Tenant Support UK

Bold red graphic with the words "Tenant Rights vs. Rakusen Case" highlighting a legal clash over housing justice in the UK.

Rakusen v Jepsen: Why Tenants Can Still Win Claims for Harassment, Illegal Eviction, and Disrepair

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by

Luigi Garuzzi
in

“Disclaimer:Tenant Support UK is not a law firm and does not provide regulated legal advice. All content on this website is for general informational purposes only, based on publicly available legal guidance and personal experience. If you need legal advice tailored to your situation, please consult a qualified solicitor or a trusted housing advice service.“

1. Rakusen v Jepsen [2023] UKSC 9 What It Really Says:

  • The UK Supreme Court ruled that only your immediate landlord (the one you directly pay rent to) can be ordered to repay rent under a Rent Repayment Order (RRO).
  • Superior landlords, like freeholders who leased to someone else cannot be hit with an RRO if they didn’t directly rent to you.

Link to the official judgment (UK Supreme Court):
https://www.supremecourt.uk/cases/docs/uksc-2021-0076-judgment.pdf

2. But It Does NOT Affect Other Tenant Claims

Rakusen only affects Rent Repayment Orders under the Housing and Planning Act 2016.

It does NOT affect:

  • Illegal eviction claims under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977
    (Government link)
  • Harassment claims under the same Act
  • Disrepair claims under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985
    (Government link)
  • Health and safety enforcement by Councils under the Housing Act 2004
    (Government link)

3. In short:

Rakusen only narrows down WHO you can ask for rent repayment.
It doesn’t protect landlords or agents if they harass, illegally evict, neglect repairs, or run unsafe properties.

Substance still wins.

  • If your landlord (whoever it is) broke the law,
  • If you lived in disrepair,
  • If you were harassed, intimidated, or illegally evicted,

You can still Start a Claim against your Landlord/Agency

LINKS:

The Toolbox: 9 Ways to Fight Back Without Moving to Mars

  1. Shelter England – england.shelter.org.uk — 0808 800 4444.
  2. Citizens Advice Redditch & Bromsgrove – citizensadviceredditch.org.uk.
  3. TSUK Letters Templates – TenantSupportUK.com
  4. ACORN Community Union – acorntheunion.org.uk.
  5. Generation Rent – generationrent.org.
  6. Renters Reform Coalition – rentersreformcoalition.co.uk.
  7. Housing Ombudsman Service – housing-ombudsman.org.uk.
  8. Redditch Borough Council Housing Solutions – redditchbc.gov.uk/housing or call 01527 587 000.
  9. Tenancy Deposit Schemes – depositprotection.com (DPS) • tenancydepositscheme (TDS) • mydeposits.co.uk (MyDeposits)

Tenant Support UK

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