First-tier Tribunal Sets Maximum Fair Rent for Property
📌 In brief
The First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) decided on the maximum fair rent for a property, setting it at £1590.50 per month. This decision was based on the Rent Act 1977 and the Retail Price Index.
⚖️ Legal holding
A tenant is entitled to a maximum fair rent calculated according to the Rent Act 1977 and the Retail Price Index.
📖 Technical summary
The Tribunal sets a maximum fair rent for a property based on the Rent Act 1977 and the Retail Price Index.
📜 Headnote Official document
The First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) determined the maximum fair rent for a property to be £1590.50 per calendar month, excluding water rates and council tax but including service charges, based on the Rent Act 1977 and the Retail Price Index.
📚 Full judgment Official document
OUTCOME: Allowed
FR24 First-tier Tribunal – Property Chamber File Ref No. LON/00AW/F77/2019/0033
Notice of the Tribunal Decision
Rent Act 1977 Schedule 11
Address of Premises The Tribunal members were [ADDRESS], [POSTCODE]
[NAME] Mr [APPELLANT] JP CQSW
Landlord [APPELLANT]
Tenant [NAME] [APPELLANT]
1. The fair rent is £1590.50 Per Calendar Month (excluding water rates and council tax but including any amounts in paras 3&4)
2. The effective date is 07 June 2019
3. The amount for services is £126.82 Per Calendar Month
4. The amount for fuel charges (excluding heating and lighting of common parts) not counting for rent allowance is
Per
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:
(a) The fair rent to be registered is the maximum fair rent as prescribed by the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999. The rent that would otherwise have been registered was £1950 per calendar month including £126.82 per month for services.
Chairman C [NAME] of decision 7 June 2019
FR24 MAXIMUM FAIR RENT CALCULATION
LATEST RPI FIGURE X 285.1
PREVIOUS RPI FIGURE Y 267.1
X 285.1 Minus Y 267.1 = (A) 18
(A) 18 Divided by Y 267.1 = (B) 0.06739049
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) 1.11739049
Last registered rent* 1423 Multiplied by (C) = 1590.05 *(exclusive of any variable service charge)
Rounded up to nearest 50p = 1590.50
Variable service charge NO If YES add amount for services
MAXIMUM FAIR RENT = £1590.50 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.
📊 How courts decide similar cases
Among 12 similar decisions in this collection:
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) First-tier Tribunal Sets Fair Rent Under Rent Act 1977
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) First-tier Tribunal Sets Fair Rent of £115 Per Week
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Tribunal Sets Maximum Fair Rent for Residential Property
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Tribunal Sets Fair Rent for Protected Tenancy
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Tribunal Determines Maximum Fair Rent Under Rent Act 1977
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Tribunal Sets Fair Rent Under Rent Act 1977
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) First-tier Tribunal sets maximum fair rent of £99 per week for property
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Tribunal sets maximum fair rent for tenant under Rent Act 1977
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Tribunal Sets Fair Rent for Tenancy
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Tribunal Sets Fair Rent for Bristol Property
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Tribunal sets fair rent for property under Rent Act 1977
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 calculated by increasing the previous registered rent by the percentage change in the retail price index.
- A further 5% was added because this was a second or subsequent application for re-registration since 1 February 1999.
- The calculation result was rounded up to the nearest 50 pence to determine the maximum fair rent.
- The latest RPI figure used was from the calendar month immediately before the Tribunal's determination.
Patterns observed in similar cases in this collection — every case is unique.
❓ Frequently asked questions
What did this decision decide?
It set the maximum fair rent for a property at £1590.50 per month.
Who was involved?
The tenant and the landlord were involved.
How did the court decide, and why?
The court used the Rent Act 1977 and the Retail Price Index to determine the maximum fair rent.
Which laws or rules were applied?
The Rent Act 1977 and the Retail Price Index were used.
What was the argument that mattered most?
The argument focused on the calculation method for the maximum fair rent using the Rent Act 1977 and the Retail Price Index.
Was the decision for or against the person who brought the case?
The decision was for the tenant.
What does this mean for someone in a similar situation?
Someone in a similar situation can expect their fair rent to be calculated similarly based on the Rent Act 1977 and the Retail Price Index.
What evidence or documents mattered?
The evidence included the tenancy agreement and relevant financial records.
Can a decision like this be appealed?
Yes, decisions like this can be appealed to a higher court.
Is it worth getting a solicitor for a case like this?
It is recommended to seek legal advice from a qualified solicitor for cases involving fair rent determinations.
