Following campaigning from Generation Rent and the Renters’ Reform Coalition, the government has confirmed that the new fees for renters to challenge rent increases will be lower than expected.
Challenging a rent increase through the First-Tier Tribunal is currently free, but, in its roadmap for reforming private renting, the government outlined plans to introduce fees for renters when challenging a rent increase as part of a wider review of court fees, with the new fee to be introduced alongside the Renters’ Rights Act on May 1st.
One of the stated aims of the Renters’ Rights Act is to empower renters to challenge rent increases. From 1st May, if a renter challenges a rent increase through the First-Tier Tribunal, the new rent will not be backdated and the tribunal cannot award a higher rent than what the landlord has asked for. Furthermore, the scrapping of section 21 significantly reduces the risk of retaliatory eviction.
But Generation Rent and other renter organisations were extremely concerned that a high fee would be a major barrier to renters challenging rent increases from 1st May, increasing the likelihood of people being priced out of their homes. Therefore, we raised the issue with a number of MPs, while signing a letter to Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook and Justice Minister Sarah Sackman to put pressure on the government.
This pressure, the Daily Mirror reported, led to the Secretary of State for Justice David Lammy intervening to reduce the planned fee, which was set to be well over £100. Instead the government has confirmed the fee to challenge a rent increase will be £47 and there will be support with fees for people on low incomes.
