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AllowedFirst-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber)·

Tribunal Sets Fair Rent for Property Under Rent Act 1977

Case No.

📌 In brief

The First-tier Tribunal decided on a fair rent for a property. The rent was set at £196.00 per week, excluding some costs like water rates and council tax. The decision also included a calculation based on the Retail Price Index (RPI).

⚖️ Legal holding

A tenant is entitled to a fair rent calculation under the Rent Act 1977.

Topics

fair renttenancy agreementrent regulation

Provisions

Rent Act 1977 Schedule 11

📖 Technical summary

The Tribunal sets a fair rent for a property under the Rent Act 1977.

📜 Headnote Official document

The First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) determined a fair rent for a property under the Rent Act 1977. The rent was set at £196.00 per week, excluding water rates and council tax but including fuel charges. The decision included a calculation of the maximum fair rent based on the Retail Price Index (RPI).

📚 Full judgment Official document

OUTCOME: Allowed

FR24 First-tier Tribunal – Property Chamber File Ref No. JM/LON/00AN/F77/2022/0001

Notice of the Tribunal Decision

Rent Act 1977 Schedule 11

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

[NAME]

Landlord Mr [APPELLANT] ℅ [APPELLANT] (London) ltd

Tenant Mrs [APPELLANT]

1. The fair rent is 196.00 Per Week (excluding water rates and council tax but including any amounts in paras 3&4)

2. The effective date is 28th February 2022

3. The amount for services is N/A Per

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

N/A Per

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

6. The capping provisions of the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999 do not apply because it is below the uncapped rent (see calculations below) 7. Details (other than rent) where different from Rent Register entry

None.

8. For information only:

(a) 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 £212 per week as set out in the attached calculations.

[NAME] of decision 28th February 2022

FR24 MAXIMUM FAIR RENT CALCULATION

LATEST RPI FIGURE X 317.7

PREVIOUS RPI FIGURE Y 291

X 317.7 Minus Y 291 = (A) 26.7

(A) 26.7 Divided by Y 291 = (B) 0.092

First application for re-registration since 1 February 1999 NO

If yes (B) plus 1.075 = (C)

If no (B) plus 1.05 = (C) 1.142

Last registered rent* 185.50 Multiplied by (C) = 211.84 *(exclusive of any variable service charge)

Rounded up to nearest 50p = 212.00

Variable service charge NO If YES add amount for services

MAXIMUM FAIR RENT = £212.00 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

  • The fair rent was determined to be £196.00 per week.
  • The effective date for the new fair rent was set as February 28, 2022.
  • The maximum fair rent calculation showed that the capping provisions did not apply.
  • The calculation used the previous registered rent of £185.50.
  • The calculation included a 5% increase because it was not the first application since February 1, 1999.

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

❓ Frequently asked questions

What did this decision decide?

It set a fair rent of £196.00 per week for a property.

Who was involved?

A tenant and a landlord were involved.

How did the court decide, and why?

The court used the Rent Act 1977 to calculate a fair rent based on the Retail Price Index (RPI).

Which laws or rules were applied?

The Rent Act 1977 and the Retail Price Index (RPI) were used.

What was the argument that mattered most?

The calculation of the fair rent using the RPI was crucial.

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

The decision was for the tenant.

What does this mean for someone in a similar situation?

Someone in a similar situation can expect their rent to be fairly calculated based on the RPI.

What evidence or documents mattered?

The tenancy agreement and the relevant sections of the Rent Act 1977 were important.

Can a decision like this be appealed?

Yes, decisions like this can be appealed to a higher court.

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

Yes, it's recommended to get a solicitor for cases involving fair rent calculations.

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.