First-tier Tribunal Determines New Fair Rent for Property

OUTCOME: Dismissed

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FIRST-TIER TRIBUNAL [NAME] CHAMBER ([NAME]) Case Reference : LON/00AN/F77/2024/0632 [NAME] : [ADDRESS] [ADDRESS] & Fulham London [POSTCODE] Applicant : [redacted] (Tenant) Representative : None Respondent : [redacted] (Landlord) Representative : None Type of Application : S.70 Rent Act 1977 – Determination of a new fair rent Tribunal Members : Mr [NAME]. [NAME] and venue of Meeting : 17 December 2024 First Tier Tribunal (London) [ADDRESS] [POSTCODE] Date of Decision : 17 December 2024

REASONS FOR DECISION

Background

1 By an application, the landlord applied to the Rent Officer for registration of a fair rent at £261.33 per week. The rent stated as payable at the time of the application was said to be £172.34 per week but, the registered rent was £178.50 per week including a £5.70 per week service charge.

2 2 With effect from 1 August 2024, the Rent Officer registered a fair rent of £279.50 per week including a small service charge element of £9.15 pw. The tenant objected to the new fair rent. The First Tier Tribunal was notified of this objection and a request for a fresh determination of the rent.

Directions

3 Directions were issued by the Tribunal, for case progression. Neither party requested a hearing.

Representations

4 Although standard Reply Forms were issued by the Tribunal prior, completed versions were not received back from either landlord or tenant. The tenant objected to the increase in one review, of more than 50% when the tenancy was supposed to be a social letting. There were no representations from the landlord.

5 The Tribunal determined the new rent with the assistance of such written statements from the parties as were received.

Inspection

6 The Tribunal did not inspect the [NAME]. The Tribunal was however able to externally view the [NAME] from Google Streetview and other online records (@ August 2024). The [NAME] appeared to date from the 2000’s set on a relatively modern back land development plot, just off [ADDRESS], B408. This is a busy mixed residential and commercial through road and includes bus services from a stop adjacent to this service road to this terrace of similar modern houses. The access road serving this terrace, appears to be private.

7 The [NAME] is a modern mid-terraced house on 3 levels. GF – 2 rooms, kitchen. FF – 2 rooms, bathroom/wc. SF- 1 room. From an external view the [NAME] appeared to be in good condition. The front elevation is fair faced light brickwork including a slate finished mansard roof providing the second floor room. There is full gas fired central heating and double glazing provided by the landlord. There is a car space to the front a small garden to the rear of the [NAME].

8 It is noted that there is a existing bathroom/wc water leak which has caused some other fabric damage owing to its neglect. The tenancy began 21 October 2002. Carpets and curtains and white goods are assumed to now be provided by the tenant. The kitchen was refitted in 2023 by the landlord according to records supplied.

Law

9 When determining a fair rent the Committee, in accordance with the Rent Act 1977, section 70, had regard to all the circumstances including

3 the age, location and state of repair of the [NAME]. It also disregarded the effect of (a) any relevant tenant's improvements and (b) the effect of any disrepair or other defect attributable to the tenant or any predecessor in title under the regulated tenancy, on the rental value of the [NAME].

10 In [COMPANY] v [NAME] of the Greater Manchester etc. Committee (1995) 28 HLR 107 and [NAME] v [NAME] [1999] QB 92 the Court of Appeal emphasized

(a) that ordinarily a fair rent is the market rent for the [NAME] discounted for 'scarcity' (i.e. that element, if any, of the market rent, that is attributable to there being a significant shortage of similar properties in the wider locality available for letting on similar terms - other than as to rent - to that of the regulated tenancy) and

(b) that for the purposes of determining the market rent, assured tenancy (market) rents are usually appropriate comparables. (These rents may have to be adjusted where necessary to reflect any relevant differences between those comparables and the subject [NAME]).

11 Where the condition of a [NAME] is poorer than that of comparable properties, so that the rents of those comparables are towards twice that proposed rent for the subject [NAME], it calls into question whether or not those transactions are truly comparable. Would prospective tenants of modernized properties in good order consider taking a tenancy of an un-modernised house in poor repair and with only basic facilities or are they in entirely separate lettings markets? The problem for the Tribunal is that the only evidence of value levels available to us is of modernised properties. We therefore have to use this but make appropriate discounts for the differences, rather than ignore it and determine a rent entirely based on our own knowledge and experience, whenever we can.

12 On the evidence of the comparable lettings and our own general knowledge of market rent levels in and around Hammersmith & Fulham, the Tribunal accepts that the [NAME] would let on normal Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) terms, for £600 per week. This then, is the appropriate starting point from which to determine the rent of the [NAME] as it falls to be valued.

