VadeLab
AllowedFirst-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber)·

Tribunal Sets Fair Rent for Property Under Rent Act 1977

Case No.

📌 In brief

The Tribunal decided on a fair rent of £79.00 per week for a property, excluding some costs but including fuel charges. This decision was made according to the Rent Act 1977.

⚖️ Legal holding

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

Topics

fair renttenancy agreementmaximum fair rent

Provisions

Rent Act 1977 Schedule 11

📖 Technical summary

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

📜 Headnote Official document

The Tribunal determined the fair rent for a property to be £79.00 per week, excluding water rates and council tax but including fuel charges, following the calculation method outlined in the Rent Act 1977 Schedule 11.

📚 Full judgment Official document

OUTCOME: Allowed

FR24 First-tier Tribunal – Property Chamber File Ref No. MAN/16UB/F77/2020/0051

Notice of the Tribunal Decision

Rent Act 1977 Schedule 11

Address of Premises The Tribunal members were 39 Towncroft Dearham Maryport Cumbria, [POSTCODE]

[NAME] BA Mr [APPELLANT]

Tenant Mr [APPELLANT]. [APPELLANT]

1. The fair rent is £79.00 Per Week (excluding water rates and council tax but including any amounts in paras 3&4)

2. The effective date is 23 March 2021

3. The amount for services is N/A Per N/A

not applicable

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

N/A Per N/A

not applicable

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:

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 £79.50 per week prescribed by the Order.

Chairman [NAME] of decision 23 March 2021

FR24 MAXIMUM FAIR RENT CALCULATION

LATEST RPI FIGURE X 294.6

PREVIOUS RPI FIGURE Y 281.5

X 294.6 Minus Y 281.5 = (A) 13.1

(A) 13.1 Divided by Y 281.5 = (B) 0.0465364

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) 1.0965364

Last registered rent* £72.50 Multiplied by (C) = £79.498 *(exclusive of any variable service charge)

Rounded up to nearest 50p = £79.50

Variable service charge NO If YES add amount for services N/A

MAXIMUM FAIR RENT = £79.50 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 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 £79.00 per week, excluding water rates and council tax.
  • The effective date for the new fair rent was set as 23 March 2021.
  • The capping provisions of the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999 applied to the calculation.
  • The fair rent to be registered was not limited by the Maximum Fair Rent Order because it was below the maximum allowed.
  • The calculation used the latest RPI figure of 294.6 and the previous RPI figure of 281.5.
  • The application for re-registration was not the first since 1 February 1999, so a 5% addition was used.
  • The last registered rent of £72.50 was multiplied by the calculated factor to determine the maximum fair rent.
  • The maximum fair rent was rounded up to the nearest 50p, resulting in £79.50 per week.

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 £79.00 per week for a property.

Who was involved?

The tenant and the landlord were involved.

How did the court decide, and why?

The court followed the calculation method specified in the Rent Act 1977.

Which laws or rules were applied?

The Rent Act 1977 and its Schedule 11 were applied.

What was the argument that mattered most?

The calculation of the fair rent using the specified formula 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 should follow the same calculation method to determine their fair rent.

What evidence or documents mattered?

The tenancy agreement and relevant financial data 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?

It is recommended to seek advice from a qualified solicitor for such cases.

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.