Tribunal sets fair rent for social tenancy

OUTCOME: Allowed

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Case Reference

: LON/00BK/F77/2024/0605

Property : [ADDRESS], [POSTCODE]

Tenant

: Ms [APPELLANT]

Landlord : [COMPANY] of Objection : 20 July 2024

Type of Application : Section 70, Rent Act 1977

Tribunal

: Mr [NAME] [NAME] of Summary Reasons

: 19 November 2024

_______________________________________________

DECISION

The sum of £223.50 per week will be registered as the fair rent with effect from 19 November 2024, being the date the Tribunal made the Decision. ____________________________________

© CROWN COPYRIGHT 2023

FIRST - TIER TRIBUNAL PROPERTY CHAMBER (RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY)

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SUMMARY REASONS

Background

1. Following an objection from the Tenant to the determination of a fair rent by the Rent Officer, the Tribunal has made a determination under the provisions of the Rent Act 1977.

Inspection

2. The Tribunal did not inspect the property but considered this case on the basis of the papers provided by the parties.

Evidence

3. The Tribunal has consideration of the written submissions provided by the Landlord and the letter of objection from the Tenant.

Determination and Valuation

4. In the absence of rental comparables provided by the parties the tribunal has relied on its own expert, general knowledge of rental values in the area. We consider that the open market rent for the property in the condition and with the amenities the market would expect/ its current condition would be in the region of £415 per week. From this level of rent we have made adjustments in relation to:

No carpets curtains or white goods General condition

5. The Tribunal has also made an adjustment for scarcity.

6. The full valuation is shown below:

7. The Tribunal determines a s70 rent of £249.00 per week.

Fair rent PW Market rent 415.00 £ less condition & terms 25% 103.75 -£ adjusted rent 311.25 £ less scarcity off adj rent 20% 62.25 -£ Fair rent 249.00 £

3 Decision

8. The uncapped fair rent initially determined by the Tribunal, for the purposes of section 70, was £249.00 per week. The capped rent for the property according to the provisions of the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999 is calculated at £223.50 per week. The calculation of the capped rent is shown on the decision form. In this case the lower rent of £223.50 per week is to be registered as the fair rent for this property.

9. The registered rent of £223.50 is the maximum rent that can be legally charged. However, as this is a social tenancy, as per government guidelines, the landlords rent increases are capped at CPI plus 1%. The Landlord advises that Ms [RESPONDENT] rent is currently £121.82pw and a rent increase notice has been issued advising that rent will increase to £131.20 with effect from 14 October 2024 and not to the registered rent.

Chairman: A Harris

Date: 19 November 2024

APPEAL PROVISIONS

These summary reasons are provided to give the parties an indication as to how the Tribunal made its decision. If either party wishes to appeal this decision, they should first make a request for full reasons and the details of how to appeal will be set out in the full reasons. Any subsequent application for permission to appeal should be made on Form RP PTA

FR27 First-tier Tribunal – Property Chamber File Ref No. LON/00BK/F77/2024/0605

Notice of the Tribunal Decision

Rent Act 1977 Schedule 11

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

Mr A [NAME]

[COMPANY]

Tenant Ms [APPELLANT] [NAME]

1. The fair rent is 223.50 Per week (excluding water rates and council tax but including any amounts in paras 3&4)

2. The effective date is 19 November 2024

3. The amount for services is

Per

negligible/not applicable

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

Per

negligible/not applicable

5. The rent is/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)/ do not apply because 1st registration/15% exemption.

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

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 £ 249.00 ................. per week .......................... including £ ...................... per ................................. 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 £ ......................................... per week ........................ for services (variable) prescribed by the Order.

Chairman A Harris

Date of decision 19 November 2024

FR27 MAXIMUM FAIR RENT CALCULATION

LATEST RPI FIGURE X 388.6

PREVIOUS RPI FIGURE Y 345.2

X 388.6 Minus Y 345.2 = (A) 43.4

(A) 43.4 Divided by Y 345.2 = (B) 0.12572

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) 1.17572

Last registered rent* 190.00 Multiplied by (C) = 223.39 *(exclusive of any variable service charge)

Rounded up to nearest 50p = 223.50

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

MAXIMUM FAIR RENT = £223.50 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.