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First-tier Tribunal sets fair rent under Rent Act 1977

Case No.

📌 In brief

The First-tier Tribunal set the fair rent for a rental property in Croydon at £940.50 per month, following calculations based on the Retail Price Index (RPI) and statutory requirements under the Rent Act 1977.

⚖️ Legal holding

A tenant is entitled to have their rent set at a fair rate according to the Rent Act 1977 and relevant regulations.

Topics

fair rentrent controlRPI

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, calculating it based on RPI changes and statutory provisions.

📜 Headnote Official document

The First-tier Tribunal determined the fair rent for a property based on the Rent Act 1977 and relevant regulations, setting it at £940.50 per month after applying RPI changes.

📚 Full judgment Official document

OUTCOME: Other

First-tier Tribunal – Property Chamber File Ref No. JM/LON/00AH/F77/2023/0184

Notice of the Tribunal Decision

Rent Act 1977 Schedule 11

Address of Premises The Tribunal members were

B 18 [ADDRESS], [POSTCODE] [NAME]

[NAME]

Landlord C J E Allison

Tenant Miss [APPELLANT]

1. The fair rent is 940.50 Per Calendar Month (excluding water rates and council tax but including any amounts in paras 3&4)

2. The effective date is 19 October 2023

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

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/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

n/a

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 the same as/below the maximum fair rent of £940.49 per month prescribed by the Order.

[NAME] of decision 19th October 2023

MAXIMUM FAIR RENT CALCULATION

LATEST RPI FIGURE X 376.6

PREVIOUS RPI FIGURE Y 296.9

X 376.6 Minus Y 296.9 = (A) 79.7

(A) 79.7 Divided by Y 296.90 = (B) 0.26844

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) 1.31844

Last registered rent* £960 Multiplied by (C) = £1265.70

*(exclusive of any variable service charge)

Rounded up to nearest 50p = £1266.00

Variable service charge YES / NO

If YES add amount for services No

MAXIMUM FAIR RENT = £1266.00 Per 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.

📊 How courts decide similar cases

Among 11 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 determined to be £940.50 per calendar month, excluding water rates and council tax.
  • The effective date for the fair rent decision was set as 19 October 2023.
  • The maximum fair rent calculation used the latest RPI figure of 376.6 and a previous RPI figure of 296.9.
  • The calculation included an additional 5% increase because it was a second or subsequent application since 1 February 1999.
  • The last registered rent of £960 was multiplied by the calculated factor to determine 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 fair rent for a rental property was set at £940.50 per month.

Who was involved?

A tenant and a landlord were involved in the dispute over the fair rent of a property.

How did the court decide, and why?

The Tribunal applied the Rent Act 1977 and relevant regulations to calculate the fair rent based on RPI changes.

Which laws or rules were applied?

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

What was the argument that mattered most?

The calculation of fair rent based on RPI changes since the last registration date was crucial.

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

It is unclear from the judgment which party initiated the case, but the outcome reflects a fair rent determination.

What does this mean for someone in a similar situation?

Someone facing a tenancy dispute over fair rent should consider applying RPI changes and relevant statutory provisions.

What evidence or documents mattered?

The previous registered rent, RPI figures, and the property's details were important for determining the fair rent.

Can a decision like this be appealed?

Decisions from the First-tier Tribunal can often be appealed to the Upper Tribunal if certain conditions are met.

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

It is advisable to seek legal advice from a qualified solicitor for complex tenancy disputes.

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.