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DismissedFirst-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber)·

Market Rent Determination for Flat Under Housing Act 1988

Case No.

📌 In brief

The First-tier Tribunal determined a new market rent of £930.00 per calendar month for a flat after considering the Landlord's notice and evidence presented during an oral hearing. This decision was made under sections 13 and 14 of the Housing Act 1988.

⚖️ Legal holding

A tenant is entitled to have a new market rent determined by the Tribunal under sections 13 and 14 of the Housing Act 1988.

Topics

rent determinationhousing act 1988tribunal procedure

Provisions

📖 What the law says

Housing Act 1988 s.13

This section applies to certain types of assured periodic tenancies, allowing landlords to serve a notice proposing a new rent increase. The notice must specify a new period for the tenancy starting at least two months after the notice is served. The section also outlines specific dates when further rent increases can be proposed.

Housing Act 1988 s.14

A tenant under an assured tenancy can apply to a tribunal to challenge the rent payable under the tenancy. The tribunal will then determine the open-market rent based on various factors including the terms of the original tenancy and any relevant improvements made by the tenant.

Plain-English explanation — does not replace advice from a solicitor.

📖 Technical summary

The Tribunal determined a new market rent for a flat under sections 13 and 14 of the Housing Act 1988.

📜 Headnote Official document

The Tribunal determined a new market rent of £930.00 per calendar month for a flat under sections 13 and 14 of the Housing Act 1988, after considering the Landlord's notice and evidence presented during an oral hearing.

📚 Full judgment Official document

OUTCOME: Dismissed

© CROWN COPYRIGHT

Case Reference

: BIR/00CN/MNR/2025/0628

Property : [ADDRESS] [POSTCODE]

Tenant

: [NAME]

Landlord : [RESPONDENT]

Landlord’s agent : [NAME] of Application : Determination of a Market Rent under sections 13 & 14 of the Housing Act 1988

Tribunal Members : [NAME] [NAME]

A Churchill BSc MRICS (Observer)

C Birds JP MRICS (Observer)

Date of Decision : 13 November 2025

Date of Issue

: 05 December 2025

_______________________________________________

DECISION

The Tribunal determines a rent of £930.00 per calendar month with effect from 28 April 2025. ____________________________________

FIRST - TIER TRIBUNAL PROPERTY CHAMBER (RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY)

2 REASONS FOR THE DECISION

Background

1. On 21 March 2025, the Landlord served a notice under Section 13(2) of the Housing Act 1988 (“the Act”) which proposed a new rent of £930.00.00 per calendar month (pcm), in place of the existing rent of £895.00 pcm, to take effect from 28 April 2025. The original tenancy commenced on 28 March 2024.

2. The Landlord had served two rent increase notices however, the notice referred to above was confirmed at the hearing as being the operative notice.

3. By an application received on 7 April 2025, under Section 13(4)(a) of the Act, the Tenant referred the Landlord’s notice proposing a new rent to the Tribunal for determination of a market rent.

Inspection

4. The Tribunal has not carried out an inspection of the Property. The Landlord requested an oral hearing which was held by video platform on 13 November 2025. Accordingly, the Tribunal has considered this case on the basis of the papers provided by the parties, the evidence deduced from the oral hearing and having regard to its own knowledge, expertise and online research.

The Property

5. The application form submitted by the Tenant and the evidence supplied by the Landlord’s Reply form, confirmed essential details of the Property as a second floor flat, in a purpose-built block of similar units, offering the following accommodation which benefits from electric heating and double glazing.

SF Living room, kitchen, two bedrooms and bathroom.

Externally there is a gated communal car park although no dedicated space.

The Property is approximately 2 ½ miles to the north of Nottingham City Centre.

The Landlord indicated that they had provided white goods and carpets to the Property whilst the Tenant had supplied the curtains.

Evidence

The Tenant

6. The Tenant did not provide any evidence within their application form and did not return the Reply Form which is attached to the Tribunal’s Directions.

