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AllowedFirst-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber)·

Fair Rent Determination for Property Under Rent Act 1977

Case No.

📌 In brief

The Tribunal decided on a fair rent of £1,568 per month for a property under the Rent Act 1977. This decision was based on the calculation of the maximum fair rent using the Retail Price Index (RPI) and the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999.

⚖️ Legal holding

A tenant is entitled to a fair rent determined by the Tribunal under the Rent Act 1977.

Topics

fair rent determinationRent Act 1977maximum fair rent

Provisions

Rent Act 1977 Schedule 11Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999

📖 Technical summary

The Tribunal determined a fair rent for a property under the Rent Act 1977.

📜 Headnote Official document

The Tribunal determined a fair rent of £1,568 per month for a property under the Rent Act 1977. The decision was based on the calculation of the maximum fair rent using the Retail Price Index (RPI) and the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999.

📚 Full judgment Official document

OUTCOME: Allowed

FR24 First-tier Tribunal – Property Chamber File Ref No. GB/LON/00AW/F77/2024/0095

Notice of the Tribunal Decision

Rent Act 1977 Schedule 11

Address of Premises The Tribunal members were [ADDRESS], [POSTCODE]

[RESPONDENT] [NAME] valuer

Landlord Northumberland and [APPELLANT]

Tenant Mr [APPELLANT]

1. The fair rent is £1568.00 Per Calendar Month (excluding water rates and council tax but including any amounts in paras 3&4)

2. The effective date is 30 April 2024

3. The amount for services is N/A Per

negligible/not applicable

4. The amount for fuel charges (excluding heating and lighting of common parts) not counting for rent allowance is

N/A Per

negligible/not applicable

5. The rent is not to be registered as variable.

6. The capping provisions of the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999 apply (please see calculation overleaf).

7. Details (other than rent) where different from Rent Register entry

8. For information only:

(a) The fair rent to be registered is not limited by the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999, because it is the same as/below the maximum fair rent of £1,1726.50 per Calendar Month including £0.00 per for services prescribed by the Order.

[NAME] of decision 30 April 2024

FR24 MAXIMUM FAIR RENT CALCULATION

LATEST RPI FIGURE X 383

PREVIOUS RPI FIGURE Y 317.7

X 383 Minus Y 317.7 = (A) 65.3

(A) 65.3 Divided by Y 317.7 = (B) .2055

First application for re-registration since 1 February 1999 YES/NO

If yes (B) plus 1.075 = (C)

If no (B) plus 1.05 = (C) 1.2555

Last registered rent* 1375 Multiplied by (C) = 1726.36 *(exclusive of any variable service charge)

Rounded up to nearest 50p = 1726.50

Variable service charge NO If YES add amount for services N/A

MAXIMUM FAIR RENT = £1726.50 Per Cal month

Explanatory Note

1. The calculation of the maximum fair rent, in accordance with the formula contained in the Order, is set out above.

2. In summary, the formula provides for the maximum fair rent to be calculated by:

(a) increasing the previous registered rent by the percentage change in the retail price index (the RPI) since the date of that earlier registration and

(b) adding a further 7.5% (if the present application was the first since 1 February 1999) or 5% (if it is a second or subsequent application since that date).

A 7.5% increase is represented, in the calculation set out above, by the addition of 1.075 to (B) and an increase of 5% is represented by the addition of 1.05 to (B).

The result is rounded up to the nearest 50 pence.

3. For the purposes of the calculation the latest RPI figure (x) is that published in the calendar month immediately before the month in which the Tribunal’s fair rent determination was made.

4. The process differs where the tenancy agreement contains a variable service charge and the rent is to be registered as variable under section 71(4) of the Rent Act 1977. In such a case the variable service charge is removed before applying the formula. When the amount determined by the application of the formula is ascertained the service charge is then added to that sum in order to produce the maximum fair rent.

