How much can I claim in a rent repayment order?

Short answer

Up to 12 months’ rent — and up to 24 months where the landlord is a repeat offender under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025. You apply to the First-tier Tribunal within 12 months of the offence, you do not need a solicitor, and no criminal conviction against the landlord is required.

A rent repayment order is one of the few remedies that puts money back in a tenant’s pocket rather than a council’s. The First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) orders the landlord to repay rent you paid — or housing benefit paid on your behalf — for a period of up to 12 months, and up to 24 months for repeat offenders under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025.

What triggers one

An RRO is only available where the landlord committed a specified housing offence, including:

Operating a licensable HMO without a licence
Letting without a licence in a selective licensing area
Illegal eviction or harassment of an occupier
Offences added by the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 — including failure to register on the Private Rented Sector Database, breaches of the new tenancy requirements, and prohibited discriminatory restrictions

Because the Act is being commenced in phases, check the current list with Shelter or Citizens Advice before applying.

Applying without a lawyer

The tribunal process is designed for unrepresented tenants, and no criminal conviction is needed: the tribunal applies the civil standard of proof and can find the offence proved itself.

Apply within 12 months of the offence — this deadline is strict, so do not wait for the council to act.
Gather your tenancy agreement, proof of every rent payment, photographs and correspondence.
Check the council’s public licensing register to show no licence was in force, and ask whether any enforcement action has been taken.
Where rent was paid by housing benefit or the Universal Credit housing element, that part is repaid to the council rather than to you.

Tenants sharing a property can each apply in respect of their own rent, which makes an unlicensed HMO an expensive mistake for a landlord. Shelter, Citizens Advice and local law centres can help you prepare the application and the evidence bundle.

Read the full guide: Rent Repayment OrdersCovers eligibility, the process, deadlines, and next steps in depth.

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