Tenants’ union launches tool to help renters challenge rent increases

Can someone create a bad tenant database that has check points for the type of bad tenant.

Just to explain the rules.

If you borrow borrow on a property your bank can put their rates up 6 or so times a year. There is no redress, no challenge, your rate will normally rise within 24 hours of a bank announcement. I believe a variable rate mortgage can change at any time without notice and some people find themselves trapped on very high rates with no redress or help.

Compare that to renting a property under the new RRA. If a landlord needs to put his rents up say because his borrowing costs increase, a minimum of two months notice is required to be given to the tenant. Whilst all rent increases could previously be challenged, the tribunal used to set the rent at a fair level and this may have involved a higher increase than the landlord asked for. Now under RRA the tribunals can only increase the rent to the figure asked by the landlord and unlike before it won’t be backdated from the tribunal date.

The challenge process costs the tenant £47 but rent will not be increased until tribunal has determined if the rent is fair. This takes up to 8 months more, so all rent increases can be delayed by up to 10 months under the current system. If all tenants appeal this could potentially take the tribunal years?

Think of it big picture. Many landlords only do increases every 2-3 years. If you were planning, say £100/month rent increase that was pushing it a bit, go for £70 instead. The key thing is increasing the rent EVERY year, even if its £20 per month. Don’t try to beat the rules, work around them!!

Reply to the comment left by Paul Smith at 08/06/2026 – 10:36
The Tribunal delay of 8 months is from the day of starting! Give it a year or so and that wait time will be well over a year!! It’ll mean rent increases will only effectively happen every couple of years.

Further, what on earth has supplying white goods got to do with rent/negotiating the rent? Clearly a very London-centric site.

Reply to the comment left by Southern Boyuk at 08/06/2026 – 10:30
There was one some years ago, and I did add several bad tenants, but it didn’t take off. I don’t know why.

Reply to the comment left by Martin at 08/06/2026 – 10:56
I think it is going to be better to take a strategic view, claim an increase to the maximum that locally advertised rents for similar properties will support and be prepared to negotiate a mutually acceptable increase if necessary to avoid referral to the FTT.

There seems little point in claiming a lower increase initially since it will still be open to tenants to challenge it if they wish and the FTT will not be allowed to increase the rent above the amount that the landlord proposed.

I just used the tool for my current S13 and it advised ‘my tenant’ not to challenge it. But if she did, it’s likely it will be delayed many months.

She knows I am looking to sell tenanted, so’s not to inconvenience her. If she does challenge, I will sell to whoever wants it, and however they want it, with no regard for her situation.

Reply to the comment left by NewYorkie at 08/06/2026 – 11:23
I think it became unwieldy, had limited search facilities but more importantly fell foul of data protection legislation and the risk of litigation by tenants who challenged information published about them.

I’ve just completed the MR2 paperwork after my tenants refused their increase following the service of a Section 13 notice on 30 April 2026. I have checked the government website and it states that the award will be backdated for both notices served before 1 May 2026 and those following the RRA. The Tribunal can no longer award more than the amount stated by the landlord on the Section 13.
My tenants have now served notice to leave and want to leave with less than one month’s notice, while they have tied me up in Tribunal paperwork and effectively capped the rent on the property for a year. However, my understanding is that although the “base rent” is capped by the Tribunal, you can charge additional “pet rent” and for additional services or facilities: “Under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, you may charge additional rent for any service, facility, or permission as long as it is structured as rent and not a fee.”
The irony is that tenants can challenge a rent increase and leave your property after 2 months, leaving your rent capped at the amount you proposed in the Section 13 notice. As long as you have strong evidence before proposing the rent increase, why wouldn’t you go for the full amount?
The act of a tenant taking a landlord to a Tribunal over a rent increase completely destroys the trust in the relationship, from which there isn’t really any coming back. The Tribunal will look at the landlord’s MR2 and comparables, but my understanding is that they will review their own evidence and are not obliged to share their sources and evidence with the landlord following their decision. This lack of transparency is very alarming in my opinion.

Reply to the comment left by Seething Landlord at 08/06/2026 – 11:33
I think that’s correct. But I would have loved my feckless ex-tenants to have challenge their data in court!