Tribunal Sets Market Rent for Assured Tenancy

OUTCOME: Allowed in Part

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FIRST - TIER TRIBUNAL PROPERTY CHAMBER (RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY)

Case Reference

HAV/21UD/MNR/2026/0027

[ADDRESS], [POSTCODE]

Tenant

[NAME]

Tenant’s Representative None

Landlord

[COUNSEL]

Landlord’s [RESPONDENT] 86 [ADDRESS], [POSTCODE]

Landlord’s [RESPONDENT] of Application

9 January 2026

Type of Application Determination of a Market Rent sections 13 & 14 of the Housing Act 1988

Tribunal Members Mr [NAME] Mr [NAME] of Decision

10 April 2026

Rent Determined

£1,050 per calendar month

Date the new rent takes effect

1 February 2026.

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REASONS FOR THE DECISION

Background

1. On 11 December 2026, the Landlord served a notice under Section 13(2) of the Housing Act 1988 which proposed a new rent of £1,200 per calendar month(pcm) in place of the existing rent of £650 per month to take effect from 1 February 2026.

2. On 9 January 2026, under Section 13(4)(a) of the Housing Act 1988, the Tenant referred the Landlord’s notice proposing a new rent to the Tribunal for determination of a market rent.

3. It is stated that the assured tenancy commenced in March 2008, however, the Tribunal were not presented with a copy of the agreement and therefore the original term and passing rent is unknown.

Allocation of Repairs between Landlord and Tenant.

4. As per section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985.

Services Charges or furniture provided by Landlord (other than carpets and curtain and white goods specified below) and the costs relating to the same.

5. No service charges.

Liability for Council Tax

6. The Tenant is responsible for the payment of Council Tax in respect of the Property. The rent determined is exclusive/inclusive of Council Tax.

Any other terms of the tenancy taken into consideration in determining the rent.

7. It is assumed; there are none.

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Inspection/Hearing

8. The parties did not request a hearing, and the property was inspected by the Tribunal.

9. The Tribunal has considered this case on the basis of an external inspection, together with the papers provided by the parties and its own knowledge and specialist expertise.

The Property

10. It was agreed between the parties that an inspection would take place on the 10 April 2026 at 10am. The Tribunal were present at the property at this time, but no one was in attendance to provide access. Therefore, under the circumstances, the determination was made based upon an external inspection.

11. The Property is a detached house built around the 1960s offering the following accommodation: living room, kitchen, shower room and two bedrooms. The house has an EPC Rating of C75 which is above average, and it is stated in the report the floor area is 58m2.

Outside: The property has brick and rendered elevations under a. flat felt roof. There is a small open courtyard garden on the frontage with timber decking and an allocated parking space.

The Property benefits from gas central heating and has UPVC double glazed windows.

The Property is situated in a mixed commercial and residential area located in Hastings town centre and convenient to all amenities.

Evidence

12. The Landlord returned the Tribunal’s completed Rent Appeal Statement. In this statement there was an email from [NAME], letting agents recommending a rental value in the range of £1,100-£1,400. This valuation was not subject to an inspection, and therefore limited weight can be placed on this evidence. The Tribunal did not receive any submissions from the Tenant.

The Tenant.

13. In his written evidence the Tenant made the following comments:

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a) Improvements undertaken by the tenant include, fitted wardrobe in bedroom 2, replacement front entrance door, electrics upgraded and timber decking improvements.

The Landlord

14. The Landlord made the following comment:

a) As previously mentioned, the Landlord’s evidence included an email from [NAME] setting out a rental valuation range of £1,100- £1,400 per month. b) The Landlord states the gas boiler and flat roof covering were replaced in 2024. c)

Determination and Valuation

15. Relying on its own expert, general knowledge of rental values in the [RESPONDENT] area, and the Landlord’s letting agent, the Tribunal considers that the market rental of the subject Property modernised and in good order would be in the order of £1,200 per month. This is the rent we would expect the property to let for in the open market if it was in the same general condition as the comparable properties with a private garden including having white goods and curtains provided by the landlord.

16. From this level of rent, the Tribunal has made adjustments in relation to the following:

a) The property does not have a conventional private garden and has only an open decked area on the frontage.

The full valuation is shown below:

Starting Rent

£1,200

Less a) Items given under a) above

£150

Market rent

£1,050 pcm

Decision

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17. Therefore, the Tribunal determines the market rent at £1,050 per calendar month with effect from the 1 February 2026, being the date of the Landlord’s notice.

APPEAL PROVISIONS

If either party is dissatisfied with this decision, they may apply for permission to appeal to the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) on any point of law arising from this Decision. Prior to making such an appeal, an application must be made, in writing, to this Tribunal for permission to appeal. Any such application must be made within 28 days of the issue of this statement of reasons (regulation 52 (2) of The Tribunal Procedure (First-tier Tribunal) (Property Chamber) Rules 2013) stating the grounds upon which it is intended to rely in the appeal.