How Can I Claim Money Back From My Landlord?

Imagine the scenario, you’ve been paying your rent, on time, every time to your landlord. You’ve reported issues to him, the fact he said there was gas certificate for the old crusty boiler when showing you around, but still hasn’t produced it, the flappy carpet at the top of the stairs which someone’s going to stumble over one day, and you’re pretty sure he said the Council told him he didn’t need a HMO licence, even though there’s 6 of you in the house.

Did you know that all (there are exceptions) rental properties with 5 or more tenants need to have a licence?

Did you know there’s a thing called a ‘Rent Repayment Order’ which, if done correctly could see your landlord repaying you up to 12 months rent back?

Rent Repayment Orders are part of the Housing Act 2016 and can be applied if the landlord had control or management of unlicensed HMO Housing Act 2004 Section 72(1), or control or management of unlicensed house Housing Act 2004 Section 95(1).

How do you find out if your landlord needs a licence and how do you find out if the property you’ve been renting had a licence? Ring the Council. Seriously, they’re there to help you, and there to improve conditions for renters, so make use of their help.

But how can you claim money back from your landlord if he’s been renting an unlicensed property to you?

A Rent Repayment Order (RRO) is a financial penalty which can be given to a landlord who has been managing or letting properties which are unlicensed.

There’s a company called ‘Justice For Tenants’ who specialises in helping tenants to complete Rent Repayment Orders for unlicensed properties.

Justice For Tenants has a success rate of above 98%.

The average success rate for a tenant without representation or good advice is 21%.

These guys train local authorities to help them understand the complexities of Rent Repayment Orders, so they’re incredibly well placed to help you. Give Justice For Tenants a call to see how they can help you.