Renters’ Rights Act: Record Tribunal Challenges – What It Means for Rent Reviews

More tenants are challenging rent increases through property planetrent.co.uk/blog/could-a-tax-tribunal-ruling-mean-btl-investors-avoid-3-stamp-duty-surcharge'>tribunals, with a record number of cases reaching a decision in July. The rise follows changes introduced by the Renters' Rights Act, which have made it easier and less risky for tenants to question a proposed increase in rent.

The changes mark a significant shift in the balance between landlords and tenants when it comes to rent reviews. For tenants, there is now a formal route to challenge an increase they believe does not reflect the market. For landlords and property managers, setting rents carefully and being able to demonstrate that an increase is supported by current market evidence is becoming increasingly important.

A Record Number of Tribunal Decisions

According to analysis by estate agency Hamptons, 166 market rent decisions were made by the property planetrent.co.uk/blog/could-a-tax-tribunal-ruling-mean-btl-investors-avoid-3-stamp-duty-surcharge'>tribunal in July. This is the highest monthly figure recorded and almost four times the 44 decisions made in the same month last year.

Around 60 per cent of the July cases were brought after the Renters' Rights Act came into force at the beginning of May. The remaining cases had been submitted under the previous rules but reached a decision in July.

The increase is significant. In the 12 months before May 2026, the planetrent.co.uk/blog/could-a-tax-tribunal-ruling-mean-btl-investors-avoid-3-stamp-duty-surcharge'>tribunal made an average of just 42 decisions a month. That figure rose to 109 in May and then to 129 in June. The figures are based on a snapshot of planetrent.co.uk/blog/could-a-tax-tribunal-ruling-mean-btl-investors-avoid-3-stamp-duty-surcharge'>tribunal data and may change as further cases are added.

The rise in cases suggests that the planetrent.co.uk/blog/could-a-tax-tribunal-ruling-mean-btl-investors-avoid-3-stamp-duty-surcharge'>tribunal is becoming a more prominent part of the rent review process, as greater numbers of tenants become aware of their rights and landlords adjust to the new system.

How Rent Increases Now Work – And Why More Tenants Are Challenging Them

Since 1 May, the rules for raising rent have tightened. Landlords can now only increase rent once a year, using a Section 13 notice, and the proposed rent must reflect the local open market rate.

Tenants who disagree can refer the notice to the First-tier planetrent.co.uk/blog/could-a-tax-tribunal-ruling-mean-btl-investors-avoid-3-stamp-duty-surcharge'>Tribunal. The planetrent.co.uk/blog/could-a-tax-tribunal-ruling-mean-btl-investors-avoid-3-stamp-duty-surcharge'>tribunal can confirm or reduce the rent, but it cannot set a rent higher than the landlord proposed. It can also delay the start date of an increase if paying it would cause the tenant undue hardship.

One of the biggest changes brought by the Renters' Rights Act is the removal of Section 21, commonly known as "no fault" eviction.

Previously, landlords could generally ask a tenant to leave with two months' notice without giving a specific reason. This worried tenants who wanted to challenge a rent increase, because they feared that taking action might put their tenancy at risk.

With Section 21 removed, tenants have greater protection when questioning a proposed increase. This has reduced one of the risks that may previously have

Lower Financial Risk for Tenants and Early Evidence of Tribunal Outcomes

There has also been an important change to how rent is treated while a planetrent.co.uk/blog/could-a-tax-tribunal-ruling-mean-btl-investors-avoid-3-stamp-duty-surcharge'>tribunal case is being considered.

Under the new rules, tenants only have to pay the new rent from the date the planetrent.co.uk/blog/could-a-tax-tribunal-ruling-mean-btl-investors-avoid-3-stamp-duty-surcharge'>tribunal makes its decision. Previously, the new rent could be backdated to the date the tenant applied to the planetrent.co.uk/blog/could-a-tax-tribunal-ruling-mean-btl-investors-avoid-3-stamp-duty-surcharge'>tribunal. This meant a tenant could face a substantial bill for backdated rent if the planetrent.co.uk/blog/could-a-tax-tribunal-ruling-mean-btl-investors-avoid-3-stamp-duty-surcharge'>tribunal agreed with the landlord.

There is now a £47 fee to make a planetrent.co.uk/blog/could-a-tax-tribunal-ruling-mean-btl-investors-avoid-3-stamp-duty-surcharge'>tribunal application, whereas applications were previously free. Despite this cost, the process is now considered less financially risky for tenants.

