For private renters in England Check my increase

Got a rent increase letter? Don't just pay it.

Since May 2026, a tribunal can lower your new rent. It can never raise it.

Challenging costs £47. RentFair checks whether your increase is above the going rate, builds your evidence and fills in the tribunal form for you to send.

Check my rent increase

£39 one-off
Your report within 48 hours

Built on real 2026 tribunal decisions published on GOV.UK
If your increase is fair and your notice is valid, we say so and refund you

A real case. Read the tribunal's decision on GOV.UK

Nearly 5,800 rent challenges decided. Most went the renter's way.

A London letting agency analysed every published rent tribunal decision from December 2018 to August 2026. Around 59% went in the tenant's favour, and this year the share of cases ending with a lower rent rose to 64%.

64 in every 100 ended with a lower rent in 2026
Rent challenges decided by the tribunal since 20185,780
Decided in the tenant's favour59%
Typical saving in the 2026 decisions we've read£100/mo
Tribunal fee to challenge. Often waived if you get benefits£47

Figures from Benhams' analysis of First-tier Tribunal decisions (read it here) and decisions published on GOV.UK. Past cases can't promise the result of yours, which is why your report looks at your home specifically.

Three renters who questioned the number

All published decisions from 2026. Tap any one to read it in full.

Liverpool

2-bed, Sept 2026
Was paying
£625
Landlord asked
£850
Tribunal set
£700
£150a month less
than asked

Draughty windows and no white goods

Read the decision

Near Canterbury

Family home, Sept 2026
Was paying
£1,800
Landlord asked
£2,000
Tribunal set
£1,800
£200a month less
than asked

40-year-old kitchen and a locked living room

Read the decision

London NW10

2-bed flat, Aug 2026
Was paying
£1,900
Landlord asked
£2,250
Tribunal set
£2,100
£150a month less
than asked

Landlord's comparison flat didn't stand up

Read the decision
Not every challenge wins. In 2026, roughly a third of decisions didn't lower the rent. Your report tells you honestly which side of that line you're likely to be on before you spend £47.

Three reasons renters used to keep quiet. All three are gone.

Challenging a rent increase used to be a gamble. The Renters' Rights Act changed the rules on 1 May 2026, and most renters still don't know.

"What if they put my rent up even more?"

Before May 2026

The tribunal could set your rent higher than your landlord asked for, and sometimes did.

Since 1 May 2026

The tribunal can only confirm your landlord's figure or set a lower one. Your rent can't go higher than the letter says.

"What if I end up owing a lump sum?"

Before May 2026

If you lost, the new rent was backdated to the date on the notice, so you could owe months of arrears in one go.

Since 1 May 2026

The new rent starts from the decision date. You keep paying your current rent while you wait.

"What if my landlord just evicts me?"

Before May 2026

A landlord could use a Section 21 notice to end your tenancy without giving any reason.

Since 1 May 2026

Section 21 has been abolished in England. Landlords need a legal reason to end a tenancy.

Renters are noticing. Tenant challenges to rent increases rose 58% after 1 May, according to Ministry of Justice figures obtained by Landlord Studio.

That damp patch you've been living with counts as evidence.

In the decisions we read, tribunals cut rents for mould, leaks, draughty windows and tired kitchens as often as for cheaper flats down the road. Renters who documented the problems got the reductions.

The state of your home

Damp, mould, broken fittings and poor heating, photographed, dated and matched to your repair requests.

What's normal near you

Similar homes nearby and past tribunal decisions in your area, matched by size and type.

The letter itself

A notice on the wrong form, served too early or missing required notes can be invalid. In decisions we've read, some increases were thrown out entirely for exactly that reason.

Everything you need to challenge, ready to send

Notice check. We test your letter against the legal requirements and flag anything that could make it invalid.
Fair-rent estimate. A clear figure for what your home would let for today, and the evidence behind it.
Evidence bundle. Your photos, repair history and local comparisons, laid out the way tribunals read them.
Filled-in MR1 form. With plain-English steps to send it and pay the £47 fee.
Deadline reminders. You must apply before the new rent starts. We email you so you don't miss it.

How it works

1Snap a photo of your letter and answer a few questions about your home. About five minutes.
2Get your report within 48 hours, with a straight answer on whether a challenge is worth it.
3Send it to the tribunal yourself by email. You stay in control throughout.

Pay £39 once, or pay the increase every month without ever checking it.

Most renters accept the new figure because challenging feels like hassle. We do the hard part. You decide whether to send it.

Typical saving in recent 2026 decisions£100 a month
Over the next 12 months£1,200
RentFair, one payment£39
If your case goes like the typical one, you're ahead by£1,161

At £100 a month, RentFair pays for itself in about 12 days. Your own result depends on your home and your area, which is exactly what your report works out.

Founding renter price
£39One payment. VAT included.
Nothing to cancel.
  • Your letter checked for anything that makes it invalid
  • A fair-rent figure for your home, with the evidence behind it
  • Your evidence bundle, laid out the way tribunals read it
  • The MR1 form filled in, ready for you to email
  • Deadline reminders so you don't miss your date
Check my rent increase
Our straight-answer promiseIf your increase is at or below the going rate and your letter is valid, we'll tell you plainly not to bother, and refund your £39.

Report in your inbox within 48 hours. Secure checkout. The £47 tribunal fee is paid separately, straight to the tribunal.

RentFair is for you if

you rent privately in England and your landlord has sent a Section 13 notice (Form 4A) with a new rent that hasn't started yet.

Different rules apply to

housing association and council tenants, lodgers, and renters in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. We don't cover these yet.

Questions renters ask us

Will challenging annoy my landlord or get me evicted?

Challenging a rent increase is your legal right. Since 1 May 2026, landlords in England can no longer use Section 21 no-fault evictions, and can only seek possession on specific legal grounds.

What if the tribunal agrees with my landlord?

You pay the rent on your landlord's letter, from the date of the decision. The tribunal can't set a higher figure. The most you lose is the £47 fee.

When is my deadline?

You must apply before the date the new rent is due to start, which is written on the letter. Your report gives you the exact date.

How long does the tribunal take?

Recent decisions arrived several months after the application. For notices served from 1 May 2026, you keep paying your current rent until then.

Is this legal advice?

RentFair gives you information and prepares documents that you send yourself. We're not a law firm and we don't represent you at the tribunal. For free legal advice, Shelter and Citizens Advice can help.

Who is behind RentFair?

RentFair is an independent online service, not part of the government or the tribunal. Run by Mouad, trading as RentFair. Questions? Email hello@rentfair.uk. Full details are in our Terms.

Look at the date on your letter.

You can only challenge before the new rent starts. Once that date passes, this increase stands, and next year's rise is built on top of it.

Check my letter for £39 Report within 48 hours, so there's time to send it.
Check my rent increase