Rent Repayment Order
A Rent Repayment Order (RRO) is a decision of the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) requiring a landlord to pay back rent (or housing benefit/Universal Credit) because they have committed certain housing-related offences. Traditionally, tenants or local authorities could reclaim up to 12 months’ rent where, for example, a landlord let an unlicensed HMO or property, carried out an illegal eviction, breached a banning order, or ignored an improvement or prohibition notice.
You do not need a criminal conviction to get an RRO, but the Tribunal must be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that the landlord committed a qualifying offence. Applications are usually made after the tenant has gathered evidence and, in many cases, after the council has investigated.
The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 significantly strengthens this regime. It doubles the cap so tenants and councils can recover up to two years’ rent, extends the time limit for claims to two years, and widens the list of offences, including misuse of new possession grounds and serious breaches of standards such as Awaab’s Law/Decent Homes. Crucially, RROs can now be made against superior landlords and company directors, who are jointly and severally liable, overturning the Supreme Court’s decision in Rakusen v Jepsen.
An RRO does not, by itself, end a tenancy, but it is a powerful financial sanction against rogue landlords alongside the Act’s wider enforcement reforms.
