Tribunal sets £554.80/month rent for assured tenancy in London
📌 In brief
The Tribunal decided on the maximum fair rent for a property under the Rent Act 1977. They used a specific formula from the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999 to calculate the rent.
⚖️ Legal holding
A tenant is entitled to a maximum fair rent calculation under the Rent Act 1977, adjusted according to the latest RPI figure and capped by the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999.
📖 Technical summary
The Tribunal set a maximum fair rent of £554.80 per calendar month for an assured tenancy, applying the Retail Price Index (RPI) adjustment method.
📜 Headnote Official document
The Tribunal determined the maximum fair rent for a property under the Rent Act 1977, applying the formula in the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999.
📚 Full judgment Official document
OUTCOME: Allowed
FR24 First-tier Tribunal – Property Chamber File Ref No. LON/00BD/F77/2019/0052
Notice of the Tribunal Decision
Rent Act 1977 Schedule 11
Address of Premises The Tribunal members were 16 [ADDRESS], [POSTCODE]
[NAME] Mr [RESPONDENT]
Landlord [COMPANY]
Tenant Mrs [APPELLANT] I [APPELLANT]
1. The fair rent is £554.80 Per Calendar Month (excluding water rates and council tax but including any amounts in paras 3&4)
2. The effective date is 18 April 2019
3. The amount for services is £78.94 Per Calendar 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 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
As per 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 £884.51 per calendar month including £78.94 per calendar month for services (variable).
Chairman N [NAME] of decision 18/4/19
FR24 MAXIMUM FAIR RENT CALCULATION
LATEST RPI FIGURE X 285
PREVIOUS RPI FIGURE Y 258.9
X 285 Minus Y 258.9 = (A) 26.1
(A) 26.1 Divided by Y 258.9 = (B) 0.100811
First application for re-registration since 1 February 1999 YES/NO
If yes (B) plus 1.075 = (C)
If no (B) plus 1.05 = (C) 1.150811
Last registered rent* 413.50 Multiplied by (C) = 475.86 *(exclusive of any variable service charge)
Rounded up to nearest 50p = 476
Variable service charge YES If YES add amount for services 78.94
MAXIMUM FAIR RENT = £554.80 Per pcm
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:
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Tribunal sets £180 weekly maximum fair rent for assured tenancy in London
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) First-tier Tribunal Calculates Maximum Fair Rent for Tenancy
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Tribunal sets £62.50/week fair rent for assured tenancy in London
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Tribunal sets £137.50/week maximum fair rent for assured tenancy in London
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Tribunal sets £154.50 weekly fair rent for assured tenancy in London
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Tribunal Sets £127.50/week Maximum Fair Rent for Assured Tenancy in London
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Tribunal sets £464/month rent for assured tenancy in London
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Tribunal Sets Maximum Fair Rent for Tenants
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Tribunal Sets £233 Weekly Rent for Assured Tenancy in London
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Tribunal sets £141/week max fair rent for assured tenancy in London
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) First-tier Tribunal Sets New Fair Rent of £190.00 Per Week
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) First-tier Tribunal Sets New Fair Rent Based on RPI
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 maximum fair rent was calculated by increasing the previous registered rent by the percentage change in the retail price index.
- An additional 5% was added because this was a second or subsequent application for re-registration since February 1999.
- The variable service charge was added back to the calculated sum to produce the maximum fair rent.
- The latest RPI figure used for the calculation was from the calendar month immediately before the Tribunal's determination.
Patterns observed in similar cases in this collection — every case is unique.
❓ Frequently asked questions
What did this decision decide?
The decision set a new fair rent of £554.80 per calendar month for an assured tenancy.
What was the dispute about?
The dispute was about calculating the fair rent for an assured tenancy using the latest Retail Price Index.
How did the court decide, and why?
The court decided to set the fair rent at £554.80 per month, applying the Retail Price Index adjustment and considering service charges.
Which laws or rules were applied?
The Rent Act 1977 and its Schedule 11 were applied to calculate the fair rent.
What was the argument that mattered most?
The argument centered on the correct application of the Rent Act 1977 to determine the fair rent.
Was the decision for or against the person who brought the case?
The decision was in favour of the tenant who brought the case.
What does this mean for someone in a similar situation?
Someone in a similar situation can expect their fair rent to be calculated according to the Rent Act 1977.
What evidence or documents mattered?
The judgment does not specify the exact evidence or documents used in the decision.
