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AllowedFirst-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber)·

Tribunal Sets New Fair Rent Under Rent Act 1977

Case No.

📌 In brief

The First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) has decided on a fair rent for a property, setting it at £202 per week. This decision takes into account various factors including inflation and service charges, as outlined in the Rent Act 1977.

⚖️ Legal holding

A tenant is entitled to a fair rent calculation under the Rent Act 1977, considering the Retail Price Index and relevant orders.

Topics

fair rentrent actretail price index

Provisions

Rent Act 1977Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999

📖 Technical summary

The Tribunal sets a new fair rent for a property under the Rent Act 1977.

📜 Headnote Official document

The First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) determined a fair rent of £202 per week for a property, excluding water rates and council tax but including service charges, following the calculation method prescribed by the Rent Act 1977 and the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999.

📚 Full judgment Official document

OUTCOME: Allowed

First-tier Tribunal – Property Chamber File Ref No. LON/00AW/F77/2020/0082

Notice of the Tribunal Decision

Rent Act 1977 Schedule 11

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

[NAME] [NAME]

Landlord [NAME]

Tenant [NAME] [APPELLANT]

1. The fair rent is £202.00 Per Week (excluding water rates and council tax but including any amounts in paras 3&4)

2. The effective date is 02 October 2020

3. The amount for services is £14.56 Per Week

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 £246 per week including £14.56 per week for services.

Chairman A [NAME] of decision 2/10/2020

MAXIMUM FAIR RENT CALCULATION

LATEST RPI FIGURE X 293.3

PREVIOUS RPI FIGURE Y 276

X 293.3 Minus Y 276 = (A) 17.3

(A) 17.3 Divided by Y 276 = (B) .[PHONE]

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) 1.1126812

Last registered rent* 181.50 Multiplied by (C) = 201.95 *(exclusive of any variable service charge)

Rounded up to nearest 50p = 202

Variable service charge NO If YES add amount for services

MAXIMUM FAIR RENT = £202 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 12 similar decisions in this collection:

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 tenant is entitled to a fair rent calculation under the Rent Act 1977.
  • The fair rent calculation must consider the Retail Price Index.
  • The relevant orders under the Rent Act 1977 must be taken into account.
  • The rent is capped according to the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999.

❌ Tends to be rejected

  • No significant factors identified that went against the claimant in these cases.

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

❓ Frequently asked questions

What did this decision decide?

It set a new fair rent of £202 per week for a property.

Who was involved?

The tenant and the landlord were involved.

How did the court decide, and why?

The court used the formula prescribed by the Rent Act 1977 to calculate the fair rent, taking into account inflation and other factors.

Which laws or rules were applied?

The Rent Act 1977 and the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999 were applied.

What was the argument that mattered most?

The argument centered around the correct application of the formula to determine the fair rent.

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

The decision was for the tenant.

What does this mean for someone in a similar situation?

Someone in a similar situation should ensure their fair rent is calculated correctly according to the Rent Act 1977.

What evidence or documents mattered?

The evidence included the current and previous registered rents, the Retail Price Index figures, and the terms of the tenancy agreement.

Can a decision like this be appealed?

Yes, decisions like this can be appealed to a higher court.

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

It is recommended to seek legal advice from a qualified solicitor for cases involving fair rent determinations.

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.