First-tier Tribunal Sets Fair Rent at £900 Per Month

OUTCOME: Allowed

FR27 First-tier Tribunal – Property Chamber File Ref No. HAV/00HR/F77/2025/0637

Notice of the Tribunal Decision

Rent Act 1977 Schedule 11

Address of Premises The Tribunal members were 2 Deans Leaze Farm Cottages Witchampton Wimborne Dorset [POSTCODE]

[NAME] Miss [RESPONDENT]

Landlord [APPELLANT] LLP

Tenant Mr [APPELLANT]

1. The fair rent is £900.00 Per Calendar Month (excluding water rates and council tax but including any amounts in paras 3&4)

2. The effective date is 28 November 2025

3. The amount for services is n/a Per n/a

not applicable

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

8. For information only:

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 £931.00 per Calendar Month prescribed by the Order.

[NAME] of decision 28 November 2025

FR27 MAXIMUM FAIR RENT CALCULATION

LATEST RPI FIGURE X 406.10

PREVIOUS RPI FIGURE Y 374.20

X 406.10 Minus Y 374.20 = (A) 31.90

(A) 31.90 Divided by Y 374.20 = (B) 0.0852

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

If yes (B) plus 1.075 = (C) n/a

If no (B) plus 1.05 = (C) 1.1352

Last registered rent* £820.00 Multiplied by (C) = £930.86 *(exclusive of any variable service charge)

Rounded up to nearest 50p = £931.00

Variable service charge? NO If YES add amount for services n/a

MAXIMUM FAIR RENT = £931.00 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.

© CROWN COPYRIGHT 2025

FIRST-TIER TRIBUNAL PROPERTY CHAMBER (RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY) Case Reference : HAV/00HR/F77/2025/0637 Property : 2 Deans Leaze Farm Cottages Witchampton Wimborne Dorset [POSTCODE]

Tenant : [NAME] :

None

Landlord : [RESPONDENT] : [NAME]) [COMPANY] of Application : Section 70 Rent Act 1977 (“the Act”) Determination by the First-Tier Tribunal of the fair rent of a property following an objection to the rent registered by the Rent Officer.

Tribunal Members : Mr [NAME] Ms [NAME] D [NAME] of Objection : 22nd October 2025 Date of Decision and Summary Reasons : 28th November 2025

DECISION

HAV/00HR/F77/2025/0637

2 SUMMARY REASONS

Decision

The Tribunal determines a Fair Rent of £900 per month with effect from 28th November 2025.

Background 1. On 17th September 2025 the [NAME] applied to the Rent Officer for the registration of a new rent for the property in accordance with Section 70 of the Rent Act 1977.

2. The rent was previously registered on 28th July 2023 at £820 per month with effect from 3rd September 2023 following a determination by the Rent Officer.

3. On 13th October 2025 the Rent Officer registered a new rent of £887.50 per month for the property to take effect from 13th October 2025.

4. On 22nd October 2025 the Tenant objected to this new rent and the matter was referred to the First-tier Tribunal Property Chamber (Residential Property), formerly a Rent Assessment Committee. Inspection 5. The Tribunal did not inspect the property but considered this case based on the papers provided by the parties and information freely available on the internet. Evidence

6. The Tribunal has considered the written submissions provided by the Tenant and the Landlord. Determination and Valuation 7. There was some contrary evidence from the parties.

8. The Tenant states that he installed the central heating, carpets and curtains whilst the [NAME] states that these were provided by their client. The Tribunal noted that the [NAME] did not know when the tenancy began.

9. The evidence supplied is that the [NAME] has no record taken at the beginning of the tenancy. The Tribunal therefore accepts the evidence given by the Tenant.

10. Having consideration to the comparable evidence provided and of our own expert, general knowledge of rental values in the area, we consider that the open market rent for the property in good tenantable condition would be £1,250 per calendar month.

HAV/00HR/F77/2025/0637

3 11. Such a tenancy would normally include white goods, carpets/floorings and curtains/blinds to all be provided by the Landlord. The Landlord would also be responsible for internal repair and decoration.

12. In this case the property is not let in such condition or with white goods, carpets/floorings and curtains/blinds all supplied therefore some adjustments to the ‘open market rent’ are necessary. In addition the Tribunal has made the adjustments for dated kitchen and bathroom fittings and the Tenant’s responsibility for internal decoration.

13. The Tribunal noted the numbers of properties with similar accommodation within a reasonable distance of the property that are available to rent and decided that no deduction for scarcity should be made.

14. The full valuation is shown below: Full open market rent in good condition £1,250 per month Less deductions for:- Tenants’ liability for internal decoration

£60 Tenant’s provision of white goods

£30 Tenant’s provision of carpets

£50 Tenant’s provision of curtains

£10 Tenant’s provision of heating

£130

Dated kitchen and bathroom fittings

£70

____

Total deduction per month

£350 TOTAL RENT PAYABLE PER MONTH

£900

15. Having made the adjustments indicated above the Fair Rent determined by the Tribunal for the purpose of section 70 of the Rent Act 1977 was £900 per calendar month.

16. This rent takes effect from 28th November 2025, this being the date of the Tribunal’s decision.

17. The Section 70 Fair Rent determined by the Tribunal is below or equal to the maximum fair rent of £931 permitted by the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999 details of which are shown on the rear of the Decision Notice and accordingly we determine that the limit set by the Order does not apply in this case.

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 request for full reasons should be made within a month. Any subsequent application for permission to appeal should be made on Form RP PTA.