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AllowedFirst-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber)·

Tribunal Sets Fair Rent of £255 Per Week for Tenancy

Case No.

📌 In brief

In a recent case heard by the First-tier Tribunal, a fair rent of £255 per week was set for a tenancy in London. The decision was made after considering the open market rent and making necessary adjustments.

⚖️ Legal holding

A tenant is entitled to a fair rent determined by the Tribunal based on the Rent Act 1977 and the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999.

Topics

fair rent determinationRent Act 1977maximum fair rent

Provisions

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

📖 Technical summary

The Tribunal determined a fair rent of £255 per week after considering various factors including the open market rent and adjustments for disrepair and obsolescence.

📜 Headnote Official document

The Tribunal determined a fair rent of £255 per week for a tenancy in Upper Maisonette, 22 Frederick Street, WC1X 0ND, following an objection from the tenant to the determination of a fair rent by the Rent Officer. The decision was made by Ian B Holdsworth FRICS, RICS Registered Valuer, on 15 January 2026.

📚 Full judgment Official document

OUTCOME: Allowed

1

Case Reference : LON/00AG/F77/2025/0294

Property : [ADDRESS], [POSTCODE]

Tenant

: Mrs [APPELLANT]

Landlord : [COMPANY] of Objection : 15 September 2025

Type of Application : Section 70, Rent Act 1977

Tribunal

: [NAME] B [NAME] Valuer 079475

Date of Summary Reasons

: 15 January 20256 Revised 16 January 2026

Date revised in accordance with Tribunal Rule 50 _______________________________________________

DECISION

The sum of £ 255 per week will be registered as the fair rent with effect from, being the date the Tribunal made the Decision. ____________________________________

© CROWN COPYRIGHT 2023

FIRST - TIER TRIBUNAL PROPERTY CHAMBER (RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY)

2 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. There were no written submissions from the parties.

Determination and Valuation 4. Having consideration of our own expert, general knowledge of rental values in the area, we consider that the open market rent for the property in a satisfactory condition would be in the region of £920 per week. From this level of rent we have made adjustments to reflect any tenant improvements, disrepair and obsolescence at the property. Details of the adjustments made are shown in the valuation table below.

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

6. The full rental valuation is shown below:

7. The Tribunal determines a rent of £ 255 per week.

3

Decision 8. The uncapped fair rent initially determined by the Tribunal, for the purposes of section 70, was £720 per week. The capped rent for the property according to the provisions of the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999 is calculated at £ 255 per week. The calculation of the capped rent is shown on the decision form. In this case the lower rent of £ 255 per week is to be registered as the fair rent for this property.

Chairman: [NAME]: 15 January 2026

APPEAL PROVISIONS

You can only appeal this determination if the First-tier Tribunal decision was wrong on one or more points of law and you must say why the First-tier Tribunal was wrong in law. 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/00AG/F77/2025/0294

Notice of the Tribunal Decision

Rent Act 1977 Schedule 11

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

[NAME] Valuer

Landlord [COMPANY]

Tenant Mrs [APPELLANT]

1. The fair rent is 255.00 Per Week (excluding water rates and council tax but including any amounts in paras 3&4)

2. The effective date is 15 January 2026

3. The amount for services is negilible Per Week

negligible/not applicable

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

negligible Per Week

negligible/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:

(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 £ 720.00 per Week including £ nil per week 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 .................... including £ ......................................... per ................................. for services (variable) prescribed by the Order.

[NAME] of decision 15 January 2026

FR27 MAXIMUM FAIR RENT CALCULATION

LATEST RPI FIGURE X 405.6

PREVIOUS RPI FIGURE Y 257.50

X 405.6 Minus Y 257.50 = (A) 148.1

(A) 148.1 Divided by Y 257.50 = (B) .5751

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) 1.6251

Last registered rent* 156.78 Multiplied by (C) =

*(exclusive of any variable service charge)

Rounded up to nearest 50p = 255.00

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

MAXIMUM FAIR RENT = £255 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 11 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 Tribunal used its own expert knowledge of rental values in the area to determine the open market rent.
  • Adjustments were made to the open market rent to account for tenant improvements, disrepair, and obsolescence at the property.
  • The Tribunal applied an adjustment for scarcity when determining the fair rent.
  • The maximum fair rent was calculated using the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999, resulting in a capped rent.
  • The registered fair rent was the lower of the uncapped fair rent and the capped rent.

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

❓ Frequently asked questions

What did this decision decide?

The Tribunal decided on a fair rent of £255 per week for the tenancy.

Who was involved?

The case involved a tenant and a landlord.

How did the court decide, and why?

The court decided based on the open market rent and adjusted for disrepair and obsolescence.

Which laws or rules were applied?

The Rent Act 1977 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 need to adjust the open market rent for the condition of the property.

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 may also seek a fair rent determination through the First-tier Tribunal.

What evidence or documents mattered?

Written submissions from the parties and the valuation table were important.

Can a decision like this be appealed?

Yes, a decision like this can be appealed if there are issues with points of law.

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

It is recommended to get a solicitor for a case like this to ensure proper representation.

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.