Rent Repayment Orders Doubled to 24 Months: How to Claim

A rent repayment order (RRO) is a tribunal order requiring a landlord to repay rent to a tenant (or to the local council if the rent was paid by housing benefit). RROs were introduced by the Housing Act 2004 and have been significantly strengthened by the Renters' Rights Act 2025.

The key change, effective from 27 December 2025 (Phase 1), is that the maximum amount a tenant can claim has been doubled from 12 months to 24 months of rent. This means if your landlord has been committing a qualifying offence for two years, you could recover the entire two years of rent you paid during that period.

RROs are a powerful tool because they do not require a criminal conviction. You apply directly to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber), and the burden of proof is the civil standard (balance of probabilities), which is easier to meet than the criminal standard.

To check if your landlord might be committing qualifying offences, use our landlord check tool to verify EPC, gas safety, and licensing compliance.

You can apply for a rent repayment order if your landlord has committed any of the following offences:

Original offences (Housing Act 2004/2016):

New offences added by the Renters' Rights Act 2025:

The expansion of qualifying offences means many more tenants will have grounds for an RRO. Even offences that seem minor (like failing to register on the PRS Database) can now trigger a claim worth tens of thousands of pounds.

Here is the step-by-step process for claiming an RRO:

Step 1: Gather evidence

Document the offence. For an unlicensed HMO, check with your council's licensing team. For illegal eviction, gather texts, emails, and witness statements. For missing certificates, check the EPC register and ask for copies of gas safety and electrical certificates. Use our landlord check tool to run a quick compliance scan.

Step 2: Check with the council (optional but helpful)

You can ask your local council to confirm whether an offence has been committed. Some councils will issue a statement confirming non-compliance, which strengthens your case. Some councils also pursue their own RRO applications for rent paid by housing benefit.

Step 3: Apply to the First-tier Tribunal

Complete form RRO1 (available on the tribunal's website) and submit it along with your evidence. The application fee is currently around £100 to £300 depending on the amount claimed.

Step 4: The hearing

The tribunal will schedule a hearing (usually within 2 to 4 months). You can attend in person or online. You do not need a solicitor, but having one can help for complex cases.

Step 5: The decision

The tribunal decides the amount based on the severity of the offence, the landlord's conduct, and any financial hardship the order might cause the landlord. The maximum is now 24 months' rent.

Important: You must apply within 12 months of the offence ending (or of becoming aware of it). Do not delay if you suspect your landlord is committing an offence.

The tribunal has discretion over the amount, up to a maximum of 24 months' rent paid during the period the offence was being committed.

Factors the tribunal considers include:

• Severity of the offence: A deliberate unlicensed HMO will attract a higher award than a technical compliance lapse
• Duration: The longer the offence continued, the higher the potential award
• Landlord's conduct: Did they try to rectify the issue once made aware? Were they cooperative?
• Financial impact on the tenant: If the offence caused the tenant additional costs (e.g. health issues from an unsafe property)
• Landlord's financial circumstances: Not a bar to an order, but the tribunal can consider ability to pay

Practical examples:

• If your rent is £1,000/month and your landlord ran an unlicensed HMO for 2 years: maximum claim of £24,000
• If your rent is £800/month and your landlord failed to register on the PRS Database for 6 months: maximum claim of £4,800
• If your rent is £1,500/month and your landlord illegally evicted you after 18 months: maximum claim of £36,000

In practice, tribunals rarely award the full amount for first offences, but awards of 6 to 12 months' rent are common for proven offences.

If your rent is paid (wholly or partly) by housing benefit or the housing element of Universal Credit, you can still apply for an RRO. The tribunal will consider the total rent paid, regardless of the source.

However, if the housing benefit was paid directly to the landlord by the council, the council itself can apply for an RRO to recover that money. In practice, many councils now actively pursue RROs to recover housing benefit overpayments from rogue landlords.

If the rent was partly paid by you and partly by housing benefit, you can claim for your portion and the council can claim for theirs, or you can coordinate.

This is particularly relevant because the Renters' Rights Act 2025 now explicitly bans discrimination against tenants on benefits. A landlord who refused to rent to you because you receive Universal Credit has committed an offence that qualifies for an RRO.

Based on tribunal outcomes, here are tips to maximise your chances:

• Keep all rent receipts and bank statements: You need to prove how much rent you paid and when
• Get council confirmation: A letter from the council confirming the offence adds significant weight
• Apply promptly: The 12-month deadline is strict. Do not wait.
• Be organised: Present your evidence clearly and chronologically. Tribunals appreciate well-prepared cases.
• Consider legal help: While not required, organisations like Shelter, Citizens Advice, and some law centres can help with RRO applications for free or at low cost
• Join forces: If you live in an HMO, all tenants can apply for individual RROs against the same landlord. Coordinating strengthens each case.

Rent repayment orders are one of the most powerful tools tenants have. The doubling to 24 months makes them a genuine financial deterrent for rogue landlords. If you suspect your landlord is committing an offence, do not leave money on the table.