First-tier Tribunal Sets Fair Rent for Tenancy Under Rent Act 1977

OUTCOME: Allowed

1

Case Reference

: FR/LON/00BK/F77/2025/0071

Property : [ADDRESS] [POSTCODE]

Tenant

: [APPELLANT]

Landlord : [NAME] of Objection : 22 November 2024

Type of Application : Section 70, Rent Act 1977

Tribunal

: R Waterhouse FRICS

Date

: 28 April 2025

_______________________________________________

DECISION

The sum of £293.50 per week will be registered as the fair rent with effect from 28 April 2025, being the date the Tribunal made the Decision. ____________________________________

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SUMMARY REASONS

Background FIRST - TIER TRIBUNAL PROPERTY CHAMBER (RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY)

2 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 no written submissions from the parties.

Determination and Valuation 4. Having consideration of the comparable evidence proved by the parties and 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 in the region of £4500.00 per calendar month. From this level of rent we have made adjustments in relation to:

The property is noted as not having central heating, and the tenancy dates from 1984 so the condition of the property will be below that of a contemporary letting.

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

6. The full valuation is shown below:

per calendar month Market Rent

£4500 .00

Less No central heating 10% Specification for a1984 10%

£450.00 450

-------

£3600 Less Scarcity

approx. 20%

£720.00

£2880.00 per

month

7. The Tribunal determines a rent of £2880.00 per calendar month and this equates to £664. 61 per week.

Decision

3 8. The uncapped fair rent initially determined by the Tribunal, for the purposes of section 70, was £664.61 per week. The capped rent for the property according to the provisions of the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999 is calculated at £293.50 per week. The calculation of the capped rent is shown on the decision form. In this case the lower rent of £293.50 per week is to be registered as the fair rent or this property. Chairman: R Waterhouse FRICS

Date: 28 April 2025

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

FR27 First-tier Tribunal – Property Chamber File Ref No. FR/LON/00BK/F77/2025/0071

Notice of the Tribunal Decision

Rent Act 1977 Schedule 11

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

R Waterhouse FRICS

Landlord [NAME] [NAME]

1. The fair rent is £293.50 Per week (excluding water rates and council tax but including any amounts in paras 3&4)

2. The effective date is 28 April 2025

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 n/a

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.

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

n/a

8. For information only:

(a) The fair rent to be registered is the maximum fair rent as prescribed by the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999 because the rent determined under the market approach is greater.

Chairman R Waterhouse FRICS Date of decision 28 April 2025

FR27 MAXIMUM FAIR RENT CALCULATION

LATEST RPI FIGURE X 394.0

PREVIOUS RPI FIGURE Y 259.5

X 394.0 Minus Y 259.5 = (A) 134.5

(A) 134.5 Divided by Y 259.5 = (B) 0.518

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) 1.568

Last registered rent* £187.00 Multiplied by (C) = £293,27 *(exclusive of any variable service charge)

Rounded up to nearest 50p = £293.50

Variable service charge no If YES add amount for services no

MAXIMUM FAIR RENT = £293.50 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.