The short answer
When a tenant challenges a rent increase at the First-tier Tribunal, the tribunal usually sets a lower rent than the landlord asked for. An analysis of 667 market rent decisions made since the Renters' Rights Act came into force on 1 May 2026 found that tribunals cut the landlord's proposed rent in 70% of cases. Landlords typically asked for 14%; tribunals typically allowed 7.7%.
The rises most likely to be cut were the biggest ones. The rises most likely to stand were the ones a landlord could back up with local rents for similar homes. This guide covers England, where Section 13 notices and the tribunal apply.
Key facts
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Proposed rent cut in 70% of cases: across 667 First-tier Tribunal market rent decisions made on or after 1 May 2026. Only 26% of proposed rises were approved in full. Property Industry Eye, 2 November 2026
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No increase at all in 10% of cases, and in 4% the tribunal set a rent below what the tenant was already paying. Property Industry Eye
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Bigger rises, bigger cuts: proposals of 15% to 25% were cut in 83% of cases, and proposals over 50% in 88%. Property Industry Eye
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Tribunals are far busier: they decided an average of 48 market rent cases a month from January 2025 to April 2026, and 165 a month from May to September 2026. September alone had 194. Property Industry Eye
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The tribunal can't go higher than you asked: since 1 May 2026, the rent it sets can't be more than the rent in your notice. Housing Act 1988, s.14ZB
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Challenging is cheap for tenants: the application fee is £47, and the tenant must apply before the new rent's start date. GOV.UK
What the tribunal decisions show
The figures come from Landlord Sums, which looked at 982 published First-tier Tribunal decisions from January 2025 to October 2026, of which 667 were decided on or after 1 May 2026. They were reported by Property Industry Eye on 2 November 2026.
Two things stand out.
Double-digit rises were roughly halved. A typical landlord asked for 14% and got 7.7%. On a £1,200 a month rent, that's the difference between £1,368 and £1,292: £76 a month less than the landlord planned for, on top of the time and stress of a hearing.
Tribunals are siding with tenants more often than not. As the analysis put it: "The safest rise is one you can back up with local rents."
There are two limits to bear in mind. The figures only cover rises that tenants challenged, and most increases never reach a tribunal. Some of the decisions also relate to notices served before the Renters' Rights Act took effect.
Rent increase tribunal results by region
Typical rise asked for, typical rise allowed, and the share of proposals cut:
- London (208 decisions): asked 16.7%, allowed 9.5%. 66% cut.
- Midlands (109 decisions): asked 15.8%, allowed 8.4%. 72% cut.
- North (176 decisions): asked 13.3%, allowed 7.5%. 67% cut.
- South (102 decisions): asked 10.9%, allowed 5.3%. 75% cut.
- East of England (70 decisions): asked 8.8%, allowed 5.1%. 74% cut.
Even in the East of England, where landlords asked for the smallest rises, three in four proposals were cut.
Why more rent increases end up at tribunal
Since 1 May 2026, the Renters' Rights Act has changed how rent goes up in England:
- Section 13 is the only route. Rent review clauses in tenancy agreements no longer have any effect. To raise the rent, you serve Form 4A with at least two months' notice, and the new rent must start at the beginning of a rent period. GOV.UK
- Once a year. The first increase can't take effect until 52 weeks after the tenancy started, and each later one until 52 weeks after the last.
- Every tenant can challenge. Any Section 13 increase can go to the First-tier Tribunal if the tenant applies before the start date.
- The new rent can start later. If a tenant challenges and the decision comes after the start date in your notice, the new rent starts from the first rent period after the decision, not backdated. If paying it would cause the tenant undue hardship, the tribunal can set a later date, up to two months after its decision. Housing Act 1988, s.14ZB
Challenging carries little risk for a tenant: the tribunal can't set a rent higher than you proposed, and the new rent isn't backdated to your notice date. That's why tribunal workloads have more than tripled since May.
Rent challenges are due to move from the tribunal to the Valuation Office Agency, but no date has been set.
How to set a rent increase that holds up
1. Check what similar homes nearby are asking. The tribunal decides what your property would let for on the open market. Look at asking rents for homes with the same number of bedrooms and the same type, close by, listed recently. If your proposal sits inside that range, it's much harder to cut.
2. Be honest about your property. Tribunals adjust for condition. If the kitchen is dated or there's no parking while the comparables have both, expect a lower figure. Improvements you've made since the last increase work in your favour, so keep the receipts.
3. Keep your evidence. Save the listings you used, with dates and addresses, plus photos and any work done. Our guide on how to evidence a Section 13 rent increase covers what to keep.
4. Get the dates right. A notice with the wrong start date is invalid, and you have to start again. The free Section 13 rent increase calculator works out the earliest date a rise can start and the last day to serve Form 4A.
5. Think about a smaller rise more often. Going by the tribunal data, the bigger the rise, the more likely it is to be cut, so a modest yearly rise in line with the market is safer than a big catch-up rise after years of no change. UK private rents rose 3.8% in the year to September 2026, according to the latest ONS figures.
With tax on rental profits rising to 24%, 44% and 49% from April 2027 after the Budget, many landlords will be reviewing rents this winter. The tribunal data suggests the rise that holds is the one the local market supports, not the one the tax bill needs.
How AskPortfoliq helps
AskPortfoliq checks your rent against local asking rents for similar homes, property by property, using live listing data. Ask on WhatsApp, Telegram or the web, for example "Is the rent at Flat 2 below market?", and it tells you how far above or below the typical local asking rent you are, the range most similar homes ask, and the closest listing. If you're below the market, it points you to the Section 13 calculator to work out the dates.
Every rent payment is tracked too, so you can see each tenant's payment history before you decide on a rise.