The government is considering introducing fees for tenants who challenge rent increases through tribunals, potentially reshaping how the Renters’ Rights Act’s rent review system will operate in practice.
Campaign group the Renters’ Reform Coalition has written to Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook warning that fees could deter tenants from using tribunals and create what it calls a “backdoor” route to eviction through unaffordable rent rises.
Industry reaction to proposed fees
Clara Collingwood, Director at the Renters’ Reform Coalition, said: “Introducing a fee that tenants will have to pay to access rent tribunals would make it easier for rogue landlords to threaten tenants with steep rent hikes, or evict them by raising rents beyond what is affordable.”
Collingwood added that renters on lower incomes would be “least able to afford to challenge an increase, and most exposed to economic eviction.”
A poll conducted by Generation Rent found that nine in ten renters would challenge a £200 monthly rent increase if tribunals were free to access, but only half would do so if they had to pay a £200 fee.
Government response
A government spokesperson said: “We always keep courts and tribunal fees under review and are currently assessing the introduction of fees in line with practice across the courts and tribunals.”
This follows Landlord Knowledge’s recent report on the government’s response to landlord calls for faster evictions and a tenant database, where officials defended the Renters’ Rights Act’s provisions while acknowledging concerns about court capacity.
The proposal to charge fees aligns tribunals with other court services, where litigants typically pay to bring cases. Currently, employment tribunals charge fees for certain claims, and county courts charge fees for possession claims.
For landlords concerned about mass rent challenges flooding tribunals once Section 21 notices end on 1 May 2026, the introduction of fees could reduce the volume of speculative or vexatious challenges. However, it may also leave landlords facing tenants who feel they have no affordable recourse when rents increase.
What this means for landlords
- If you’re planning rent increases post-May: Tribunal fees may reduce the likelihood of challenges, but ensure increases remain market-aligned to avoid disputes escalating.
- Watch for: Final confirmation of fee levels and any exemptions for low-income tenants that could still enable challenges.
- Bottom line: The RRA’s rent review system remains in flux – fees would add friction but won’t eliminate the tribunal route entirely.
Editor’s view
Tribunal fees are standard across most court systems, so their introduction would hardly be exceptional. But the government faces a difficult balance – charge too much and the RRA’s promise of tenant protection looks hollow; charge nothing and landlords face an avalanche of challenges. Expect a modest fee with means-tested exemptions.
Author: Editorial Team – UK landlord & buy-to-let news, policy, and finance
Published: 10 March 2026
Sources: Renters’ Reform Coalition, Generation Rent, Ministry of Housing
Related reading: Government rejects landlord calls for faster evictions and tenant database
