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AllowedFirst-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber)·

Tribunal Sets Fair Rent of £850 Per Month Under Rent Act 1977

Case No.

📌 In brief

The First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) decided on a fair rent of £850 per month for a rented property, taking into account the Retail Price Index and the previous registered rent under the Rent Act 1977.

⚖️ Legal holding

A tenant is entitled to a fair rent set by the Tribunal under the Rent Act 1977, taking into account the Retail Price Index and previous registered rent.

Topics

fair rentRetail Price Indexprevious registered rent

Provisions

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

📖 Technical summary

The Tribunal set a fair rent for a property under the Rent Act 1977, considering the Retail Price Index and previous registered rent.

📜 Headnote Official document

The First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) determined a fair rent of £850 per month for a property, considering the Retail Price Index and previous registered rent under the Rent Act 1977.

📚 Full judgment Official document

OUTCOME: Allowed

First-tier Tribunal – Property Chamber File Ref No. LON/00AH/F77/2020/0080

Notice of the Tribunal Decision

Rent Act 1977 Schedule 11

Address of Premises The Tribunal members were 313 [ADDRESS], [POSTCODE]

Mrs [RESPONDENT]

Landlord [APPELLANT]

Tenant Mrs [APPELLANT]

1. The fair rent is £850 Per month (excluding water rates and council tax but including any amounts in paras 3&4)

2. The effective date is 30 April 2021

3. The amount for services is

Per

not applicable

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

Per

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

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 £ 897.50 per month prescribed by the Order.

[NAME] of decision 30 April 2021

MAXIMUM FAIR RENT CALCULATION

LATEST RPI FIGURE X 296

PREVIOUS RPI FIGURE Y 278.1

X 296 Minus Y 278.1 = (A) 17.9

(A) 17.9 Divided by Y 278.1 = (B) 0.06437

First application for re-registration since 1 February 1999 NO

If yes (B) plus 1.075 = (C)

If no (B) plus 1.05 = (C) 1.11437

Last registered rent* £805 Multiplied by (C) = £897.06 *(exclusive of any variable service charge)

Rounded up to nearest 50p = £897.50

Variable service charge NO If YES add amount for services

MAXIMUM FAIR RENT = £897.50 Per month

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 set at £850 per month, excluding water rates and council tax.
  • The effective date for the new fair rent was determined to be April 30, 2021.
  • The capping provisions of the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999 apply to this case.
  • The maximum fair rent was calculated by increasing the previous registered rent by the percentage change in the Retail Price Index.
  • A 5% increase was added to the RPI change because this was a second or subsequent 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 £850 per month for a rented property.

Who was involved?

A tenant and a landlord were involved.

How did the court decide, and why?

The court considered the Retail Price Index and the previous registered rent to determine the fair rent.

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 calculation of the fair rent using the Retail Price Index and the previous registered rent.

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 consider the Retail Price Index and the previous registered rent when seeking a fair rent.

What evidence or documents mattered?

The Retail Price Index figures and the previous registered rent were important in determining the fair rent.

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 cases involving fair rent determinations.

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.