Rachel Reeves Must GO!
How ANY Tenant In Southwark could help send Rachel Reeves Packing
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Let’s imagine this: a landlord in Southwark rents out a house in Dulwich — smart postcode, nice street — but forgets one small detail: the law.
No selective licence, no application, no declaration.
If you or I did that, Southwark Council would hammer us with civil penalties, public naming and shaming, or worse — a Rent Repayment Order forcing us to hand back up to a year’s rent.
But what if that house belonged to someone in the Cabinet? Say, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, who sets the taxes you pay — and the housing laws you would be compelled by law to follow.
Would she face the same rules, or would it all quietly “go away” like a missing licence in a well-connected postcode? This may depend on whether other tenants in Southwark, not just Rachel’s, check their own landlord’s position - and take action if they are find out (see below how) they are unlicensed.
Because the council might just be able to cover up for Rachel if she is the (alleged) offender. But if other landlords are also guilty, they will have to enforce the law agaist them, and if they do that they simply cannot let Rachel off the hook.
That would either force her to resign. leave Starmer having to sack her, or put yet another huge hole in the Bad Ship Labour. And, just remember, a couple more of those and it will sink, with almost all hands going down with it.
Here’s the Legal Crux
Under Southwark Council’s selective licensing scheme, every landlord must register, pay a fee, and meet strict safety standards — or face the music.
If they don’t, tenants can strike back. It’s called a Rent Repayment Order (RRO) — and it’s one of the most powerful tools in the tenant’s arsenal.
Even if you’ve already moved out, you can apply through the First-tier Tribunal to reclaim rent — yes, your rent — if your landlord didn’t have the right licence.
That’s not “radical”; it’s the law, as enthusiastically promoted by Rachel Reeves in her Leeds constituency.
So, here’s a question for the Chancellor: If a Southwark tenant made such an allegation, would you welcome an RRO application against your own property?
Let’s face it — if anyone else failed to follow the rules, they’d be fined, humiliated, or sued for every penny of rent they took.
So, if you rent in Southwark — especially Dulwich, Camberwell, or Peckham — check the register. If your landlord hasn’t got a licence, you could be sitting on a small fortune.
Here’s a clear summary:
When is a licence required
Under Part 2 and 3 of the Housing Act 2004, some rented homes require a licence:
Mandatory HMO licence – for larger Houses in Multiple Occupation (5+ people, 2+ households).
Additional licensing – for smaller HMOs, where the council has chosen to extend licensing.
Selective licensing – where the council designates an area (often for single-family lets) where all landlords must have a licence.
If the landlord doesn’t have a licence
It’s a criminal offence to rent a property that needs a licence without holding one.
Consequences can include:
A civil penalty of up to £30,000, or prosecution.
A Rent Repayment Order (RRO) — tenants (or the council) can apply to the First-tier Tribunal to reclaim up to 12 months’ rent paid during the unlicensed period.
The landlord cannot serve a valid Section 21 notice (no-fault eviction) while unlicensed.
Rent Repayment Order (RRO)
Tenants can apply directly to the Tribunal — no need for the council to do it first.
To succeed, tenants only need to show:
The property required a licence (under selective or HMO rules).
The landlord did not have one at the time.
They paid rent during that unlicensed period.
The Tribunal can order up to 12 months’ rent to be repaid (less if the landlord has since licensed, or if tenants behaved antisocially, etc).
Key legal references
Housing Act 2004, sections 72 (HMOs) and 95 (selective licensing).
Housing and Planning Act 2016, sections 40–44 (expanding RRO rights).
Tribunal case examples:
Parker v Waller (2021) — full 12 months’ rent repaid under selective licensing breach.
Goldsborough v CA Property Management Ltd (2020) — RRO upheld even if landlord later got licence.
London Borough of Southwark The selective licensing was expanded in November 2023 to cover a larger number of wards.
Enforcement options: if a landlord / letting agent has failed to license, that can be used as part of a regulatory complaint, or to support claims for rent repayment or penalty fines. Having evidence of the breach (lack of licence, failure to apply) strengthens case.
Maps of selective licensing anybody can check
