Tribunals have cut seven in ten challenged rent increases since the Renters’ Rights Act took effect, allowing a typical rise of 7.7 percent against landlord requests for 14 percent.
New analysis of 667 market rent decisions made by the First-tier Tribunal since 1 May 2026 shows landlords secured their full request in only 26 percent of cases. In one in ten cases no increase was allowed at all, while 4 percent ended with rents set below the amount tenants were already paying.
Rent pressure from the October Budget has left many owners weighing larger rises to cover higher property income tax from April 2027, yet the figures show double-digit requests are now routinely halved when tenants refer them for independent review.
How tribunals are ruling on rent rises
Landlord Sums examined 982 published decisions from January 2025 to October 2026, with 667 decided on or after 1 May 2026. Monthly decisions averaged 48 between January 2025 and April 2026, then rose to 165 a month from May to September 2026. September recorded 194 decisions, the highest monthly total in the sample.
Landlords seeking larger increases were most likely to see them reduced. Tribunals cut proposed rises of between 15 and 25 percent in 83 percent of cases. For proposed increases above 50 percent, that share rose to 88 percent.
The shift follows rule changes in England that limit landlords to one rent increase a year through the statutory notice procedure. Tenants can challenge a proposed rise at the tribunal, which cannot set a rent above the landlord’s original figure. The new rent takes effect from the decision date rather than retrospectively, which lowers the financial risk of a challenge.
Where landlords face the biggest cuts
London landlords sought the largest typical increases at 16.7 percent, with tribunals allowing 9.5 percent. The Midlands saw requests averaging 15.8 percent and awards of 8.4 percent, while the North recorded 13.3 percent sought and 7.5 percent allowed.
The South showed the highest share of reductions at 75 percent of proposals cut, with typical requests of 10.9 percent reduced to 5.3 percent. In the East of England, requests of 8.8 percent were trimmed to 5.1 percent in 74 percent of cases.
Separate survey work by Pegasus Insight found 64 percent of landlords would raise rents if taxes increased. The tribunal data suggest those plans will need firm local evidence to survive scrutiny, since most challenged cases no longer clear in full. A MoJ report showing 4,613 property tribunal receipts in the second quarter, up 56 percent, points to the same rise in dispute volumes.
What evidence decides cases
The analysis covers only rises that tenants chose to challenge, so it does not describe outcomes across the wider private rented sector. Most increases are never referred. Some decisions also relate to notices served before the Act took effect.
Tribunals assess market rent on comparable local lettings, property condition, and terms of the tenancy. Poorly documented requests and asking-price comparisons without completed-let evidence carry less weight. Accurate rental valuations and records of how rent-rise challenges move through the Valuation Office stage are now central to advice on proposed increases, with the detailed record available through Landlord Sums market rent research.
This follows Landlord Knowledge’s report on Scotland’s rent control guidance and gaps in market data, which found policymakers and landlords alike struggling with thin evidence on achieved rents. The latest tribunal figures show that gap now has direct financial consequences when cases reach a hearing.
What this means for landlords
- If you are planning a rise for early 2027: gather three to five completed lets for similar homes within a tight radius before serving notice.
- Keep requests in single digits where possible: double-digit demands were roughly halved in most challenged cases.
- Watch for tenant referrals: with 194 decisions in September alone, challenges are no longer rare and cost tenants little to bring.
- Check condition and paperwork: disrepair, poor comparables and late evidence weaken a case and can leave rent flat or lower.
- Bottom line: set a defensible figure backed by local achieved rents rather than a tax shortfall you need to close.
Editor’s view
The tribunal has become the real rent regulator. Landlords who treat a notice as an opening bid will keep losing half the uplift and paying for the delay.
Author: Editorial Team – UK landlord & buy-to-let news, policy, and finance
Published: 03 November 2026
Sources: Landlord Sums, First-tier Tribunal
Related reading: MoJ: 4,613 property tribunal receipts in Q2, up 56%
📘 Renters’ Rights Act: Complete Landlord Guide
Everything you need to know about the new rules – 1 May 2026
