Very Wise Student, launched by claims management company Veriwise, has highlighted areas in the UK where tenants have received rent repayments due to issues with their homes.
They say tribunal decisions leading to Rent Repayment Orders against rogue landlords and letting agents show a worrying snapshot of conditions within the private rented sector.
These include:
Ilford – £24,414 of rent repaid
The tenant was repaid for rent on a house in Gants Hill, which was described as ‘uninhabitable following a fire in one of the bedrooms and loft room.’ This was found to be caused by a defective boiler and the house was not properly equipped with smoke alarms. The tribunal determined the tenant was entitled to receive a rent repayment of £24,414.18.
Bristol – £17,500 of rent repaid
Six university tenants were entitled to a total rent repayment of £17,500 after their property was found to be an unlicensed house in multiple occupation (HMO).
Fareham – £2,659 of rent repaid
A landlord failed to comply with an improvement notice under section 30(1) of the Housing Act 2004 (“the 2004 Act”). The Tribunal determined that the landlord should make a rent repayment of £2,659.03 to the two tenants.
Coventry – £2,800 of rent repaid
A tribunal found a landlord’s behaviour toward a tenant in a house let to students be “intimidating and directly threatening” and “of the highest order of seriousness.” This led to the landlord being ordered to make a rent repayment of £2,800.
East London – £2,100 of rent repaid
A landlord in London was found to have showed “a lack of care for the safety and wellbeing of the tenants and of compliance with the obligations on a landlord”. Allegations included damp and leaks from the boiler and the lavatory waste pipe. They were ordered to repay £2,100 of rent to the tenant.
Ajay Jagota, founder of Very Wise Student, comments: “Many of these cases relate to student accommodation which makes up a significant proportion of HMOs. Rogue landlords and letting agents sadly see students as a soft touch as unlike other renters they tend to have little knowledge of their rights – such as Rent Repayment Orders – and little resources are available to provide them with access to justice, when they do.
“At Very Wise Student, we help all tenants get access to justice, so whatever the issue is with your rented student house we resolve the issue directly with your landlord/agent.”