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Tribunal turns landlord’s £50 rent rise into a £200 cut
12:07 AM, 19th October 2026, 3 days ago
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A landlord seeking an extra £50 a month has instead had the existing rent cut by £200 by the First-tier Tribunal after a tenant challenged the increase.
A landlord’s proposed £50 monthly rent rise has ended with the First-tier Tribunal cutting the existing payment by £200.
The Manchester flat had two bathrooms and a balcony, and the tribunal considered the accommodation attractive.
However, it found that the market evidence did not support the amount being sought.
The landlord wanted to increase the rent from £1,650 to £1,700 but after the tenant challenged the increase, the tribunal settled on £1,450.
Now the landlord will receive £2,400 less per year and not the extra £600 they expected.
Comparable flats carried weight
Propertymark included the furnished two-bedroom flat at The Foundry in its review of four tribunal decisions.
The landlord pointed to the flat’s size and top-floor position, along with its light and views, to justify the proposed rent.
The tenant’s evidence told a different story with details of flats in the same building and nearby developments being advertised for between £1,400 and £1,500 a month.
The tribunal gave most weight to comparisons close by that were similar in age, character and specification.
There were no ongoing maintenance problems identified.
The accommodation was attractive, it found, while the furniture was basic but in good condition.
The ruling was made on 17 September, with the new rent payable from the following day.
Existing rent is also at risk
Property118 has previously reported a London case in which a landlord’s proposed increase resulted in a cut to the existing rent.
That article covered property lawyer David Smith’s review of 25 published decisions.
Half of the 24 cases where a rent was determined resulted in the full requested increase, underlining the mixed outcomes in that early sample.
Propertymark says the starting point for landlords and agents should be whether the rent itself matches the market.
Asking for only a little more does not settle that question.
Landlords and agents also need to look closely at the properties used as evidence, checking their size, layout and condition, as well as which services the rent covers.
Condition and layout matter
Propertymark also looked at a case in Leeds, where drainage problems prompted a £75 monthly deduction from the £1,000 assessed value of a house that was in good order.
The resulting £925 rent was below the £950 sought.
Meanwhile, a west London flat described as having two bedrooms measured just 39.6 sq m and lacked a conventional lounge.
The tribunal considered its size more consistent with a small one-bedroom home.
In Ashton-under-Lyne, evidence from other rooms in the same building helped determine a £700 monthly rent, halfway between the existing £675 and proposed £725.
Propertymark advises checking the applicable procedure and individual ruling before adjusting payments.
Tags:
comparable rent evidence, first-tier tribunal, landlord rent increase, propertymark, rent reduction, Section 13 Notice
35 comments on this article
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Member Since January 2024 - Comments: 434
4:02 PM, 19th October 2026, About 2 days ago
Reply to the comment left by Ian Narbeth at 19/10/2026 – 15:12
It would be a commercial decision for me.
I would be selling before the sh*te hit the fan and before prices dumped further, if the tribunals decide to make a habit of reducing rent.
I can invest the proceeds in hassle free ETFs, etc.
Member Since July 2013 - Comments: 2081 - Articles: 21
4:33 PM, 19th October 2026, About 2 days ago
Reply to the comment left by Ryan Stevens at 19/10/2026 – 16:02
It’s your business but it may just happen that rents go down and you have to accept it. That’s life. In the example cited the landlord was unable to persuade the tribunal that the market rent was as high as he thought.
Unless I was planning to sell anyway, I wouldn’t evict a tenant and sell a property just because of a potential rent decrease.
Member Since February 2020 - Comments: 400
4:34 PM, 19th October 2026, About 2 days ago
Reply to the comment left by Ian Narbeth at 19/10/2026 – 16:33
Sometimes you can be in the grey zone between selling, holding and definitely keeping.
That kind of news can tip the scales.
Member Since January 2024 - Comments: 434
4:39 PM, 19th October 2026, About 2 days ago
Reply to the comment left by Ian Narbeth at 19/10/2026 – 16:33
I am planning to sell anyway, everything just nudges the plan in the right direction and convinces me it is the right decision:-)
I am now in the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) camp, sell property and invest in things that are flexible and no hassle. – they may even outperform property.
Member Since September 2018 - Comments: 3766 - Articles: 5
4:45 PM, 19th October 2026, About 2 days ago
Reply to the comment left by Ian Narbeth at 19/10/2026 – 15:12
for some, buggers this will be the straw that breaks the camels back.
Member Since August 2020 - Comments: 30
5:16 PM, 19th October 2026, About 2 days ago
I wonder Tribunals may start comparing London rents with Manchester/Yorkshire rent. After all we live in the same country!
Just a joke like the government officers( jokers) who manufactured and applied RRA & civil penalities to destroy PRS.
Member Since January 2025 - Comments: 76
7:49 PM, 19th October 2026, About 2 days ago
Reply to the comment left by SGhai at 19/10/2026 – 17:16
Hopefully they do and we can align Manchester rents with London
Member Since April 2018 - Comments: 653
8:50 PM, 19th October 2026, About 2 days ago
Reply to the comment left by Ian Narbeth at 19/10/2026 – 15:12
I think the suggestion was to issue a S8 and sell. Once the Community Powers Act 2026 is passed it sounds as if it well get even worse for landlords as it seems to be an endless attack from this government, following on from the last and they may be here to stay. Could be all the properties the Tribunal based this one are under priced . Government should keep their nose out and let market forces rule.If the rent had increased by a mere £50 pcm the tenant had the option to move out and find one of these great cheaper deals.
Member Since March 2023 - Comments: 4
6:39 AM, 20th October 2026, About 2 days ago
it’s fairly clear the tribunals real job is to reduce the rent paid and once they get into full swing we will look back fondly on the days when at least there was a roll of the dice.We are rapidly approaching letters through the door stating following a tenant consultation we have decided to reduce the rent by xxx per month.Might sound far fetched, but it’s coming
Member Since July 2013 - Comments: 2081 - Articles: 21
10:41 AM, 20th October 2026, About 2 days ago
Reply to the comment left by David at 19/10/2026 – 20:50
David
I am no fan of this government and the previous soi-disant conservative government was almost as bad. However, Reluctant Landlord is advocating acting precipitately. If you are planning to sell anyway, why bother trying to increase the rent? If not planning to sell, why serve a s8 notice so that you can sell before you know the outcome of the tribunal?
For the past 10 years, residential rents have, certainly where my houses are, only gone up. I think the long term trend is up but there may be times when market rents go down. Getting out of the market in those circumstances is rather like selling all the shares in your portfolio because the FTSE drops by 15%. You risk losing out on the upside. If you cannot cope with minor reductions or the occasional void, you are probably over-geared.
If a landlord who wants to increase rents does his research and/or takes advice about the likely rent for the property, he can decide whether to go for an increase. It used to be a one-way bet for landlords to try to raise the rent. Now it is not, but as I mentioned earlier, the landlord still has an advantage if the tenant cannot trigger a review – the rent may stay at an above-market level.