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Case Reference : GB/LON/00AW/F77/2024/0095

Property : [ADDRESS], [POSTCODE]

Tenant

: Mr [APPELLANT]

Landlord : [APPELLANT] of Objection : 9 November 2023

Type of Application : Rent Act 1977

Tribunal

: [NAME] B [NAME] Valuer 079475

Date of Summary Reasons

: 30 April 2024

_______________________________________________

DECISION

The sum of £1,568 per month will be registered as the fair rent with effect from, being the date the Tribunal made the Decision. ____________________________________

© CROWN COPYRIGHT 2023

FIRST - TIER TRIBUNAL PROPERTY CHAMBER (RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY)

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SUMMARY REASONS

Background 1. Following an objection from the Tenant to the determination of a fair rent by the Rent Officer, the Tribunal has made a determination under the provisions of the Rent Act 1977.

Inspection 2. The Tribunal did not inspect the property but considered this case on the basis of the papers provided by the parties.

Evidence 3. There were written submissions from the tenant but none from the Landlord.

Determination and Valuation 4. Having consideration of our own expert, general knowledge of rental values in the area, we consider that the open market rent for the property in a satisfactory condition would be in the region of £2,800 per month. From this level of rent we have made adjustments to reflect any tenant improvements, disrepair and obsolescence at the property. Details of the adjustments made are shown in the valuation table below.

5. The Tribunal has also made an adjustment for scarcity.

6. The full rental valuation is shown below:

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7. The Tribunal determines a rent of £1,568.00 per month.

Decision 8. The uncapped fair rent initially determined by the Tribunal, for the purposes of section 70, was £1,568 per month. The capped rent for the property according to the provisions of the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999 is calculated at £1,726.50 per month. The calculation of the capped rent is shown on the decision form. In this case the lower rent of £1,568 per month is to be registered as the fair rent for this property.

Chairman: [NAME]: 30 April 2024

APPEAL PROVISIONS

You can only appeal this determination if the First-tier Tribunal decision was wrong on one or more points of law and you must say why the First-tier Tribunal was wrong in law. These summary reasons are provided to give the parties an indication as to how the Tribunal made its decision.

If either party wishes to appeal this decision, they should first make a request for full reasons and the details of how to appeal will be set out in the full reasons. Any subsequent application for permission to appeal should be made on Form RP PTA

📊 How courts decide similar cases

Among 12 similar decisions in this collection:

A snapshot of this collection — not a prediction of your case's outcome.

⚖️ What tends to weigh in cases like this

✅ Tends to be accepted

  • The tenant requests a fair rent determination under the Rent Act 1977.
  • The majority of cases under the Rent Act 1977 are allowed by the tribunal.
  • The tribunal upholds the tenant's right to a fair rent as mandated by law.
  • Cases where the landlord does not provide substantial evidence against fair rent are often allowed.
  • There is consistency in the tribunal's decision to allow claims for fair rent under the Rent Act 1977.

❌ Tends to be rejected

  • Only one out of many cases was dismissed, indicating rare instances where the claim is denied.

Patterns observed in similar cases in this collection — every case is unique.

❓ Frequently asked questions

What did this decision decide?

The Tribunal decided on a fair rent of £1,568 per month for a property.

Who was involved?

The tenant and the landlord were involved.

How did the court decide, and why?

The court used the Retail Price Index (RPI) and the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999 to calculate the maximum fair rent.

Which laws or rules were applied?

The Rent Act 1977 and the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999 were applied.

What was the argument that mattered most?

The calculation of the maximum fair rent using the Retail Price Index (RPI) was the central reasoning.

Was the decision for or against the person who brought the case?

The decision was for the tenant.

What does this mean for someone in a similar situation?

Someone in a similar situation may also seek a fair rent determination under the Rent Act 1977.

What evidence or documents mattered?

Written submissions from the tenant and the papers provided by the parties were considered.

Can a decision like this be appealed?

Yes, a decision like this can be appealed if there are grounds for doing so.

Is it worth getting a solicitor for a case like this?

It is recommended to get advice from a qualified solicitor for a case like this.

Official source: First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) headnote and full judgment reproduced from the court's public records. View on the official source ↗Summary, holding, technical summary and questions: produced by Artificial Intelligence based on the official headnote and judgment. These are VadeLab’s own material and are not the work of the Court.This decision was issued by the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) and is reproduced from its published records. VadeLab is not affiliated with, and this page is not endorsed by, that court or tribunal.