Failed rent repayment reclaim saves landlord £17,000

The claim alleged that a landlord had operated without a licence, seeking to claw back thousands in rent.

However, the case collapsed before reaching a Tribunal ruling, after the claim’s fatal flaws were exposed.

Evidence showed that a valid licence application had been lodged with the London Borough of Lewisham years prior, fully complying with legal requirements under the Housing Act 2004.

Despite no final licence being issued, the active application provided complete statutory protection for the landlord.

Faced with Landlord Licensing & Defence’s robust legal arguments and irrefutable evidence, Justice for Tenants’ representative conceded defeat, withdrawing the claim entirely.

Desmond Taylor, the casework director at Landlord Licensing & Defence, commented: “They came for £17,000, and left with nothing but a lesson in the law.

“Once again, we’ve demonstrated that we don’t just know the law — we enforce it properly.

“If a licence is duly applied for and the local authority sits on its hands, that’s their failure, not the landlord’s.

“Lewisham took the money, acknowledged the application, and failed to follow through. That’s not a criminal offence — it’s a bureaucratic ****-up.”