Recommendation 23

When a tenant objects to an in-tenancy rent increase, they can refer their case to the First-tier Property Tribunal, which determines the market rent for the property. The Government says it will remove the tribunal’s power to increase rents and thereby give tenants greater confidence to challenge unjustified increases. If this proposal has the desired effect, it ought to result in a heavier workload for the tribunal, yet the process is time-consuming and resource-intensive, as it relies on each individual property being physically inspected and on both parties presenting evidence of local market rents based on online listings. This is inefficient and results in uncertainty for both landlords and tenants around what a justified increase would be.