First-tier Tribunal rent increase process, step by step
- You serve Form 4A with at least 2 months' notice. See section 13 and Form 4A.
- The tenant applies on form MR1 before the start date in question 4.6 of your notice. The fee is £47. The tenant should tell you they have applied.
- You get 28 days to respond once the tribunal sends you the application. Send comparable rents, photos and a note of the property's condition, furnishings and any improvements the tenant made. The tenant can reply to your response.
- The tribunal decides, usually on the papers. It may inspect or hold a hearing if needed.
- The decision sets the new rent and the date it starts, and is published on GOV.UK.
What the tribunal can and cannot do
- It decides what the property would let for on the open market on the same terms.
- The new rent is the lower of the open-market rent and your proposal (s14ZB(5)). It can be below the current rent: 23 decisions since 1 May 2026 did this.
- The new rent starts on your proposed date if the decision comes first; otherwise at the start of the first rent period after the decision. No backdating.
- For undue hardship it can set a later start, within two months of the decision.
Most decisions dated since 1 May 2026 are on older applications made under the old rules, where the tribunal could exceed the proposal (30 did). Of 76 cases with the new "MRA" code, 44 were cut, 31 confirmed and none increased; median 51 days.
Rent increase tribunal decisions per month
| Month decided | Decisions |
|---|
| May 2026 | 111 |
| June 2026 | 148 |
| July 2026 | 175 |
| August 2026 | 91 |
| September 2026 | 28 |
Recent months look lower because GOV.UK publishes decisions some weeks after they are made.
How to prepare your evidence
- 3–6 comparable homes nearby: same size, type and condition. Achieved rents beat asking rents. Say where each figure came from.
- Adjust for differences: furnishing, parking, outside space, energy rating, condition of kitchen and bathroom.
- Photos of the property today and a list of works you have done.
- Do not rely on a regional average. Average rents for existing lets (such as the ONS index) are usually below new-let asking rents and the tribunal looks at the specific property.
Other tribunal matters landlords face: rent repayment orders and civil penalty appeals.
Information, not legal advice. For a tribunal matter involving large sums or complicated facts, take advice from a solicitor or a qualified surveyor.
Questions landlords ask
What does the rent tribunal do?
The First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) decides the open-market rent when a tenant challenges a section 13 rent increase (Form 4A). It also hears other housing cases such as rent repayment orders and appeals against council civil penalties.
How does a tenant challenge a rent increase at the tribunal?
By applying on form MR1 (online or on paper) before the new rent start date given in the Form 4A notice. The fee is £47, with help available for people on low incomes.
Can the tribunal increase the rent above what the landlord proposed?
No, under the post-1 May 2026 rules. Section 14ZB of the Housing Act 1988 says the new rent is the open-market rent if lower than the proposed rent, and otherwise the proposed rent.
How long does a rent tribunal take?
In decisions dated since 1 May 2026, the median was 78 days from application to decision (middle half 58–113 days). Cases with the new MRA code had a median of 51 days.
Does the tenant have to pay the new rent while the tribunal decides?
No. Form 4A tells tenants they do not have to pay the new amount until the tribunal has made its decision. The new rent then starts on the proposed date if the decision came first, otherwise from the next rent period after the decision.
Sources
Decision statistics: our analysis of GOV.UK residential property tribunal decisions (OGL v3). Duplicates, costs and strike-out documents excluded; amounts extracted automatically.
Last checked 28 Sep 2026. Information, not legal advice. Official pages change; follow the source link before you act.