Tribunal Sets £120/Week Fair Rent for Assured Tenancy in Northumberland

OUTCOME: Allowed

First-tier Tribunal – Property Chamber File Ref No. MAN/30UE/F77/2024/0015

Notice of the Tribunal Decision

Rent Act 1977 Schedule 11

Address of Premises

The Tribunal members were 52, [NAME] PR7

J R Rimmer J Faulkner

Landlord Northumberland and [APPELLANT] by [APPELLANT]

Tenant Mrs [APPELLANT] M [APPELLANT]

1. The fair rent is £ 120.00 Per week (excluding water rates and council tax but including any amounts in paras 3&4)

2. The effective date is 7th March 2024

3. The rent is not to be registered as variable.

4 The capping provisions of the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999 apply (please see calculation overleaf)

5. Details (other than rent) where different from Rent Register entry

The fair rent to be registered is not limited by the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999, because it is below the maximum fair rent of £135.50 per week prescribed by the Order.

Chairman J R Rimmer Date of Decision 7th March 2024

MAXIMUM FAIR RENT CALCULATION

LATEST RPI FIGURE x 378.0

PREVIOUS RPI FIGURE y 317.7

X 378.0 Minus y 317.7 = (A) 60.3

(A) 60.3 divided by y 317.7 = (B) 0.1898

First application for re-registration since 1 February 1999: no

If yes (B) plus 1.075 = (C)

If no (B) plus 1.05 = (C) 1.2398

Last registered rent* £109.00 Multiplied by (C) = 1.2398

*(exclusive of any variable service charge)

Rounded up to nearest 50 pence = £ 163.25

Variable service charge: NO

If YES add amount for services

MAXIMUM FAIR RENT = £ 135.50 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 Committee's fair rent determination was made.

£135.50

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.