If you pay rent yourself to a private landlord (not a Housing Association or the Council) you may be entitled to a refund of some of your rent from the landlord if they have not licensed the property with the Council. For example, in Brent nearly all properties must be licensed with the council. We can check if your property is licensed for you.
If a property has not been licensed when it should have been, tenants can claim a rent refund for some rent from their landlords (if necessary they can apply to the First Tier Tribunal (FTT) for a Rent Repayment Order (RRO) for rent from the landlord). However, tenants may not want to do this when they are still living in the property in case the landlord then tries to evict them. There are time limits within which you must apply to the FTT. You may be able to apply for a RRO after you have moved out of your home. The law regarding RROs is changing on 1 May 2026.
This is guidance only – you should get legal advice on your particular circumstances. If you want advice we can help you.