It is a fair question and it deserves a straight answer. On Rent Repayment Order claims, no win no fee providers typically take somewhere between 25% and 50% of what you recover. This guide explains what drives that figure and what to check before you sign anything — with anyone.
Why there is a fee at all
One thing about RRO claims surprises most people: the tribunal does not normally award legal costs. In both of the decisions we have written up in full, the tribunal made the order, reimbursed the tenants’ £300 in tribunal fees — and expressly declined to award legal costs.
So a representative cannot recover their fee from the landlord. It has to come out of your award. Any provider who implies otherwise is not being straight with you.
Two different structures
“No win no fee” is a marketing phrase covering two arrangements that work differently. Ask which one you are being offered.
A conditional fee agreement (CFA)
The provider charges for their time, but only if you win, plus a success fee uplift to reflect the risk of getting nothing. What you pay is driven by hours worked.
A percentage of the award
The provider takes an agreed share of whatever you recover. Where the provider is a regulated firm this is generally a damages-based agreement, and in civil litigation the payment under a DBA is capped at 50% of the sums recovered, inclusive of VAT and counsel’s fees.
Percentage arrangements are far more common in RRO work, and they are easier to understand: you know from the outset what proportion you keep.
What moves the percentage
- Complexity. A clean licensing claim with a register printout and bank statements carries less risk than a contested harassment claim.
- Value. Providers often take a smaller share of a larger claim, because the absolute fee is still worthwhile.
- Stage. Many agreements charge less if the matter settles before a hearing and more if it runs to a contested hearing or an appeal.
- Disbursements. Whether the provider funds the tribunal fees up front, and whether those come back to them off the top.
What a proper agreement tells you
Before you sign, you should be able to answer all of these from the document itself:
- What percentage is taken, and is it inclusive of VAT?
- Percentage of what — the gross award, or the award after tribunal fees are returned?
- What counts as a “win”? Does a negotiated settlement count? What about an order the landlord never actually pays?
- What happens if you lose? Genuinely nothing to pay, or are disbursements still your responsibility?
- What if you withdraw or stop co-operating — are you charged then?
- Who pays the tribunal fees in the first instance, and who keeps them when they are reimbursed?
- Who is actually doing the work, and are they a regulated solicitor?
Not every “no win no fee” provider is a solicitor. Claims companies also operate in this market. That is not automatically a problem — tribunal representation is not reserved work — but it changes who regulates them, what insurance sits behind them and where you complain if something goes wrong. Ask, and check the answer.
A worked comparison
On a £12,000 award:
| Provider takes | You keep |
|---|---|
| 25% | £9,000 |
| 33% | £8,040 |
| 40% | £7,200 |
| 50% | £6,000 |
Figures are illustrative and exclude the reimbursement of tribunal fees, which is usually ordered separately. The point is simply that the percentage matters a great deal, and it is worth asking more than one provider.
Is it worth using anyone at all?
Sometimes not, and it is worth saying so. If your case is documentary and straightforward — a clear register gap, a full set of bank statements, one landlord, no dispute about occupancy — you can run it yourself. The tribunal is used to litigants in person, hearings are usually remote, and costs orders against unsuccessful applicants are rare.
Representation earns its keep where there is something to argue about: a contested licensing position, a landlord claiming a duly made application or a reasonable excuse, a rent-to-rent chain, or a serious argument about quantum under the four-step Acheampong approach.
Ask us for our terms in writing before you commit to anything. We will also tell you honestly if we think your claim is simple enough to run yourself. Either way, checking whether you have a claim is free. Check your claim →
This article is general information about the law in England and is not legal advice about your own circumstances. The percentage ranges quoted are an indication of the market, not an offer, and individual agreements vary. The rules differ in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Think this applies to you? Checking whether your landlord needed a licence is free and takes about two minutes. Check your claim — free, no obligation.