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At Nucleus, we see too many tenantswho everything right pay their rent, look after the property and respect their neighbours:and yet still forced to put up with landlords who fail to meet theirresponsibilities to keep the property habitable and safe.
Rent Repayment Orders (RROs) gavetenants a powerful way to hold landlords to account when they break the law:whether through harassment, operating without a required licence or failing tocomply with improvement notices.
They are not simply about compensation.They are about accountability and trying to balancing the power betweentowards tenants and landlord better.
That is why I was pleased to see the case examplethis month form the Housing team.
Our housing team helped tenants not only understand their rights, but use themto secure justice. The vast majority of cases involve preventing people fromlosing their home or helping the exercise their rights to secure “more”suitable housing.
This year the Renters’ RightsAct strengthened that position further. For London, three changes areparticularly important as the stakes are so much higher:
Of course, an RRO should be a lastresort.
Most cases are resolved without tenants going to tribunal simply to get a landlordto provide a safe, decent and habitable home. However our housing team have increasinghad to go to tribunal to enforce basic rights. This is hugely important toindividual coming to us for help and assistance.
Our ambition should therefore besimple: fewer RROs because fewer landlords are breaking the law or at thevery least are willing to put things rights ASAP.
The test of the “upgraded” Renters’Rights Act is not just how many tenants end up in tribunal. It is whether itchanges landlord behaviour and gives tenants the confidence to stand up whentheir rights are ignored.
That is where Nucleus’ value sit-everyone deserves a decent home and that both tenants and landlords haveresponsibilities AND rights.
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