Pre-Action Protocol · CPR Part 35-aware

Housing disrepair reports — Letter-of-Claim ready in minutes

For tenant and landlord-instructed disrepair experts. Pre-Action Protocol-aligned format, statutory-hook attribution per item (s.11 LTA, Homes Fitness Act, DPA 1972), HHSRS cross-reference — AI drafts the narrative from your on-site notes, you sign off the costed remedies.

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Our approach to housing disrepair

A Protocol-shaped disrepair report for tenant or landlord-instructed experts under the Pre-Action Protocol. Built around the things the expert needs at hand: per-item statutory hook attribution, HHSRS hazard cross-reference, costed remedies sequenced into a programme of works, and a section-aware image manager so the photo evidence sits with the right item — not in a separate folder.

Statutory framework

Per-item hook attribution

Each disrepair item is attributed to the correct covenant: s.11 LTA 1985, Homes Fitness Act 2018, DPA 1972 s.4, or contractual covenant. The report won't export with unattributed items — the same logic the court will apply.

Photo manager

Section-aware image manager

Bulk-import photos, drag each one to the right disrepair item, annotate damp patches and cracks with arrows. Mark for inline or appendix exhibit list. No more renaming files or rebuilding the bundle in Word — saves hours per Letter of Claim.

Either side

Tenant or landlord-instructed

One template covers both. Set instructing-party to landlord and the tone shifts to Letter-of-Response language; flip the joint-expert flag and it adopts CPR Part 35 single-joint-expert phrasing.

Your site notes

item 3 — bathroom, persistent black mould to ceiling, extractor not working tenant reports breathing issues, child age 4 in property first reported by tenant 14 Aug 2025

AI draft — review & sign off

Bathroom — mould & ventilation Urgent

Extensive black mould observed to the bathroom ceiling. Mechanical extractor noted as inoperative. Vulnerable occupant (child, 4) in residence…

Statutory hook & costed remedy expert only

Hook attribution and quantum stay with the named expert — expert-witness liability.

AI · CPR Part 35-aware

Letter-of-Claim narrative drafted from notes — statutory hooks stay with you

Type item-by-item notes from the inspection. AI drafts the descriptive narrative for each item: location, defect, environment, occupant impact. It cross-references the HHSRS category where you've flagged one and pre-populates the urgency band.

What AI does not do: it never proposes the statutory hook (s.11 / Fitness Act / DPA) or the costed remedy. Both carry expert-witness liability under CPR Part 35 — the named expert sets them, signs the declaration, and stands behind the figures in court.

Read our full AI compliance position

What's in the report

Aligned to the Pre-Action Protocol for Housing Disrepair Cases.

AInspection & instructionSurveyor, instructing party (tenant / landlord), date, weather, witness present, areas not accessed.
BProperty & tenancyAddress, tenancy type (assured shorthold / secure / introductory), tenancy start, rent, occupation profile (children, elderly, vulnerable), landlord identity.
CStatutory frameworkRepair covenants engaged: s.11 Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018, Defective Premises Act 1972, contractual covenants. Per-item attribution.
DDisrepair itemsPer item: location, defect, statutory hook, date reported (if known), photo evidence, costed remedy, urgency band (immediate / urgent / routine), HHSRS hazard cross-reference.
EHealth & safety impactHHSRS hazard categories engaged (Cat 1 / Cat 2), impact on occupants, vulnerable group considerations, environmental health referral if appropriate.
FQuantum & works programmeTotal costed remedy, programme of works (sequenced), decant requirement (yes/no/partial), professional fees if claimed.
GSurveyor's declarationCPR Part 35 expert declaration, single-joint-expert protocol if applicable, qualifications, AI disclosure.

The Pre-Action Protocol journey

5 stages from tenant complaint to settlement or court issue. New to it? Read our plain-English guide to the Pre-Action Protocol for surveyors.

Stage 1

Notice of disrepair

Tenant gives written notice of disrepair to landlord. The clock starts: landlord becomes liable for reported (and patent) defects. The date of notice becomes a key fact in this report.

Stage 2

Letter of Claim

Tenant's solicitor instructs an expert and serves a Letter of Claim. The expert report (this template) is annexed: items, statutory hooks, costed remedies, HHSRS impact. The landlord has 20 working days to acknowledge.

Stage 3

Landlord's response

Landlord acknowledges, instructs their own expert (or single-joint expert), and serves a Letter of Response within typically 20 days. The landlord-side report is the same template, "instructing party = landlord".

Stage 4

Joint expert / Scott Schedule

If positions diverge, parties move to a single-joint-expert or both prepare a Scott Schedule for the contested items (see the Scott Schedule template). Most cases settle here.

Stage 5

Settlement or proceedings

Negotiated settlement, or claim issued in the County Court. The expert report (and any Scott Schedule) becomes the substantive evidence at trial.

Housing Disrepair FAQs

What is the Pre-Action Protocol for Housing Disrepair?

A formal pre-litigation procedure governing how disrepair claims are run before issuing court proceedings. Failure to follow it can lead to costs sanctions. The Protocol prescribes the Letter of Claim contents, response timescales, expert reporting, and joint-expert appointment where appropriate.

What statutory hooks are captured?

Three primary covenants: Section 11 Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 (structural and exterior, water/gas/electric, sanitary, heating); Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 (extends fitness obligations across the tenancy); and Defective Premises Act 1972 s.4 (duty of care to anyone reasonably affected). Each item is attributed to the correct statutory hook.

How does it relate to HHSRS?

Each disrepair item can cross-reference the HHSRS hazard category it engages (e.g. damp & mould = Hazard 1, excess cold = Hazard 2). For a full HHSRS scoring under the Housing Act 2004, see the dedicated HHSRS Assessment template.

Can both tenant and landlord-instructed experts use this template?

Yes. The instructing-party field at the top determines perspective. The same template handles tenant Letter-of-Claim reports, landlord Letter-of-Response reports, and (with the joint-expert flag set) single-joint-expert reports.

Does AI propose statutory hooks or costed remedies?

No. Both are strictly expert-only. AI drafts the descriptive narrative for each item (defect, location, environment, occupant impact) from your on-site notes. The statutory hook attribution and the costed remedy carry expert-witness liability under CPR Part 35 and stay with the named expert.

Is the AI compliant with the RICS 2026 AI Standard?

Yes. SurveyorSuite is designed around the RICS Professional Standard Responsible use of artificial intelligence in surveying practice (in force from 9 March 2026). Every AI-assisted housing disrepair report carries an AI disclosure block in Section G (text generation / photo analysis / research) with a confirmation field the named expert signs before export, plus an audit-trail timestamp on every generation. Under s.4.2 the named expert remains the accountable professional — AI drafts, expert decides. See our full AI compliance position for the line-by-line breakdown.

What happens to my notes? Are they used to train AI models?

No. Inspection notes are sent to Anthropic's commercial API for drafting. Anthropic explicitly commits in their Commercial Terms of Service that customer inputs and outputs are not used to train their models. They retain API content for up to 30 days under their standard Trust & Safety policy, then delete it. SurveyorSuite never shares your content with any third party for marketing or model training. Given the sensitivity of disrepair work (vulnerable occupants, ongoing litigation), avoid pasting tenant names, medical detail, or settlement figures into the site-notes input.