Tribunal sets fair rent of £992.50 for property under Rent Act 1977

OUTCOME: Allowed

FR27 First-tier Tribunal – Property Chamber File Ref No. LON/00AH/F77/2025/0327

Notice of the Tribunal Decision

Rent Act 1977 Schedule 11

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

Ms [NAME] Ms [APPELLANT]

[APPELLANT]

Tenant Mrs [APPELLANT]

1. The fair rent is £992.50 Per month (excluding water rates and council tax but including any amounts in paras 3&4)

2. The effective date is 3 February 2026

3. The amount for services is £297.81 Per month

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:

(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 £1,250 per month.

[NAME] of decision 3 February 2026

FR27 MAXIMUM FAIR RENT CALCULATION

LATEST RPI FIGURE X 408.5

PREVIOUS RPI FIGURE Y 377.3

X 408.5 Minus Y 377.3 = (A) 31.2

(A) 31.2 Divided by Y 377.3 = (B) 0.0827

First application for re-registration since 1 February 1999 NO

If yes (B) plus 1.075 = (C)

If no (B) plus 1.05 = (C) 1.1327

Last registered rent* £876 Multiplied by (C) = £992.24 *(exclusive of any variable service charge)

Rounded up to nearest 50p = £992.50

Variable service charge NO If YES add amount for services

MAXIMUM FAIR RENT = £992.50 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.

© CROWN COPYRIGHT

Case Reference : LON/00AH/F77/2025/0327 Property : [ADDRESS], [POSTCODE] Tenant : Mrs [APPELLANT] Landlord : [APPELLANT] Landlord’s Representative : Savills Date of Objection : 6 November 2025 Type of Application : Section 70, Rent Act 1977 Tribunal Members : Ms [NAME] Ms [NAME] of Decision : 3 February 2026

_______________________________________________

DECISION

The sum of £992.50 per month will be registered as the fair rent with effect from 3 February 2026, being the date the Tribunal made the Decision. ____________________________________

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. The Tribunal issued Directions on 4 December 2025 inviting the parties to complete Reply Forms. The Landlord completed a Reply Form. The Tenant did not.

4. The Tribunal has consideration of the documents provided by the Rent Officer, which include the Landlord’s original application form.

5. The Landlord notes in their Reply Form that other flats in the block rent for between £1,650 and £1,800 per calendar month, but has provided no confirmation of specific comparable properties.

6. The Landlord’s application form and Rent Officer’s decision form specify the amount attributable to services as £297.81 per month.

7. The Property is a second floor flat in a purpose-built block. It has two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen and a bathroom. There is double glazing. The heating is provided via electric heaters. The Rent Officer’s notes indicate the kitchen is unmodernised.

Determination and Valuation 8. 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 the condition considered usual for such an open market letting would be in the region of £1,700 per month. This level of rent takes into account the nature of the heating system, which is the same throughout the block in which the Property is situated.

3 9. From this level of rent we have made adjustments in relation to: • The terms and conditions of the tenancy. • The Tenant having provided all white goods, floor and window coverings and other furnishings. • The unmodernised kitchen.

10. The Tribunal has also made an adjustment for scarcity. 11. The full valuation is shown below: Per month MARKET RENT £1,700 Less Terms of tenancy ) Tenant's provision of white goods, furniture, etc ) approx. 12.5% £212.50 Unmodernised kitchen )

Market rent less deductions £1,487.50 Less £297.81 per month for services

£1,189.69 Less scarcity approx. 20% £237.94 Market rent less deductions, services and scarcity £951.75 Plus £297.81 per month for services £1,249.56 ADJUSTED MARKET RENT £1,250

12. The Tribunal determines a rent of £1,250 per month. Decision 13. The uncapped fair rent initially determined by the Tribunal, for the purposes of section 70, was £1,250 per month. The capped rent for the property according to the provisions of the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999 is calculated at £992.50 per month. The calculation of the capped rent is shown on the decision form. In this case the lower rent of £992.50 per month is to be registered as the fair rent for this property.

Chairman: [NAME]: 3 February 2026

4

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 request for full reasons should be made within a month. Any subsequent application for permission to appeal should be made on Form RP PTA.