Practical guides to UK consumer law. Each one explains the legislation, when you have a valid claim, what your letter should include, and what to do if they ignore you.
Your landlord has a legal duty under Section 11 to maintain the structure, plumbing, heating, and electrics. If they're ignoring your reports, a formal letter citing the right legislation is the first step to getting action.
Covers: tenant rights, Section 11, disrepair claims, Environmental Health, First-tier TribunalEvery product must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose, and as described. If it's not, you have 30 days for a full refund — and rights beyond that for repair, replacement, or partial refund.
Covers: 30-day right to reject, repair vs replacement, proof of purchase, ADR, small claimsPaid by credit card? Your card company is jointly liable with the seller for purchases between £100 and £30,000. Even if the seller has gone bust, your card issuer must honour the claim.
Covers: joint liability, chargeback vs Section 75, Financial Ombudsman, claim letter formatOverdue invoices? You can charge statutory interest (8% + BoE base rate) plus fixed compensation of £40–£100. A formal demand letter starts the clock towards court action.
Covers: statutory interest, fixed compensation, Letter Before Action, MCOL, enforcementEvery organisation that holds your personal data must tell you what they have, why they have it, and who they've shared it with. They have one month to respond. If they don't, the ICO can investigate.
Covers: Article 15 rights, ICO complaints, compensation for non-compliance, employment DSARsBullied, discriminated against, or treated unfairly at work? You have a legal right to raise a formal grievance. Your employer must follow the ACAS Code — failure to do so can increase any Tribunal award by 25%.
Covers: ACAS Code, Equality Act 2010, unfair treatment, constructive dismissal, Employment TribunalLandlord failed to protect your deposit or made unlawful deductions? You can claim up to 3× the deposit amount in compensation — on top of getting the deposit back. The law is firmly on your side.
Covers: deposit protection, Prescribed Information, ADR disputes, county court, unprotected deposit claimsThink your council tax band is too high or you deserve a reduction? You can appeal to the Valuation Office Agency for free, without a solicitor — and potentially reclaim hundreds of pounds per year.
Covers: VOA band review, council tax reduction, comparable property evidence, Valuation TribunalEvery worker is legally entitled to 5.6 weeks' paid holiday. If your employer underpays, miscalculates, or refuses to pay out accrued leave, you can claim up to 2 years of back-pay through the Employment Tribunal.
Covers: WTR 1998, overtime inclusion, commission, zero-hours workers, ACAS conciliation, Tribunal claimsPersistent noise from a neighbour or tenant can constitute a statutory nuisance. A formal letter is the first step before council enforcement — and your local authority is legally required to act if a statutory nuisance is confirmed.
Covers: statutory nuisance, Abatement Notice, s.82 Magistrates' Court, Noise Act 1996, landlord enforcementCouncil PCN or private parking charge? The two are very different in law. Many private parking charges are successfully appealed — especially where signage was inadequate or the operator failed to follow strict statutory procedures.
Covers: council PCN vs private charge, POPLA appeals, Traffic Penalty Tribunal, Schedule 4 PoFA 2012, chargebackWhen the other party fails to deliver what was agreed — goods, services, or payment — you have legal remedies. A formal Letter Before Action is required before court action and resolves most disputes without litigation.
Covers: material breach, damages calculation, Letter Before Action, Consumer Rights Act, Money Claim OnlineA money-back guarantee is a legally binding promise, not a marketing gimmick. If a seller refuses to honour it, UK consumer law gives you the right to demand a refund — backed by chargeback, Section 75, and county court if needed.
Covers: Consumer Contracts Regulations, 14-day cooling-off, Section 75, chargeback, digital goods refundsDelayed 3+ hours? UK passengers are legally entitled to up to £520 per person under the UK Retained EU Regulation 261/2004. Most airlines reject the first claim but pay out when passengers follow up formally.
Covers: EC 261 claim UK, CAA complaint, ADR scheme, extraordinary circumstances, small claims courtDamp, leaks, broken heating or unsafe wiring? A Pre-Action Protocol for Housing Conditions Claims compliant Letter Before Action citing Section 11 is the gateway to county court action — giving the landlord 20 working days to repair before proceedings can be issued.
Covers: Pre-Action Protocol Housing Conditions, Schedule of Disrepair, Section 11, damp & mould claims, County Court disrepairApplication fell through? The TFA 2019 gives you a 15-day reclaim window — and the central question is whether the landlord served a valid Written Statement of Reasons for keeping your deposit. A Schedule 1 demand letter branches on that and sets up county court escalation via MCOL if they ignore you.
Covers: TFA 2019 reclaim, Written Statement of Reasons, 15-day deadline, MCOL county courtReceived a written warning, final warning, or dismissal? ACAS Code paragraph 33(b) gives you a right of appeal, and section 207A of the Employment Rights Act 1996 allows an Employment Tribunal to uplift any award by up to 25% if your employer unreasonably failed to follow the ACAS Code. A formal appeal letter — branching on procedural defect, inconsistent sanction, new evidence, or disparity of treatment — is the strongest first move.
Covers: ACAS Code paragraph 33, ERA 1996 s.207A uplift, internal appeal, right to be accompanied, ACAS Early ConciliationAbout to issue a County Court claim? The right Pre-Action Protocol citation — debt, housing, possession, construction, or general Practice Direction 7A — is auto-selected by dispute type. The form auto-inserts the right Protocol into your letter, computes the modelled response window (30 days for debt, 20 working days for housing, etc.), and produces a downloadable HTML Letter Before Action citing Practice Direction 7A paragraph 4 on costs.
Covers: CPR PD 7A, Pre-Action Protocol Debt / Housing / Possession / Construction, MCOL, costs sanctions, Schedule of LossWhether the landlord is in breach of the repairing covenant, wants to push through a Section 13(2) Housing Act 1988 rent-increase notice, has withdrawn an amenity you were promised, or has interfered with your quiet enjoyment — the right UK rent-reduction remedy runs off a specific statute. The form auto-selects one of four scenarios: Section 11 LTA 1985 + Section 9A Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 + Pre-Action Protocol Housing Conditions Claims; common law implied term + CRA 2015 analogue for lost services; Housing Act 1988 ss.13, 14 and 19 with a Rent Assessment Committee counter-proposal; or the implied covenant for quiet enjoyment + EPA 1990 s.79.
Covers: LTA 1985 s.11, Homes Fitness Act 2018 s.9A, HA 1988 s.13, RAC reference, CRA 2015 analogue, quiet enjoyment, EPA 1990 s.79, Renters' Rights BillSent a Letter Before Action and had no substantive response? The small claims track is the next step for claims of £10,000 or less. Money Claims Online (MCOL) handles issue, service, and Directions Questionnaires for claims up to £100k. The issue fee table by value band, the bundle the court expects on the day, and a copy-and-paste boilerplate for the MCOL "particulars of claim" field are all included.
Covers: CPR Part 27 small claims track, MCOL portal, Court Fees Order 2008 issue fees, s.69 CCA 1984 interest, PD 27 hearing costs cap, evidence bundle checklistNot ready to generate your letter now? We'll send you a free template to keep.
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