Every month we read the market-rent decisions the First-tier Tribunal publishes on GOV.UK and summarise what they say for landlords, agents and tenants. This is the first one. It covers decisions dated in September 2026.
The month in numbers
| September 2026 | All decisions so far | |
|---|---|---|
| Decisions with a postcode district | 191 | 6304 |
| Under the Renters’ Rights Act rules | 70 | 149 |
| New rules: set below the proposal | 73% (43 of 70) | 65% (85 of 149) |
| New rules: median cut where cut | −5.9% | −5.7% |
| New rules: median change across every decision | −4.6% | −3.3% |
| Set below the rent already paid (any rules) | 9 | 108 |
September was the first month in which new-rules decisions made up more than half the total. The cut rate was higher than in July and August, and the cuts were deeper. One month is a small sample: read it as a direction, not a forecast for your own case.
Three cases worth reading
| District | Rent: current → proposed → set | Decision | What happened |
|---|---|---|---|
| M1 (Manchester) | £1,650 → £1,700 → £1,450 | MAN/00BN/MRA/2026/0043 | Similar flats nearby were advertised for less; the tribunal set the rent below what the tenant already paid |
| TN39 (Marina St Leonards-on-Sea) | £860 → £1,300 → £860 | HAV/21UD/MRA/2026/0019 | No increase until the landlord finished damp repairs |
| DA2 (Dartford) | £2,350 → £2,375 → £2,300 | HAV/29UD/MRA/2026/0020 | A small rise asked for; the tribunal set the rent £50 below the current rent |
Two of the three ended with the rent no higher than before. In one the tribunal set it lower. The tribunal is not limited to choosing between the old rent and the new one: it decides the open-market rent, and that can be below today’s rent.
What evidence won
- Achieved rents for similar homes nearby: lettings actually agreed, with the address, the date and the rent. A list of agreed lettings in the same block confirmed one landlord’s full figure earlier this year.
- Like-for-like: the same number of bedrooms, the same kind of home, close by. Comparables a mile or two away were set aside.
- Condition on the record. Tribunals value the home as it is. Disrepair comes off the rent, line by line, and bad enough disrepair stops the increase.
What lost
- Asking prices and portal price guides on their own.
- Renewals with sitting tenants, which tribunals treat as weak evidence of the open market.
- No evidence at all. Most decisions are made on paper, so the tribunal values what it is sent — or uses its own knowledge.
For tenants
If you have a rent increase notice, check whether it is valid. You can apply to the tribunal before the new rent starts. It cannot set more than the notice.
For landlords and agents
Before you serve, check the figure against tribunal outcomes and gather three achieved lettings. Read achieved rents, not asking rents for how.
Busiest district so far: DA2 (Dartford).
See every decision by postcode district. Each one links to the published decision on GOV.UK.
Source: Abide.Rent’s reading of First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) market-rent decisions published on GOV.UK, with a postcode district, to 7 October 2026.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Not legal advice.
More from the blog
Achieved rents, not asking rents: what wins at the rent tribunalTribunals set the rent from what similar homes actually let for. Asking prices, portal guides and area averages carry little weight. How to gather evidence that holds up — and why the tribunal can still go below today’s rent.
Why determinations cannot set the rent846 decisions across 514 postcode districts, and only 13 with five or more. What tribunal decisions can tell you about a rent — and what they can’t.
Can a tenant challenge a rent increase? The tribunal explainedYes. A tenant can refer a Section 13 increase to the First-tier Tribunal before it starts. What the tribunal can and cannot do, and what the 2026 figures show.