First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Decision — Case 4169460
📌 In brief
The First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) has decided on a fair rent for a property. The rent set is £92.47 per week, excluding some charges like water rates and council tax. This decision follows the guidelines set by the Rent Act 1977.
⚖️ Legal holding
A tenant is entitled to a fair rent calculation under the Rent Act 1977, specifically using the Retail Price Index (RPI) formula to determine the maximum fair rent.
📖 Technical summary
The Tribunal set a new fair rent of £92.47 per week for an assured tenancy, applying the RPI formula under the Rent Act 1977.
📜 Headnote Official document
The First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) determined a fair rent of £92.47 per week for a property under the Rent Act 1977, excluding certain charges. The calculation adheres to the relevant schedule of the Act.
📚 Full judgment Official document
OUTCOME: Allowed
FR24 First-tier Tribunal – Property Chamber File Ref No. BIR/00CN/F77/2020/0030
Notice of the Tribunal Decision
Rent Act 1977 Schedule 11
Address of Premises The Tribunal members were 195 [ADDRESS], [POSTCODE]
[NAME] Mr [RESPONDENT] [NAME] [NAME]
Landlord [NAME]
Tenant Ms [APPELLANT]
1. The fair rent is £92.47 Per Week (excluding water rates and council tax but including any amounts in paras 3&4)
2. The effective date is 05 January 2021
3. The amount for services is £0.47 Per Week
4. The amount for fuel charges (excluding heating and lighting of common parts) not counting for rent allowance is not applicable N/A Per N/A
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 £94.53 per week including £0.53 per week for services (variable) prescribed by the Order.
[NAME] of decision 5 January 2021
FR24 MAXIMUM FAIR RENT CALCULATION
LATEST RPI FIGURE X 293.5
PREVIOUS RPI FIGURE Y 268.4
X 293.5 Minus Y 268.4 = (A) 25.1
(A) 25.1 Divided by Y 268.4 = (B) 0.[PHONE]
First application for re-registration since 1 February 1999 NO
If yes (B) plus 1.075 = (C)
If no (B) plus 1.05 = (C) 1.143517139
Last registered rent* £82.00 Multiplied by (C) = £93.77 *(exclusive of any variable service charge)
Rounded up to nearest 50p = £94.00
Variable service charge YES If YES add amount for services £0.53
MAXIMUM FAIR RENT = £94.53 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:
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Tribunal sets £244.99/week fair rent for assured tenancy in London
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) First-tier Tribunal Sets Fair Rent of £704 Per Calendar Month
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Tribunal Sets £497.88 Monthly Rent for Assured Tenancy in London
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Tribunal sets £680/month rent for assured tenancy in London
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Tribunal sets £972.50/month rent for assured tenancy in Keynsham
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Tribunal sets fair rent of £249.00 per week under Rent Act 1977
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Tribunal Sets £163/week Fair Rent for Assured Tenancy in London
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) First-tier Tribunal sets fair rent for West Drayton property
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Tribunal Sets £14,400/year Fair Rent for Assured Tenancy in London
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) First-tier Tribunal Sets Fair Rent of £219.77 Per Week
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) First-tier Tribunal Sets Fair Rent of £5,500 Per Quarter
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 £92.47 per week, excluding water rates and council tax.
- The effective date for the fair rent calculation was set as 05 January 2021.
- An amount of £0.47 per week was included for services in the fair rent calculation.
- 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 fair rent.
Patterns observed in similar cases in this collection — every case is unique.
❓ Frequently asked questions
What did this decision decide?
The Tribunal set a new fair rent of £92.47 per week for an assured tenancy, applying the RPI formula under the Rent Act 1977.
What was the dispute about?
The dispute was about calculating the fair rent for an assured tenancy using the Retail Price Index (RPI) formula.
How did the court decide, and why?
The court decided to set the fair rent at £92.47 per week, applying the RPI formula to ensure the rent was fair and reasonable.
Which laws or rules were applied?
Rent Act 1977 Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999
What was the argument that mattered most?
The most important argument was the application of the RPI formula to calculate the maximum fair rent.
Was the decision for or against the person who brought the case?
The decision was for the tenant who brought the case, setting a fair rent of £92.47 per week.
What does this mean for someone in a similar situation?
Someone in a similar situation can expect their fair rent to be calculated using the RPI formula under the Rent Act 1977.
What evidence or documents mattered?
The judgment does not specify the evidence or documents used in the decision.
