Camden Rent Repayment Order: How Tenants Claim Back Rent from Unlicensed Landlords

Rent repayment orders are the enforcement mechanism that hits unlicensed Camden landlords hardest — not because the council imposes them, but because tenants themselves can file them. Since May 2026, the claim period has doubled, and the financial exposure for even a short period of unlicensed operation is serious.

What a Rent Repayment Order Is

A rent repayment order (RRO) allows tenants or the local authority to recover rent paid during a period when a landlord was committing certain housing offences — including operating an unlicensed HMO. The application goes to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber), which has the power to order the landlord to repay some or all of the rent.

In Camden, this matters because both mandatory and additional HMO licensing apply borough-wide. Any shared property with three or more unrelated occupants forming two or more households likely needs a licence. If it doesn't have one, every tenant in that property is a potential RRO applicant.

The 24-Month Application Window and Rent Cap

Before 1 May 2026, tenants generally had 12 months after the offence to apply, and an RRO could cover up to 12 months of rent. For qualifying offences committed on or after 1 May 2026, both the application window and the maximum rent-repayment period are 24 months.

For a Camden HMO with four tenants each paying £800 per month, 24 months of combined rent is £76,800. The tribunal won't always award the full amount — it considers factors like the landlord's financial circumstances, conduct, and whether the failure to licence was deliberate — but even a partial award is a substantial hit.

Who Can Apply

• Tenants who paid rent during the period the property was unlicensed. Each tenant in the property can make their own application, and applications can be made jointly
• The local authority — Camden Council can apply to recover housing benefit payments made during the unlicensed period

Since May 2026, RRO applications can also be made against superior landlords (in rent-to-rent arrangements) and company directors or officers — not just the immediate landlord.

The Application Process

Tenants apply using Form RRO1, available from GOV.UK. The form was revised on 1 May 2026 to reflect the 24-month recovery period and expanded respondent categories.

Fees:

• Application fee: £114
• Hearing fee (if it proceeds to oral hearing): £227

The tenant doesn't need to prove the landlord was convicted or penalised — they need to show that the property was a licensable HMO and didn't have a licence during the claim period. Camden's public register and the council's own records can establish this.

What Landlords Should Know

If you receive an RRO application:

• A duly made licence application is a statutory defence to the unlicensed-HMO offence under section 72(4)(b) of the Housing Act 2004. Keep evidence that the application was complete and the Part 1 fee was paid; the tribunal determines any RRO application separately
• The tribunal considers whether the failure to licence was deliberate, negligent, or an honest oversight
• Evidence that you applied promptly, cooperated with the council, and maintained the property to licensing standards can reduce the award

An RRO is a civil remedy, separate from any criminal prosecution or civil penalty Camden might pursue. You can face all three — a civil penalty from the council, a criminal prosecution, and an RRO from your tenants — though the council must choose between prosecution and civil penalty for the same offence.

Prevention Is Cheaper

The licence application fee in Camden is £1,570 for five years. The potential RRO exposure across multiple tenants for even a few months of unlicensed operation can exceed that many times over.

If your Camden property is currently unlicensed and occupied by three or more unrelated people in two or more households, submit your application immediately. Once it's duly made, your statutory protection starts.

The Camden Landlord Licensing Guide covers the full application process, document preparation and the enforcement framework so you can get licensed before exposure builds.

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