news | 2 weeks ago | Jon Yarker

£10,000 rent repayment ordered after illegal eviction and harassment

A landlord and letting agent have been jointly ordered to repay £10,560 in rent after illegally evicting, as well as harassing, a tenant.


The ruling was made by judge Tagliavini in a first-tier property tribunal where the tenant made the complaint of illegal eviction and applied for a Rent Repayment Order.

The tenant had returned to their Lambeth property one night in May 2024 to find the locks changed, followed by their belongings being left outside the flat shortly after. Afterwards, they found their flat was being advertised online as vacant.

The tenant confirmed they had not been handed an eviction notice prior to that date.

The tenant then unsuccessfully tried to contact the agent Extra Link Ltd and the Landlord Li Li, and was forced to “sofa surf” for the following months.

Prior to the eviction, the tenant alleged that in September 2023, Extra Link employee, Jasmine Sun, had asked for sex from them in return for a rent reduction.

When refused, it was alleged that the employee grabbed the tenant and backed them against a wall, forcing them to flee and lock themselves in a room.

The tenant had reported this to Extra Link Ltd shortly afterwards, and to the police in April 2024.

Satisfied with both electronic evidence and witness testimony, the judge ordered in the tenant’s favour with the amount of £10,560 - a maximum of a year’s rent of £880 a month - to be paid within 14 days.

In her ruling, the judge wrote: “The tribunal considers the respondents’ conduct to be of the most serious and reprehensible nature for which no explanation has been offered. The tribunal accepts the applicant paid his rent in full and was a responsible and desirable tenant as demonstrated by the willingness of the first and second respondent to renew his tenancy agreement and to permit his continued occupation as a statutory periodic tenant.”

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