Tribunal Determines New Fair Rent Under Rent Act 1977
📌 In brief
The Tribunal has decided on a new fair rent for a property, setting it at £149.05 per week. This decision was made according to the Rent Act 1977 and takes into account factors like the Retail Price Index.
⚖️ Legal holding
A tenant is entitled to a fair rent calculation under the Rent Act 1977, resulting in a maximum fair rent of £149.05 per week, including a service charge of £15.05.
📖 Technical summary
The Tribunal set a fair rent of £149.05 per week, excluding certain charges but including a service charge of £15.05.
📜 Headnote Official document
The Tribunal determined a new fair rent of £149.05 per week for a property, excluding water rates and council tax but including service charges, following a calculation under the Rent Act 1977 and the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999.
📚 Full judgment Official document
OUTCOME: Allowed
FR24 First-tier Tribunal – Property Chamber File Ref No. LON/00AM/F77/2022/0275
Notice of the Tribunal Decision
Rent Act 1977 Schedule 11
Address of Premises The Tribunal members were 141 [ADDRESS] [POSTCODE]
[NAME]
Landlord Industrial Dwellings Society (1885) Ltd
Tenant Mr [APPELLANT]
1. The fair rent is £ 149.05 Per week (excluding water rates and council tax but including any amounts in paras 3&4)
2. The effective date is 6 February 2023
3. The amount for services included £ 15.05 Per week
negligible/not applicable
4. The amount for fuel charges (excluding heating and lighting of common parts) not counting for rent allowance is
nil Per
negligible/not applicable
5. The rent is to be registered as variable.
6. The capping provisions of the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999 apply.
7. Details (other than rent) where different from Rent Register entry
As rent register.
Note: The landlord is not obliged to charge this fair rent but, may not charge more.
8. For information only: Part (a) below, applies.
(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 £ 450 per week …… including £ 15.05 ............................... per week…………….. 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 week including £ nil ..................................... per ................................. for services (variable) prescribed by the Order.
[NAME] of decision 6 February 2023
FR24 MAXIMUM FAIR RENT CALCULATION
LATEST RPI FIGURE X 360.4
PREVIOUS RPI FIGURE Y 259.8
X 360.4 Minus Y 259.8 = (A) 100.6
(A) 100.6 Divided by Y 259.8 = (B) 0.387
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) 1.387
Last registered rent* 96.44 (+ 16.06 sc) Multiplied by (C) = 133.76 *(exclusive of any variable service charge)
Rounded up to nearest 50p = 134 ( + 15.05 sc) per week
Variable service charge YES If YES add amount for services 15.05
MAXIMUM FAIR RENT = £ 149.05 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) Tribunal sets £904.50/month rent for assured tenancy in London
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Tribunal sets £383.50/month rent for assured tenancy in Chigwell
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Tribunal Sets £424.52/month Rent for Assured Tenancy in London
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Tribunal Determines New Fair Rent for Tenancy Under Rent Act 1977
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) First-tier Tribunal Sets Fair Rent of £234 Per Week for Tenant
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Tribunal sets £12,000/year rent for assured tenancy in London
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Tribunal Sets £179.36 Weekly Rent for Assured Tenancy in London
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) First-tier Tribunal sets new fair rent for property under Rent Act 1977
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Tribunal Sets Fair Rent of £135.97 Per Week for Tenant
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) First-tier Tribunal Sets Fair Rent of £115 Per Week
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Tribunal sets £220 weekly rent for assured tenancy in London
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Tribunal sets £232.43 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 fair rent was calculated by increasing the previous registered rent by the percentage change in the Retail Price Index.
- An additional 5% was added to the rent calculation because it was a second or subsequent application since February 1, 1999.
- The latest RPI figure used for the calculation was 360.4.
- The previous RPI figure used for the calculation was 259.8.
- A variable service charge of £15.05 per week was added to the calculated rent.
Patterns observed in similar cases in this collection — every case is unique.
❓ Frequently asked questions
What did this decision decide?
The Tribunal set a new fair rent of £149.05 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 a new fair rent of £149.05 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 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 a new fair rent of £149.05 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 based on the 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.
