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AllowedFirst-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber)·

Tribunal Sets £94 Weekly Fair Rent for Assured Tenancy in Birmingham

Case No.

📌 In brief

In this case, the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) decided on the maximum fair rent for a property under the Rent Act 1977. The decision was based on the Retail Price Index and relevant legislation, setting the rent at £94.00 per week.

⚖️ Legal holding

A tenant is entitled to a maximum fair rent calculated according to the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999, as applied in this case involving a rent increase request.

Topics

fair rentmaximum fair rentrent act 1977

Provisions

Rent Act 1977 Schedule 11Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999

📖 Technical summary

The Tribunal set a maximum fair rent of £94.00 per week for an assured tenancy, applying the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999.

📜 Headnote Official document

The Tribunal determined the maximum fair rent for a property under the Rent Act 1977, considering the Retail Price Index and relevant legislation. The decision was made by Mr Ian Humphries, BSC FRICS, and colleagues at the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber).

📚 Full judgment Official document

OUTCOME: Allowed

FR24 First-tier Tribunal – Property Chamber File Ref No. BIR/00CN/F77/2020/0001

Notice of the Tribunal Decision

Rent Act 1977 Schedule 11

Address of Premises The Tribunal members were 101 [ADDRESS] [POSTCODE]

[NAME] Mr [RESPONDENT] [APPELLANT] Mrs [APPELLANT]

Landlord Midland Heart

Tenant Ms [APPELLANT] [NAME]

1. The fair rent is 94.00 Per Week (excluding water rates and council tax but including any amounts in paras 3&4)

2. The effective date is 3.3.20

3. The amount for services is 0.42 Per Week

4. The amount for fuel charges (excluding heating and lighting of common parts) not counting for rent allowance is N/A Per N/A

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

None

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 £126.00 per week including £0.42 per week for services.

[NAME] of decision 3.3.20

FR24 MAXIMUM FAIR RENT CALCULATION

LATEST RPI FIGURE X 290.6

PREVIOUS RPI FIGURE Y 259.5

X 290.6 Minus Y 259.5 = (A) 31.1

(A) 31.1 Divided by Y 259.5 = (B) 0.11984

First application for re-registration since 1 February 1999 - NO

If yes (B) plus 1.075 = (C) N/A

If no (B) plus 1.05 = (C) 1.16984

Last registered rent* £80.00 Multiplied by (C) = £93.58 *(exclusive of any variable service charge)

Rounded up to nearest 50p = £94.00

Variable service charge NO If YES add amount for services

MAXIMUM FAIR RENT = £94.00 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:

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

  • Tenant rights are upheld when the maximum fair rent is calculated according to the Retail Price Index and relevant legislation.
  • Courts consider the property's age, location, and state of repair to determine a fair rent.
  • Fair rent calculations under the Rent Act 1977 and related orders are consistently allowed.
  • Adjustments for market conditions and scarcity are considered in favor of tenants.
  • Service charges are taken into account when calculating a fair rent.

❌ Tends to be rejected

  • No significant factors identified that went against the claimant in these cases.

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 £94.00 per week 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 £94.00 per week, applying the formula from the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999.

Which laws or rules were applied?

The Rent Act 1977 Schedule 11 and the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999 were applied.

What was the argument that mattered most?

The argument that mattered most was the application of the formula from 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 £94.00 per week.

What does this mean for someone in a similar situation?

Someone in a similar situation can expect their maximum fair rent to be calculated using the same formula, based on the latest RPI figure and the previous registered rent.

What evidence or documents mattered?

The judgment does not specify the evidence or documents that mattered.

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.