The application process step by step: from register check to tribunal hearing
Every RRO claim follows the same spine. Here it is, end to end.
Before you apply
1. Establish the offence. Check the HMO register for your address; screenshot the result with the date and URL visible.
2. Notice of intended proceedings (new regime). Write to the landlord: what offence, what period, what evidence, and that you will apply to the tribunal if the matter is not resolved. Then wait 28 days. GOV.UK's local-authority guidance describes the same step for councils; for offences before 1 May 2026 no statutory notice is required, but sending one costs nothing and often produces a settlement.
3. Identify respondents. The immediate landlord (named on your tenancy agreement) is the primary respondent. Where they are a rent-to-rent intermediary, or cannot pay, the superior landlord can also be named under the post-May-2026 rules. Companies House can confirm who you actually contracted with.
Applying
4. Form RRO1. Download from GOV.UK (05/26 version). You'll set out: the parties, the property, the offence and statutory basis, the period, the rent paid, and the deductions you accept (UC, utilities).
5. File with the right regional office. Property in Manchester files with the Northern region; Bristol with Southern; Cambridge with Eastern; Birmingham with Midlands; any London borough with the London region. Verified addresses, emails and phone numbers per region.
6. Pay the fee. The amount is stated in section 10 of the form. Help with fees is means-tested \u2014 ask when the tribunal acknowledges your application.
After filing
7. Acknowledgment and directions. The tribunal writes to both sides setting a timetable: dates for the respondent's reply bundle, your response, and the hearing.
8. The applicant bundle. All evidence in one paginated, bookmarked, searchable PDF: tenancy, rent payments, register screenshots, UC letters, correspondence, photos. GOV.UK warns the tribunal may refuse evidence not in the bundle \u2014 this is the formatting step DIY claims fail on, and exactly what the Casewright RRO Pack automates.
9. The hearing. Usually a judge with one or two members, in person or by video. You prove the offence beyond reasonable doubt; the respondent then argues deductions and conduct. Decisions are published on GOV.UK \u2014 read real examples.
If you win
The tribunal orders repayment, normally payable within 28 days of the decision. Non-payment is enforceable in the county court like any judgment debt.
*Reviewed by Sean McNamara against GOV.UK procedural guidance. Last verified 2026-09-04.*
Ready to claim? The Casewright RRO Pack helps you calculate the rent to reclaim (including Universal Credit and utility deductions), complete Form RRO1, and compile a bookmarked, searchable First-tier Tribunal applicant bundle. It is not a law firm and does not give legal advice. Flat £149 — no percentage of your award.
Reviewed by Sean McNamara against legislation.gov.uk, GOV.UK tribunal guidance and council registers. Last verified: 2026-09-04.