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AllowedFirst-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber)·

First-tier Tribunal Sets £5,690 Annual Fair Rent for Property

Case No.

📌 In brief

The First-tier Tribunal decided on the fair rent for a rental property under the Rent Act 1977. The tribunal used a specific formula to calculate the fair rent, which was determined to be £5,690 per year.

⚖️ Legal holding

A tenant is entitled to have their fair rent set according to the prescribed formula when they apply under the Rent Act 1977.

Topics

tenancyfair rent determination

Provisions

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

📖 Technical summary

The Tribunal determined the fair rent for a property under the Rent Act 1977, applying the formula in the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999.

📜 Headnote Official document

The First-tier Tribunal determined the fair rent of a property in Northumberland to be £5,690 per year, applying the formula set out in the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999.

📚 Full judgment Official document

OUTCOME: Allowed

FR24 First-tier Tribunal – Property Chamber File Ref No. MAN/00EM/F77/2023/0045

Notice of the Tribunal Decision

Rent Act 1977 Schedule 11

Address of Premises The Tribunal members were 8 Netherwitton Village, Morpeth, Northumberland [POSTCODE]

[NAME] TD FRICS Mrs [APPELLANT]

Landlord Mr [APPELLANT]

Tenant Mr [APPELLANT]

1. The fair rent is £5,690.00 Per Year (excluding water rates and council tax but including any amounts in paras 3&4)

2. The effective date is 18 September 2023

3. The amount for services is not applicable

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

£100.00 Per Year

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

None

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 below the maximum fair rent of £6,136.50 per Year prescribed by the Order.

[NAME] of decision 18 September 2023

FR24 MAXIMUM FAIR RENT CALCULATION

LATEST RPI FIGURE X 374.2

PREVIOUS RPI FIGURE Y 296.0

X 374.2 Minus Y 296.0 = (A) 78.2

(A) 78.2 Divided by Y 296.0 = (B) 0.264

First application for re-registration since 1 February 1999: NO

If yes (B) plus 1.075 = (C)

If no (B) plus 1.05 = (C) 1.314

Last registered rent* 4670.00 Multiplied by (C) = 6136.38 *(exclusive of any variable service charge)

Rounded up to nearest 50p = 6136.50

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

MAXIMUM FAIR RENT = £6,136.50 Per year

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.

📊 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 fair rent was set at £5,690.00 per year, excluding water rates and council tax.
  • The effective date for the new fair rent was determined to be 18 September 2023.
  • An amount of £100.00 per year was included for fuel charges, not counting for rent allowance.
  • The rent was not registered as variable.
  • The capping provisions of the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999 applied to the calculation.

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

❓ Frequently asked questions

What did this decision decide?

The Tribunal set the fair rent for a property at £5,690 per year.

Who was involved?

A tenant and landlord were involved in setting the fair rent for their rental agreement.

How did the court decide, and why?

The court applied the formula from the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999 to determine the fair rent.

Which laws or rules were applied?

The Rent Act 1977 Schedule 11 and the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999 were used.

What was the argument that mattered most?

The tenant argued for a fair rent calculation based on the prescribed formula.

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

The decision was in favour of the tenant, setting the fair rent as requested.

What does this mean for someone in a similar situation?

Someone seeking to set a fair rent can use the same formula if their case meets the criteria.

What evidence or documents mattered?

The tenancy agreement and relevant financial information were likely key pieces of evidence.

Can a decision like this be appealed?

Yes, decisions from the First-tier Tribunal can often be appealed to the Upper Tribunal.

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

It is advisable to seek legal advice from a qualified solicitor for such matters.

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.