40Introduction and key definitions
(1)This Chapter confers power on the First-tier Tribunal to make a rent repayment order where a landlord has committed an offence to which this Chapter applies.
(2)A rent repayment order is an order requiring the landlord under a tenancy of housing in England to—
(a)repay an amount of rent paid by a tenant, or
(b)pay a local housing authority an amount in respect of a relevant award of universal credit paid (to any person) in respect of rent under the tenancy.
(3)A reference to “an offence to which this Chapter applies” is to an offence, of a description specified in the table, that is committed by a landlord in relation to housing in England let by that landlord.
| Act | section | general description of offence | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Criminal Law Act 1977 | section 6(1) | violence for securing entry |
| 2 | Protection from Eviction Act 1977 | section 1(2), (3) or (3A) | eviction or harassment of occupiers |
| 3 | Housing Act 2004 | section 30(1) | failure to comply with improvement notice |
| 4 | section 32(1) | failure to comply with prohibition order etc | |
| 5 | section 72(1) | control or management of unlicensed HMO | |
| 6 | section 95(1) | control or management of unlicensed house | |
| 7 | This Act | section 21 | breach of banning order |
(4)For the purposes of subsection (3), an offence under section 30(1) or 32(1) of the Housing Act 2004 is committed in relation to housing in England let by a landlord only if the improvement notice or prohibition order mentioned in that section was given in respect of a hazard on the premises let by the landlord (as opposed, for example, to common parts).