Landlord Licensing & Defence has helped a landlord win a rent repayment case worth £17,000 after a claim collapsed before reaching tribunal.
Justice for Tenants had argued the landlord was operating without a licence and wanted to recover rent, but evidence showed the landlord had submitted a valid licence application to the London Borough of Lewisham years ago.
The landlord had met all legal requirements under the Housing Act 2004, and although the council had not issued a final licence, the ongoing application gave full legal protection.
Justice for Tenants withdrew its claim after Landlord Licensing & Defence provided evidence and legal arguments.
Desmond Taylor (pictured), casework director at Landlord Licensing & Defence, said: “They came for £17,000, and left with nothing but a lesson in the law.
“Once again, we’ve demonstrated that we don’t just know the law — we enforce it properly.
“If a licence is duly applied for and the local authority sits on its hands, that’s their failure, not the landlord’s.
“Lewisham took the money, acknowledged the application, and failed to follow through. That’s not a criminal offence — it’s a bureaucratic cock-up.”