Because the planetrent.co.uk/blog/could-a-tax-tribunal-ruling-mean-btl-investors-avoid-3-stamp-duty-surcharge'>tribunal cannot go above the landlord's figure, Chris Norris of the National Residential Landlords Association explained that "the worst outcome for a tenant is effectively that they have to pay the rent originally requested by their landlord."

Early figures suggest that tenants are having some success when they challenge rent increases. Property data firm LonRes looked at 30 planetrent.co.uk/blog/could-a-tax-tribunal-ruling-mean-btl-investors-avoid-3-stamp-duty-surcharge'>tribunal decisions made since the Renters' Rights Act came into force. In 60 per cent of those cases, the planetrent.co.uk/blog/could-a-tax-tribunal-ruling-mean-btl-investors-avoid-3-stamp-duty-surcharge'>tribunal decided that the proposed rent should be reduced. In the remaining 40 per cent, the rent was left unchanged. Where a reduction was ordered, the median decrease was 3.9 per cent.

This is a small sample, and it does not mean every challenge will result in a lower rent. However, it suggests the planetrent.co.uk/blog/could-a-tax-tribunal-ruling-mean-btl-investors-avoid-3-stamp-duty-surcharge'>tribunal is becoming an increasingly important route for tenants who believe a proposed increase does not reflect the market.

Faster Tribunal Decisions Mean a More Active Rent Review Process

Despite the sharp increase in cases, the planetrent.co.uk/blog/could-a-tax-tribunal-ruling-mean-btl-investors-avoid-3-stamp-duty-surcharge'>tribunal is reaching decisions more quickly.

Hamptons found that the average time between an application being lodged and a decision being made was 80 days in July, compared with 113 days in May and 172 days in April.

The Ministry of Justice has recognised the need for more capacity across the planetrent.co.uk/blog/could-a-tax-tribunal-ruling-mean-btl-investors-avoid-3-stamp-duty-surcharge'>tribunal system and is aiming to recruit up to 1,000 judges and planetrent.co.uk/blog/could-a-tax-tribunal-ruling-mean-btl-investors-avoid-3-stamp-duty-surcharge'>tribunal members each year. Property planetrent.co.uk/blog/could-a-tax-tribunal-ruling-mean-btl-investors-avoid-3-stamp-duty-surcharge'>tribunals have been identified as one of the areas where extra resources are needed.

The combination of more applications, changes to tenant protections and faster decisions could make planetrent.co.uk/blog/could-a-tax-tribunal-ruling-mean-btl-investors-avoid-3-stamp-duty-surcharge'>tribunal proceedings an increasingly important consideration for landlords when setting and reviewing rents.

Why Build to Rent Is Tribunal-Ready

The headline figures tell only half the story. In four out of ten recent cases, the planetrent.co.uk/blog/could-a-tax-tribunal-ruling-mean-btl-investors-avoid-3-stamp-duty-surcharge'>tribunal left the proposed rent unchanged, and where reductions were made they were modest. For well-run, well-evidenced homes, the new system is nothing to fear.

As leaders in the Build to Rent (multi-family'>BTR) market, UNA, Ringley Group's living brand, operates large, professionally managed schemes of flats and houses built specifically for rent. Acting for institutional clients, UNA has access to real, achieved market data. That gives our clients a strong position if a rent review is ever challenged.

We have developed planetrent.co.uk/blog/could-a-tax-tribunal-ruling-mean-btl-investors-avoid-3-stamp-duty-surcharge'>Tribunal-ready evidence packs that break down multi-family'>BTR rents and show clearly why multi-family'>BTR commands a premium. In many of our buildings, rent includes access to gyms, cinema rooms, co-working spaces and a range of other amenities. Rent is often inclusive of water and wifi too, costs that tenants in traditional rentals pay on top.

Using data science, we benchmark each multi-family'>BTR scheme against comparable private rented sector (PRS) homes nearby. This shows the value for money our residents receive once amenities and bills are taken into account.

Ultimately, our aim is to avoid planetrent.co.uk/blog/could-a-tax-tribunal-ruling-mean-btl-investors-avoid-3-stamp-duty-surcharge'>Tribunal altogether. We do this through open, early conversations with our residents. We explain how market rents are set, how rents compare across the building, and how factors such as floor level and views are reflected in pricing.

When residents understand how their rent is set, challenges become the exception rather than the rule. That is good news for landlords and residents alike.