13 A normal open market letting would include carpets, curtains and “white goods”, but these are assumed provided by the tenant. There is also a longstanding plumbing leak from the bathroom/wc which has caused damage to parts of the interior décor. Deduction for these shortcomings amounts to £50 pw, leaving the adjusted market rent at £550 pw.

4 14 The Tribunal also has to consider the element of scarcity and whether demand exceeded supply. The Tribunal found that there was scarcity in the locality of Hammersmith & Fulham for this type of [NAME] and makes a further deduction of £100 from the adjusted market rent.

15 The fair rent to be registered on this basis alone would be £450 pw, but, the new rent is limited by the statutory Maximum Fair Rent Cap calculation. The MFRC limits any increase to the change in RPI (set two months prior at each date), between the date of the last registration of a fair rent and the current, plus 5%. The calculations are shown in the MFR form and this caps the new fair rent at £281.65 pw. There is a small service charge. The fair rent is therefore capped and registered at this figure.

16 The Rent Act makes no allowance for the Tribunal to take account of hardship arising from the new rent payable compared with the existing rent registered. The landlord is entitled but, not compelled, to charge the tenants rent at the registered figure from the effective date. However the landlord may not charge more than the fair rent.

[NAME] 17 December 2024

Rights of appeal

By rule 36(2) of the Tribunal Procedure (First-tier Tribunal) ([NAME] Chamber) Rules 2013, the tribunal is required to notify the parties about any right of appeal they may have. If either party is dissatisfied with this decision, they may apply for permission to appeal to the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) on any point of law arising from this Decision.

Prior to making such an appeal, an application must be made, in writing, to this Tribunal for permission to appeal. Any such application must be made within 28 days of the issue of this decision to the person making the application (regulation 52 (2) of The Tribunal Procedure (First-tier Tribunal) ([NAME] Chamber) Rule 2013).

If the application is not made within the 28-day time limit, such application must include a request for an extension of time and the reason for not complying with the 28 day time limit; the tribunal will then look at such reason(s) and decide whether to allow the application for permission to appeal to proceed, despite not being within the time limit. The application for permission to appeal must identify the decision of the tribunal to which it relates (i.e., give the date, the [NAME], and the case number), state the grounds of appeal and state the result the party making the application is seeking. If the tribunal refuses to grant permission to appeal, a further application for permission may be made to the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber).

FR24 First-tier Tribunal – [NAME] Chamber File Ref No. LON/00AN/F77/2024/0632

Notice of the Tribunal Decision

Rent Act 1977 Schedule 11

Address of Premises The Tribunal members were [ADDRESS] [ADDRESS] & Fulham London [POSTCODE]

[NAME]

Landlord [COMPANY]

Tenant Mr [APPELLANT]

1. The fair rent is £281.65 Per week (excluding water rates and council tax but including any amounts in paras 3&4)

2. The effective date is 17 December 2024

3. The amount for services is £9.15 Per week

negligible/not applicable

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

nil Per

negligible/not applicable 5. The rent is to be registered as variable.

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

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

Mid terrace house 2 Rms K.. 2 Rms B/wc. 1rm. On 3 levels incl. mansard, in redevelopment c.2000 on back land, off [ADDRESS] B408. Car space at front, garden at rear. Otherwise as register entry.

8. For information only:

The fair rent to be registered is the maximum fair rent as prescribed by the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999. As the rent was above the MFR, it is capped. The uncapped Fair Rent without the MFR capping provisions, would otherwise be £450 per week. The landlord may charge a rent at any level up to and including the Registered Fair Rent at box 1 above, but not a sum in excess of it.

[NAME] [NAME] of decision 17 December 2024

FR24 MAXIMUM FAIR RENT CALCULATION

LATEST RPI FIGURE (2 months prior) X 390.7

PREVIOUS RPI FIGURE (2 months prior) Y 256.3

X 390.7 Minus Y 256.3 = (A) 134.40

(A) 134.40 Divided by Y 256.3 = (B) 0.5244

First application for re-registration since 1 February 1999 NO

If yes (B) plus 1.075 = (C)

If no (B) plus 1.05 = (C) 1.5744

Last registered rent* £172.80 pw (excl £5.70 pw sc) Multiplied by (C) = £272.06 pw *(exclusive of any variable service charge)

Rounded up to nearest 50p = £272.50 pw

Variable service charge YES If YES add amount for services £9.15 pw

MAXIMUM FAIR RENT = £281.65 Per week

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.