A Rent Repayment Order (RRO) application is an application that can be made by tenants or local authorities to reclaim rent from landlords who have committed certain offences.
When Can a Rent Repayment Order Be Issued?
An RRO can be applied for in a variety of situations including but not limited to:
- Failure to Obtain a Property Licence: Landlords who rent out properties in areas where selective or an HMO Licence is required including areas covered under the additional licensing scheme.
- Illegal Eviction: If the landlord evicts tenants illegally without following the legal process.
- Harassment: If the landlord harasses tenants in violation of the Protection from Eviction Act.
- Serious Breaches of Health and Safety Standards: Landlords who provide properties with unsafe or unhealthy living conditions.
- Other Specific Offences: Such as using violence to enter a property or breaching a banning order imposed under the Housing and Planning Act 2016.
How Does It Work?
- Application: Tenants or the local authority can apply to the Property Tribunal for a rent repayment order.
- Amount of Repayment: The amount that can be reclaimed from the Landlord is typically up to 12 months’ worth of rent paid by the tenant/s.
- For Local Authorities, it might involve reclaiming housing benefit or Universal Credit paid as rent.
- Tribunal Hearing: A Tribunal will consider the case, including the severity of the offence and the landlord’s compliance with legal requirements, before deciding how much rent should be repaid.
In some cases, Landlords have been ordered to pay back eye watering amounts of money in the thousands, it is therefore, crucial that a landlord or their managing agent contacts us as early as possible, as we can assist to mitigate the financial impact these types of applications can have on the Landlord when made by tenants or former tenants.
If you receive an application letter or a bundle of documents with the application, contact us at Reen Anderson Solicitors on 0207 859 4451 or email us: info@reenanderson.com to book in an initial call with one of our Specialist Lawyers.