AllowedFirst-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber)·05 December 2024

Tribunal Sets Market Rent of £1,800 for Tenancy

Case No.

📌 In brief

The First-tier Tribunal decided on a fair market rent for a property, setting it at £1,800 per month after considering similar properties and making adjustments for missing amenities like white goods and curtains.

⚖️ Legal holding

A tenant is entitled to a fair market rent for their property, adjusted for specific conditions.

Topics

tenancy disputesmarket rent determination

Provisions

Housing Act 1988 sections 13 & 14

📖 What the law says

Housing Act 1988 s.13

This section of the Housing Act 1988 applies to certain types of assured periodic tenancies, excluding relevant low-cost tenancies. It allows landlords to serve a notice proposing an increase in rent, which must take effect at least two months after the notice is served. The exact timing depends on the type of tenancy, with specific dates set for different scenarios.

Plain-English explanation — does not replace advice from a solicitor.

📖 Technical summary

The Tribunal determined a market rent for a property based on comparable evidence and adjustments for amenities.

📜 Headnote Official document

The First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) determined a market rent of £1,800 per calendar month for a property, taking into account comparable evidence and adjustments for amenities such as white goods and curtains.

📚 Full judgment Official document

OUTCOME: Allowed

Case Reference

: LON/00BG/MNR/2024/0617

Property : [ADDRESS], [POSTCODE]

Tenant

: Miss [APPELLANT]

Landlord : Mr [RESPONDENT] of Objection : 12 August 2024

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

Tribunal

: Mrs [NAME] of Summary Reasons

: 2 December 2024

_______________________________________________

DECISION

The Tribunal determines a rent of £1,800 per calendar month with effect from 15 August 2024. ____________________________________

FIRST - TIER TRIBUNAL PROPERTY CHAMBER (RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY)

2 SUMMARY REASONS

Background 1. On 1 July 2024 the Landlord served a notice under Section 13(2) of the Housing Act 1988 which proposed a new rent of £1,800 in place of the existing rent of £1,581 per month to take effect from 15 August 2024.

2. On 12 August 2024 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. The Tenant’s referral was received by the Tribunal on 12 August 2024.

Inspection 3. The Tribunal did not inspect the property but considered this case on the basis of the papers provided by the parties.

Evidence 4. The Tribunal has consideration of the written submissions provided by the Tenant and the Landlord including the comparable information provided by the Landlord.

Determination and Valuation 5. Having consideration of the comparable evidence provided by the Landlord and of our own expert, general knowledge of rental values in the area, we consider that the open market rent for the property in good tenantable condition would be in the region of £2,000 per calendar month. From this level of rent we have made adjustments in relation to:

No provision of white goods within the property; No provision of curtains in the property.

6. The full valuation is shown below:

per calendar month Market Rent

£2,000

Less No white goods

) 5% No curtains

) 5%

£200

£1,800

7. The Tribunal determines a rent of £1,800 per calendar month.

Decision 8. The Tribunal therefore determined that the rent at which the subject property might reasonably be expected to be let in the open market by a willing Landlord under an assured tenancy was £1,800 per calendar month.

3 9. The Tribunal directs the new rent of £1,800 to take effect on 15 August 2024, this being the date as set out in the Landlord’s Notice of Increase.

Chairman: [NAME]: 2 December 2024

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.

📊 How courts decide similar cases

Among 12 similar decisions in this collection:

Allowed12 cases

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 local rental values to assess the market rent.
The market rent was adjusted downwards because the property did not include white goods.
The market rent was adjusted downwards because the property did not include curtains.
The new rent was set to take effect from the date specified in the landlord's original notice.

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

❓ Frequently asked questions

What did this decision decide?

It decided on a market rent of £1,800 per month for the property.

Who was involved?

The tenant and the landlord were involved in the dispute.

How did the court decide, and why?

The court considered comparable evidence and adjusted the rent for missing amenities like white goods and curtains.

Which laws or rules were applied?

Sections 13 and 14 of the Housing Act 1988 were applied.

What was the argument that mattered most?

The comparable evidence provided by the landlord was crucial in determining the market rent.

Was the decision for or against the person who brought the case?

The decision was for the tenant, who requested the determination of a fair market rent.

What does this mean for someone in a similar situation?

Someone in a similar situation can refer to the tribunal for a fair market rent determination if they disagree with their landlord's proposed rent.

What evidence or documents mattered?

Comparable evidence provided by the landlord and the written submissions from both parties were important.

Can a decision like this be appealed?

Yes, either party can appeal this decision if they wish to.

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

It is recommended to seek advice from a qualified solicitor for cases involving rent disputes.

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.