not constitute legal advice. If you have a legal problem you should call THT Direct to talk to an appropriately trained adviser before making a decision about what to do next. In the event that you need specialist assistance we will try to put you in contact with a specialist adviser in your area.
While every care has been taken in the compilation and construction of these pages, Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) will not be held liable for any loss, damage or other inconvenience caused as a result of any inaccuracy or error within the pages of this website. THT has no control over the content of pages external to this site and cannot be held liable for their content.
Find your local authority
You can find your local authority and the contact details of different departments using the UpMyStreet website.
Copyright 2008 © Terrence Higgins Trust is a registered charity no: 288527 Company reg. no.1778149 Registered in England. A company limited by guarantee.