The month the tribunal got busy
The First-tier Tribunal decided 181 market-rent cases in July 2026 (166 decisions were published that month), against about 42 a month before the Act. June was 153 and May 115. Most of those were still old-rules cases — notices served before 1 May 2026 — but the first decisions under the new rules arrived at the end of June.
| Decision month (2026) | Market-rent decisions published |
|---|---|
| January | 39 |
| February | 35 |
| March | 49 |
| April | 37 |
| May | 115 |
| June | 153 |
| July | 181 |
| August | 92 |
| September | 38 |
August and September look lower because decisions are published weeks after they are made. Those months will fill in.
Two regimes in one list
A decision coded MNR is an old-rules case: the tribunal could set the rent above the landlord’s figure and backdate it. A decision coded MRA is a new-rules case under s.14(A3): the notice is a ceiling and the new rent starts at the first rent period beginning on or after the decision, unless the date on the notice is later. Read the code before you read the result.
| Measure | Old rules (MNR) | New rules (MRA) |
|---|---|---|
| Decisions with a clear outcome | 659 | 77 |
| Set below the proposal | 70% | 60% |
| Confirmed in full | 24% | 40% |
| Set above the proposal | 6% | Not allowed |
| Median cut where cut | 7.4% | 5.1% |
| Hearing held | 7% | 4% |
| Landlord used an agent | 25% | 49% |
How long it takes
From application to decision, across 591 decisions with both dates:
| Tribunal region (office) | Median days |
|---|---|
| London | 90 |
| Northern (Manchester) | 83 |
| Southern (Havant) | 84 |
| Eastern (Cambridge) | 79 |
| Midland (Birmingham) | 171 |
| All regions | 82 |
London was not the slow one; the Midlands was, at more than five months. The first new-rules decisions came faster — a median of about seven weeks — but that is because only quick cases have finished so far.
What moved the outcome
- Inspection: when the tribunal visited, 87% of rents were cut (median −10%), against 68% on the papers.
- A hearing: 79% cut, against 69%.
- Damp or mould raised by the tenant: 79% cut, against 64%.
- Landlord represented by an agent: cuts were about as common, but only 2% of agent cases went above the proposal under the old rules, against 8% without one.
What this means for your next notice
- Expect a challenge on a bigger increase. Above 15%, four in five were cut.
- Fix condition first. Tribunals price defects line by line, and can freeze the rent.
- Bring agreed lettings, not price guides.
- Get the notice right: two of the first 79 new-rules cases were struck out on timing and form.
The full method, case notes and templates are in the free Section 13 rent review playbook.
Source: Abide.Rent analysis of 846 First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) market-rent decisions published on gov.uk between 1 March and 12 October 2026, 79 of them under the rules in force from 1 May 2026.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Not legal advice.
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