An analysis of rent tribunal decisions in England finds that 71.6% did not result in landlords receiving the full increase requested, even as assessed rents rose by 6.7% overall.
Only 28.4% of rent tribunal cases decided in England in September this year resulted in landlords receiving their proposed rent increase in full, according to research by Cyborg Finance.
That means 71.6% of cases ended with a smaller increase than requested, no change, a rent reduction or a struck-out case.
Of the 74 cases heard in September:
| Tribunal outcome | Cases | Share |
| Full proposed rent increase | 21 | 28.4% |
| Partial rent increase | 29 | 39.2% |
| No change to rent | 12 | 16.2% |
| Rent reduction | 6 | 8.1% |
| Case struck out | 6 | 8.1% |
| Total | 74 | 100.0% |
In total, 24 cases (32.4%) ended without a recorded rent increase, although strike-outs are not determinations of a new rent. A higher rent was awarded in 50 cases (67.6%), either in full or in part.
Across the 68 cases with comparable original and determined rent figures, the combined monthly rent rose from £93,285 to £99,509, a net increase of 6.7%. This calculation includes cases where rents were reduced or unchanged.
Average monthly rent moved from £1,372 to £1,464 — approximately £92 more per month, or £1,104 annually.
The aggregate increase edged up from 6.3% in August to 6.7% in September, a rise of 0.4 percentage points. These figures describe the analysed tribunal decisions, rather than rent increases across the private rented sector as a whole.
What this means for landlords and tenants
“The rent a landlord proposes and the rent a tribunal determines are not always the same. Landlords should be ready to support proposed rents with comparable local evidence, while tenants should remember that challenging an increase does not guarantee their rent will stay unchanged” explains Mark Hosker, Mortgage Adviser at Cyborg Finance.
“Tenants shouldn’t assume challenging a rent increase means their rent will stay the same. More than two-thirds of September cases still resulted in an increase, with rents rising 6.7% overall. However, with a challenge potentially delaying higher rent payments by around four months, and nearly three-quarters of landlords failing to secure their full proposed increase, the £47 tribunal fee could prove money well spent.”
Cyborg Finance’s wider tracker also shows an average of around 91 days between service of a landlord’s rent notice and a tribunal decision, across cases with both dates recorded since May 2026.
The actual date on which any new rent becomes payable depends on the rules and circumstances of the case.
You can read the full research and underlying decisions: Cyborg Finance Rent Tribunal Decisions Research
