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What is Rent repayment order?
Last verified 23 October 2026
A rent repayment order (RRO) is an order from the First-tier Tribunal requiring a landlord in England to repay rent because the landlord committed certain housing offences. Tenants can apply, and so can councils where rent was paid through Housing Benefit or Universal Credit.
Why it matters to landlords
The offences include letting an unlicensed HMO or other licensable house, failing to comply with an improvement notice or prohibition order, illegal eviction or harassment, using violence to secure entry and breaching a banning order. For offences from 1 May 2026, they also include misusing a possession ground and re-letting or marketing a home too soon after using the moving in or selling ground. The landlord does not need to have been convicted, but the tribunal must be sure beyond reasonable doubt that the offence happened.
Since 1 May 2026, an order can also be made against a superior landlord and against directors or similar officers of a company landlord, and the maximum amount a landlord can be ordered to repay has increased. A tenant or council can apply at any point within two years of the offence.
Example
A landlord lets a house to five unrelated sharers without the HMO licence it needs. A tenant finds out a year later and applies to the tribunal. The tribunal can order the landlord to repay rent even though the council never prosecuted.
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