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The Landlord

7. Evidence on behalf of the Landlord was given both in writing and at the oral hearing by Ms [RESPONDENT] of [NAME], the Landlord’s agents. The submissions confirmed that the Property was refurbished immediately prior to the letting which included the following:

 New Kitchen  New floor coverings.  Redecoration

The Landlord had also provided internal and external photographs.

8. In respect of the rent, Ms [NAME] confirmed the other rents passing in the block which were as follows:

Apartment No Rental (£/pcm) Type 1 £1045.00 2 bed 2 £1045.00 2 bed 3 £1150.00 2 bed 4 £995.00 2 bed 6 £750.00 1 bed

9. The Tribunal understands that prior to the matter being referred, the parties had attempted to negotiate a new rental which had unfortunately proved fruitless.

Determination and Valuation

10. The comparable evidence provided by the Landlord of other properties in the same building support the rental sought and additionally is in line with the Tribunal’s own expert, general knowledge of rental values in the area.

11. The Tribunal therefore confirms the rental sought by the Landlord in the amount of £930.00 per calendar month.

Decision

12. Therefore, the Tribunal determines the market rent at £930.00 with effect from 28 April 2025.

Chairman: [NAME]

4

APPEAL PROVISIONS

If either party is dissatisfied with this decision, they may apply for permission to appeal to the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) on any point of law arising from this Decision. Prior to making such an appeal, an application must be made, in writing, to this Tribunal for permission to appeal. Any such application must be made within 28 days of the issue of this statement of reasons (regulation 52 (2) of The Tribunal Procedure (First-tier Tribunal) (Property Chamber) Rules 2013) stating the grounds upon which it is intended to rely in the appeal.

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First-tier Tribunal – Property Chamber File Ref No. BIR/00CN/MNR/2025/0628

Notice of the Tribunal Decision and Register of Rents under Assured Periodic Tenancies (Section 14 Determination)

Housing Act 1988 Section 14

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

[NAME] [NAME]

Landlord [APPELLANT]

Tenant [NAME]

1. The rent is: £930.00 Per month (excluding water rates and council tax but including any amounts in paras 3)

2. The date the decision takes effect is: 28 April 2025

3. The amount included for services is not applicable

Per

4. Date assured tenancy commenced 28 March 2024 5. Length of the term or rental period Monthly

6. Allocation of liability for repairs Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 7. Furniture provided by landlord or superior landlord

8. Description of premises Flat with 2 bedrooms

[NAME] of Decision 13 November 2025

📊 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 landlord's proposed rent was supported by comparable rents of other properties in the same building.
  • The Tribunal's own expert knowledge and online research confirmed the proposed rental value for the area.
  • The property had been recently refurbished, including a new kitchen, new floor coverings, and redecoration, which supported the rent.

❌ Tends to be rejected

  • The tenant failed to return the Reply Form, which is attached to the Tribunal’s Directions.

Patterns observed in similar cases in this collection — every case is unique.

❓ Frequently asked questions

What did this decision decide?

The Tribunal decided on a new market rent of £930.00 per calendar month for a flat.

Who was involved?

The decision involved a tenant and a landlord.

How did the court decide, and why?

The court decided based on the evidence presented by the landlord and the lack of evidence from the tenant.

Which laws or rules were applied?

Sections 13 and 14 of the Housing Act 1988 were applied.

What was the argument that mattered most?

The argument that mattered most was the comparable evidence provided by the landlord regarding other properties in the same building.

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

The decision was against the tenant who brought the case.

What does this mean for someone in a similar situation?

Someone in a similar situation should consider providing evidence to support their case when referring a rent increase notice to the Tribunal.

What evidence or documents mattered?

The evidence provided by the landlord, including the rent increase notice and comparable evidence from other properties, mattered significantly.

Can a decision like this be appealed?

Yes, either party can apply for permission to appeal to the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) on any point of law arising from this decision.

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

It is recommended to seek advice from a qualified solicitor for cases involving rent determination under the Housing Act 1988.

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.