Tribunal Sets £501.50/Month Rent for Assured Tenancy in London
📌 In brief
The First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) decided on the maximum fair rent for a property under the Rent Act 1977. They used the latest Retail Price Index figures and the capping provisions of the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999 to determine the rent.
⚖️ Legal holding
A tenant is entitled to a maximum fair rent calculated according to the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999, as seen in this case involving a rent of £501.50 per month.
📖 Technical summary
The Tribunal set a maximum fair rent of £501.50 per month for an assured tenancy, applying the formula under the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999.
📜 Headnote Official document
The First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) determined the maximum fair rent for a property under the Rent Act 1977, taking into account the latest Retail Price Index (RPI) figures and the capping provisions of the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999.
📚 Full judgment Official document
OUTCOME: Allowed
First-tier Tribunal – Property Chamber File Ref No. LON/00BG/F77/2020/0043
Notice of the Tribunal Decision
Rent Act 1977 Schedule 11
Address of Premises The Tribunal members were 9 [ADDRESS], [POSTCODE]
[NAME]
Landlord [COMPANY]
Tenant Mr [APPELLANT]
1. The fair rent is £501.50 Per Calendar Month (excluding water rates and council tax but including any amounts in paras 3&4)
2. The effective date is 24 September 2020
3. The amount for services is £14.79 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 £771.30 per month including £14.79 per month for services.
[NAME] of decision 24 September 2020
MAXIMUM FAIR RENT CALCULATION
LATEST RPI FIGURE X 294.2
PREVIOUS RPI FIGURE Y 278.1
X 294.2 Minus Y 278.1 = (A) 16.1
(A) 16.1 Divided by Y 278.1 = (B) 0.057893
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) 1.107893
Last registered rent* £452.50 Multiplied by (C) = £501.32 *(exclusive of any variable service charge)
Rounded up to nearest 50p = £501.50
Variable service charge NO If YES add amount for services
MAXIMUM FAIR RENT = £501.50 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 12 similar decisions in this collection:
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) First-tier Tribunal sets maximum fair rent of £209.00 per week
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Decision — Case 4171293
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Tribunal Sets Fair Rent for Damp and Disrepair-Affected Property
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Tribunal sets £735/month rent for assured tenancy in London
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Tribunal Sets £998/Month Fair Rent for Assured Tenancy in London
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) First-tier Tribunal sets maximum fair rent for property using RPI
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Tribunal Sets £156.50 Weekly Rent for Assured Tenancy in London
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Tribunal Sets £102.50/week Fair Rent for Assured Tenancy in Manchester
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) First-tier Tribunal Sets Fair Rent of £90 Per Week Under Rent Act 1977
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) First-tier Tribunal Sets Fair Rent for Victorian Cottage at £760.50
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Tribunal Sets £152/week Fair Rent for Assured Tenancy in Kent
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Tribunal Sets £94 Weekly Fair Rent for Assured Tenancy in Birmingham
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 using the previous registered rent and the change in the retail price index.
- An additional 5% was added to the calculation because this was not the first application for re-registration since February 1999.
- The calculated rent was rounded up to the nearest 50 pence to determine the final maximum fair rent.
- The maximum fair rent was determined to be £501.50 per month.
Patterns observed in similar cases in this collection — every case is unique.
❓ Frequently asked questions
What did this decision decide?
The Tribunal set a maximum fair rent of £501.50 per month for an assured tenancy.
What was the dispute about?
The dispute was about calculating the maximum fair rent for an assured tenancy.
How did the court decide, and why?
The court decided to set the maximum fair rent at £501.50 per month, applying the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999, which includes calculating the rent based on the latest RPI figure and the previous registered rent.
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 Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999 to calculate the maximum fair rent.
Was the decision for or against the person who brought the case?
The decision was for the person who brought the case, setting the maximum fair rent at £501.50 per month.
What does this mean for someone in a similar situation?
For someone in a similar situation, the decision means that the maximum fair rent can be calculated using the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999.
What evidence or documents mattered?
The judgment does not specify the evidence or documents that mattered.
