Getting the timing right matters for a Rent Repayment Order claim — miss the window and the Tribunal has no power to hear your case, however strong the underlying facts are. Here's how the time limit works and how it's actually calculated.
The Basic Rule: 12 Months
Under the Housing and Planning Act 2016, an application for a Rent Repayment Order must generally be made within 12 months of the date the qualifying offence was committed. Because most licensing offences — such as operating an unlicensed HMO or letting without a required selective licence — are treated as continuing offences for as long as the property remains unlicensed, this gives tenants a meaningful window to bring a claim even if they don't act immediately.
How the Window Is Calculated for Continuing Offences
Because licensing offences continue for as long as the property is unlicensed, the 12-month period effectively runs from the point the offence stops — which is either when the landlord obtains a valid licence, or when the tenancy ends, whichever comes first. In practice, this means you can often claim for the most recent 12 months of an unlicensed tenancy, even if the property had been unlicensed for far longer.
This is why tenants who've been in an unlicensed property for several years can still bring a substantial claim — the time limit looks back from the point the offence ended, not from when the tenancy first began.
Applying After Moving Out
You don't need to still be living in the property to apply. As long as your application is made within 12 months of the offence ending (which, for a continuing licensing offence, is generally when you moved out or when the landlord became licensed), you remain eligible. Our guide on how RROs work covers this in more detail.
Why Acting Promptly Still Matters
- Evidence — including licensing register records and your own documentation — is easier to gather while the details are fresh.
- If a company landlord is later dissolved or restructured, that can complicate recovery — see our guide on claims against company landlords.
- Confirming your specific dates against the time limit is something we do as part of a free assessment, so there's no cost to finding out where you stand.