First-tier Tribunal Sets Fair Rent at £800 per Month
📌 In brief
The First-tier Tribunal set the fair rent for a property at £800 per month, considering market rental values and specific conditions of the tenancy. The decision was made under the Rent Act 1977 to ensure the tenant pays a fair amount based on local standards.
⚖️ Legal holding
A tenant is entitled to a fair rent that reflects the property's condition and local rental market rates.
📖 Technical summary
The Tribunal determined the fair rent for a property under the Rent Act 1977, considering market rental values and specific conditions of the tenancy.
📜 Headnote Official document
The First-tier Tribunal determined a fair rent of £800 per month for a property in Fareham, considering market rental values and specific conditions of the tenancy. The decision was based on the Rent Act 1977 and the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999.
📚 Full judgment Official document
OUTCOME: Allowed
FR27 First-tier Tribunal – Property Chamber File Ref No. HAV/24UE/F77/2026/0006
Notice of the Tribunal Decision
Rent Act 1977 Schedule 11
Address of Premises The Tribunal members were [ADDRESS] [POSTCODE]
[NAME] Mr [APPELLANT]
Landlord Mr [APPELLANT]
Tenant Mr [APPELLANT]
1. The fair rent is £800.00 Per Calendar Month (excluding water rates and council tax but including any amounts in paras 3&4)
2. The effective date is 10 April 2026
3. The amount for services is £92.33 Per Month
4. The amount for fuel charges (excluding heating and lighting of common parts) not counting for rent allowance is
n/a Per n/a
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
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 £801 per Calendar Month.
[NAME] of decision 10 April 2026
FR27 MAXIMUM FAIR RENT CALCULATION
LATEST RPI FIGURE X 408.2
PREVIOUS RPI FIGURE Y 372.8
X 408.2 Minus Y 372.8 = (A) 35.4
(A) 35.4 Divided by Y 372.8 = (B) 0.094
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) 1.144
Last registered rent* £700.00 Multiplied by (C) = £800.80 *(exclusive of any variable service charge)
Rounded up to nearest 50p = £801.00
Variable service charge NO If YES add amount for services
MAXIMUM FAIR RENT = £801.00 Per Calendar 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.
1
Case Reference
: HAV/24UE/F77/2026/0006
Property : [ADDRESS], [POSTCODE]
Tenant
: Mr [APPELLANT] J [APPELLANT]
Landlord : Mr [APPELLANT] of Landlord’s Objection : 9 February 2026
Type of Application : Section 70, Rent Act 1977
Tribunal
: Mr [NAME] Mr [NAME] of Summary Reasons : 10 April 2026
_______________________________________________
DECISION
The sum of £800 per month will be registered as the fair rent with effect from 10 April 2026, being the date, the Tribunal made the Decision. ____________________________________
© CROWN COPYRIGHT 2025
FIRST - TIER TRIBUNAL PROPERTY CHAMBER (RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY)
2 SUMMARY REASONS
Background
1. Following an objection from the Landlord 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.
2. The parties did not request a hearing or an inspection to determine this matter and the Tribunal agreed with this arrangement. The Tribunal considered this case with the Rent Officer’s calculations and with the assistance of Rightmove and Google Maps.
Evidence
3. The Tribunal received a completed Rent Appeal Statement from the Landlord. The Landlord provided the Tribunal with agents details 0f 4 rental comparables which ranged from £1,000- £1,200 per month. No submissions were received from the Tenant. The Tribunal had before it, the Rent Officers two Registrations and calculations for the most recent registration on the 2 February 2026 to take effect on that date.
Determination and Valuation
4. Having consideration of its own expert, general knowledge of rental values in the Fareham area, we consider that the open market rent for the property in good condition with modern services would be in the region of £1,050 per month.
5. Next, the Tribunal needs to adjust that hypothetical rent of £1,050 per month to allow for Terms of tenancy agreement, no white goods, no carpets or curtains, dated kitchen and bathroom fittings and no central heating.
6. The Tribunal has considered very carefully the information provided by Landlord. Using its own expertise, the Tribunal considers that a deduction of £250 should be applied in order to take account of the above matters. This reduces the figure to £800 per month.
7. It should be noted that this figure cannot be a simple arithmetical calculation and is not based upon capital costs but is the Tribunal’s estimate of the amount by which the rent would need to be reduced to attract a tenant.
8. The Tribunal has made no adjustment for scarcity.
9. The full valuation is shown below:
3 Market Rent £1,050 pm
Less
approx. £250
£800
£800 pm
Decision
10. The uncapped fair rent initially determined by the Tribunal, for the purposes of section 70, was £800 per month. The capped rent for the property according to the provisions of the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999 is calculated at £801 per calendar month. The calculation of the capped rent is shown on the decision form.
11. In this case therefore the lower rent of £800 per month is to be registered as the fair rent for this property.
APPEAL PROVISIONS
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:
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Tribunal Sets Maximum Fair Rent for Property
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) First-tier Tribunal Sets Maximum Fair Rent for Tenanted Property
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) First-tier Tribunal sets fair rent at £195 per week under Rent Act 1977
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) First-tier Tribunal Sets Maximum Fair Rent for Property Tenancy
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) First-tier Tribunal Sets Fair Rent After Tenant Improvements
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) First-tier Tribunal Sets Fair Rent for Crondall Property
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Tribunal Sets Fair Rent Considering Tenant Improvements
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) First-tier Tribunal Sets Capped Fair Rent for Property
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Tribunal Sets Fair Rent of £975 Per Month for Property
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) First-tier Tribunal sets fair rent for property near railway line
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) First-tier Tribunal Sets Maximum Fair Rent of £161 Per Week
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 Tribunal used its expert knowledge of local rental values to determine an open market rent.
- The property's lack of white goods, carpets, curtains, and dated fittings justified a rent reduction.
- The Tribunal's estimate of the rent reduction needed to attract a tenant was accepted.
- The fair rent to be registered was the lower of the uncapped fair rent and the maximum fair rent.
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 £800 per month.
Who was involved?
A tenant and a landlord were involved in determining the fair rent.
How did the court decide, and why?
The court considered market rental values and specific conditions of the tenancy to determine the 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?
Market rental values and specific conditions of the tenancy were key in determining the fair rent.
Was the decision for or against the person who brought the case?
The decision was for the tenant, setting a fair rent based on local standards.
What does this mean for someone in a similar situation?
Someone in a similar situation can rely on market rental values and specific conditions of their tenancy to determine a fair rent.
What evidence or documents mattered?
Evidence included rental comparables, the Rent Officer’s calculations, and expert knowledge of local rental markets.
Can a decision like this be appealed?
Yes, decisions can often be appealed if there are grounds for doing so under relevant laws.
Is it worth getting a solicitor for a case like this?
It is always recommended to seek advice from a qualified solicitor for specific legal cases.
