Rent Repayment Orders: what landlords need to know

A Rent Repayment Order (RRO) lets tenants apply to the First-tier Tribunal to claw back up to 12 months of rent if the landlord has committed certain offences.

Triggering offences

The big ones:

• Operating an unlicensed HMO when a licence was required.
• Failure to comply with an Improvement Notice.
• Illegal eviction (i.e. removing a tenant without a court order).
• Using or threatening violence to enter the property.

How much

Up to 12 months of rent paid by the tenant. Universal Credit / Local Housing Allowance recipients have their portion paid back to the council, not them.

Your defence

The Tribunal considers:

• Whether the landlord has been convicted of the same offence.
• Conduct of both sides.
• Financial circumstances of the landlord.
• Whether the landlord is a professional or accidental.

A first-time, accidental breach corrected promptly tends to result in a partial repayment. A repeat or knowing breach tends to result in close to the full 12 months.

Don't get caught

• Get your HMO licence. If in doubt, ask the council in writing.
• Never, ever change locks or remove a tenant's belongings without a court order.
• Comply with Improvement Notices to the letter and within the deadline.

Track in havelo

The Legal Cases module (/dashboard/legal) handles RRO applications as a case type. The Compliance module makes it nearly impossible to forget your HMO renewal date.

This is general guidance. If an RRO is threatened, get a solicitor.