Tribunal sets £176/week fair rent for assured tenancy in London
📌 In brief
The First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) decided on the maximum fair rent for a tenant's property. They used a specific formula based on the Retail Price Index to calculate the rent, ensuring it adheres to the Rent Act 1977 and related orders.
⚖️ Legal holding
A tenant is entitled to a fair rent adjustment based on the Retail Price Index (RPI) increase and a statutory uplift, as applied in this case to determine a new fair rent of £176.00 per week.
📖 Technical summary
The Tribunal set a new fair rent of £176.00 per week for an assured tenancy, applying the Retail Price Index (RPI) increase and a 7.5% uplift due to it being the first application since 1999.
📜 Headnote Official document
The First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) determined the maximum fair rent for a tenant's property under the Rent Act 1977 and the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999. The rent was calculated using the Retail Price Index and the prescribed formula.
📚 Full judgment Official document
OUTCOME: Allowed
FR27 First-tier Tribunal – Property Chamber File Ref No. LON/OOBE/F77/2021/0061
Notice of the Tribunal Decision
Rent Act 1977 Schedule 11
Address of Premises The Tribunal members were 32A [ADDRESS] [POSTCODE]
[NAME] MA LLM FRICS
Landlord London & [ADDRESS], [POSTCODE]
Tenant Miss B [APPELLANT]
1. The fair rent is £176.00 Per week (excluding water rates and council tax but including any amounts in paras 3&4)
2. The effective date is 11 May 2021
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
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)/ do not apply because 1st registration/15% exemption.
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 £ 183.50 ................. per week .......................... including £ ...................... per ................................. for services (variable).
(b) 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 £ ................... per annum ........ including £ ......................................... per ................................. for services (variable) prescribed by the Order.
[NAME] MA LLM FRICS Date of decision 11th May 2021
FR27 MAXIMUM FAIR RENT CALCULATION
LATEST RPI FIGURE X 296.9
PREVIOUS RPI FIGURE Y 258.9
X 296.9 Minus Y 258.9 = (A) 38.0
(A) 38.0 Divided by Y 258.9 = (B) 0.14677482
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) 1.19677482
Last registered rent* 147.0 Multiplied by (C) = 1.19677482 *(exclusive of any variable service charge)
Rounded up to nearest 50p = £176.0
Variable service charge YES / NO If YES add amount for services n/a
MAXIMUM FAIR RENT = £176.0 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.
📊 How courts decide similar cases
Among 12 similar decisions in this collection:
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Tribunal sets £655/month rent for assured tenancy in London
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Tribunal Sets £985/Month Rent for Assured Tenancy in London
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Tribunal Sets Maximum Fair Rent for Tenants Under Rent Act 1977
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Tribunal Sets £877/Month Rent for Assured Tenancy in London
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Tribunal Sets £152.50 Weekly Rent for Assured Tenancy in London
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Tribunal Sets £137/Week Fair Rent for Assured Tenancy in London
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Tribunal Sets £122/Month Fair Rent for Assured Tenancy in London
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Tribunal sets £163/week rent for assured tenancy in London
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Tribunal sets £127 weekly fair rent for assured tenancy in London
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) First-tier Tribunal sets maximum fair rent of £107.50 per week
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Tribunal sets £1,243/month rent for assured tenancy in London
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Tribunal sets £144.50 weekly rent for assured tenancy in London
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 maximum fair rent was calculated by increasing the previous registered rent by the percentage change in the Retail Price Index.
- A 5% increase was added to the calculation because this was not the first application for re-registration since February 1, 1999.
- The final calculated rent was rounded up to the nearest 50 pence.
- The latest Retail Price Index 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?
The First-tier Tribunal set a fair rent of £176.00 per week for an assured tenancy.
What was the dispute about?
The dispute was about calculating the fair rent for an assured tenancy using the Retail Price Index (RPI) increase and additional percentage adjustments.
How did the court decide, and why?
The court decided to set the fair rent at £176.00 per week, applying the RPI increase and additional percentage adjustments as required by the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999.
Which laws or rules were applied?
Rent Act 1977 Schedule 11 Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999
What was the argument that mattered most?
The argument that mattered most was the application of the Retail Price Index (RPI) increase and additional percentage adjustments as required by the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999.
Was the decision for or against the person who brought the case?
The decision was for the person who brought the case, setting the fair rent at £176.00 per week.
What does this mean for someone in a similar situation?
For someone in a similar situation, they can expect their fair rent to be calculated using the Retail Price Index (RPI) increase and additional percentage adjustments as required by the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999.
What evidence or documents mattered?
The judgment does not specify the evidence or documents that mattered.
