EvidenceCanvas · Housing Act 2004 rent repayment orders

Rent repayment orders, worked out to the penny

If your landlord needed an HMO licence and did not have one, a rent repayment order can require them to pay back up to 24 months of rent. EvidenceCanvas will validate the licence breach, check who the claim lies against, and build the tribunal bundle — with every money figure computed in code, never generated (coming soon).

Coming soon — we're checking this document builder before anyone relies on it. Official guide in the meantime: GOV.UK — Rent repayment orders: guidance for tenants.

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  • Rent capUp to 24 months
  • Triage Coming soonFree
  • Typical full claim Coming soon5–6 credits
  • VenueFTT Property Chamber

Five steps, from licence breach to filed bundle.

Coming soon — every step below is being checked before anyone relies on it.

  1. Validate the HMO — free. Coming soon Enter occupants, households and shared amenities. The validator applies the statutory thresholds: 5+ persons forming 2+ households is a mandatory HMO (Housing Act 2004 s.72); it also flags additional licensing (s.56) and selective licensing (s.95) schemes, and tells you what written confirmation to obtain from the council's published register.
  2. Check who the claim lies against — free. Coming soon The Rakusen check compares the landlord on your tenancy agreement with the respondent you plan to name, against your tenancy agreement and Land Registry title references. For offence periods before 1 May 2026 the old rules apply: the order lies against the immediate landlord only (Rakusen v Jepsen [2023] UKSC 9). From that date the statutory extension lets the order be made against superior landlords and company directors (Renters' Rights Act 2025). The check flags which regime applies and helps you name the right entity before you file.
  3. Quantify the claim — 1 credit when saved. Coming soon Paste your actual rent payments from bank statements: actual payments always take precedence over rent × months. Universal Credit housing element and Housing Benefit are deducted, and utility costs are deducted when rent was inclusive of bills. All arithmetic runs in integer pence — deterministic maths, not AI-generated figures.
  4. Prepare the application — 4 credits. Coming soon Form RRO1 pre-fill for the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber), with the offence ground (unlicensed HMO s.72(1), selective licensing s.95(1), or unlawful eviction/harassment under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977 s.1), the deduction-adjusted quantum, and your s.44(4) conduct matrix covering the three statutory factors.
  5. Assemble the hearing bundle — 1 credit. Coming soon Sections A–F per the electronic-bundle practice direction, Bates-paginated: A RRO1 and directions, B statement of case and witness statements, C tenancy agreement and Land Registry title, D rent schedule and bank statements, E council licensing confirmations, F property condition and conduct evidence.

The cap, the deductions, the law it runs on.

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The 24-month cap

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 raised the rent repayment cap from 12 to 24 months with effect from 1 May 2026. Claims for offending periods under the earlier regime remain capped at 12 months of rent (Housing and Planning Act 2016 s.44). The engine will enforce both (coming soon): you enter the offence period, it applies the cap.

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What gets deducted

Universal Credit housing element and Housing Benefit paid for the rent are deducted from the claim, and so are utility costs where the rent was inclusive of bills — following recent Upper Tribunal practice. The schedule will show gross, deductions and net line by line (coming soon).

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Statutory basis

Housing Act 2004 ss.56, 72, 95 · Housing and Planning Act 2016 s.44 (as amended) · Renters' Rights Act 2025 s.10 (superior-landlord extension, from 1 May 2026) · Protection from Eviction Act 1977 s.1 · Rakusen v Jepsen [2023] UKSC 9 · FTT (Property Chamber) Rules 2013.

Triage is free. You pay only for finished artifacts.

1 Action Credit = £4.45 on the Personal plan (£89 for 20 credits). The cost of every paid step is shown before you commit.

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Triage — always free Coming soon

HMO licence validator, Rakusen landlord check, s.44(4) conduct matrix and the council evidence register cost nothing. Finding out whether you have a claim is never paywalled.

1

Saved rent schedule Coming soon

Tribunal-ready, deduction-adjusted rent schedule built from your actual bank payments — 1 credit.

4+1

Application & bundle Coming soon

RRO1 pre-fill + statement of case — 4 credits. FTT hearing bundle Sections A–F — 1 credit.

Typical full claim: 5–6 credits (£22.25–£26.70) — 0.2–0.5% of a typical quantum

Full credit pricing for every engine →

What this is — and is not.

  • EvidenceCanvas is not a law firm and does not give legal advice or representation. It will prepare the application and bundle (coming soon); you will check and file them.
  • The Rakusen check and HMO validator (coming soon) will be factual gateways, not opinions — you confirm the licence position against the council's register in writing (the council evidence register records each confirmation for the bundle).
  • The tribunal decides the outcome, weighing the s.44(4) conduct matrix you will build here; no outcome is promised.
  • Related packs on the same wallet: small claims packs (tenancy deposit penalties, late payment interest, builder disputes) and the full toolkit.

Check your licence breach for free. Coming soon

Create an account and open a housing matter. When they are ready (coming soon), the HMO validator, landlord check and conduct matrix will be yours at no cost — upgrade only when you want the filed documents.

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Prices in GBP. No VAT is charged: Noverquis Ltd is not VAT-registered. The total is shown before you pay.