The number of landlords facing legal action over rent increases has reached a record high, according to new analysis from estate agency Hamptons. The firm recorded 166 market rent decisions made by the property tribunal in July, four times the 44 decisions made in the same month last year.
Hamptons' analysis found that 60% of these cases were initiated after the Renters' Rights Act came into force at the start of May, with the remainder lodged earlier but resolved in July. The monthly average for tribunal decisions in the 12 months to May 2026 stood at 42. That figure rose to 109 in May and 129 in June.
Law change drives surge in tribunal challenges
The Renters' Rights Act removed section 21 "no-fault" evictions, which had previously allowed landlords to serve two months' notice without providing grounds such as rent arrears or antisocial behaviour. Tenants had historically been reluctant to challenge rent increases via tribunal, fearing a section 21 notice in retaliation.
"The system means that the worst outcome for the tenant is they have to pay the rent that the landlord has asked for," Chris Norris, of the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA), told The Times.
Landlords face longer waits and higher costs
Since 1 May, landlords seeking to increase the rent on a periodic tenancy must use a Section 13 notice, giving at least two months' notice and proposing no more than the open market rent. A tenant can challenge the notice at the First-tier Tribunal for a £47 fee, while the resulting rent cannot exceed the landlord's figure or be backdated.
The median wait between an application and decision was 96 days, rising to 142 days among the London cases examined. A £200 monthly increase delayed for five months would leave the landlord unable to recover £1,000, while a quarter of sampled cases took more than 24 weeks.
More tenants using tribunal route
"The changes that have been introduced through the Renters' Rights Act have upped the tribunal's profile and we are definitely seeing significantly more tenants using it as a route to challenge rent increases," said David Fell, analyst at Hamptons. "I think as awareness grows, we will continue to see these numbers increase."
The surge in tribunal cases reflects a broader shift in the balance of power between landlords and tenants following the legislative change, with the NRLA acknowledging the new system's impact on tenant behaviour.
