News
£16,000 Rent Repayment Order for Haringey landlord
Urban Lettings (London) Limited have been ordered to pay a Rent Repayment Order (RRO) of £16,000 following the conclusion of an appeal hearing in the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber).
After discovering an unlicensed HMO at Grand Parade, Green Lanes, London N4 1JX, Haringey Council made an application to the Residential Property Tribunal for a Rent Repayment Order in respect of housing benefit paid to tenants whilst the property was unlicensed.
The upper three floors of the property had each been converted into four self-contained residential units, providing a total of 12 self-contained units, all of which were being privately rented at between £780 and £800 a month.
On 8 April 2014, the First Tier Tribunal had made a RRO of £16,000 against Urban Lettings (London) Limited whilst dismissing applications against two other parties. Urban Lettings appealed the decision on the basis they were not the appropriate person having control of the HMO.
The appeal was heard before His Honour Judge Behrens sitting at the Royal Courts of Justice on 24 February 2015, with the written judgement published on 5 March 2015. In summary, His Honour Judge Behrens dismissed the appeal and the RRO of £16,000 must now be paid.
The full judgement is available here.
