A private landlord let a furnished two-bedroom flat on the sixth floor of a city-centre block in Manchester in August 2025 at £1,650 a month. In June 2026 the landlord served notice proposing £1,700. The tenant referred it to the tribunal, arguing the flat was worth about £1,400 and pointing to similar flats in the same building advertised at £1,400 to £1,500.
The tribunal agreed that flats in the same building and the developments next door were the best evidence, and set the rent at £1,450 a month from 18 September 2026. That is £200 a month less than the tenant was already paying, and £250 below what the landlord asked for. The tribunal found nothing wrong with the flat. The rent was simply above what the building was letting for.
This was decided under the Renters' Rights Act, and it shows what the new rules mean in practice. A rent agreed at the start of a tenancy is not protected. Once a section 13 notice is served, the tribunal looks at the market, and if the market is lower, the rent comes down. Before serving a notice, check what similar homes in your building or street are actually letting for. If your tenant already pays more than that, asking for an increase invites a cut.
What the tribunal relied on
- Flats in the same building and neighbouring developments were advertised at about £1,400 to £1,500 a month.
- The tribunal treated those as the best evidence, ahead of wider city-centre comparables.
- It found the flat to be of high specification with basic furniture in good condition, and no ongoing repair issues.