Blog
Expert guides on tenant rights, rent increases, and the Section 13 process in England.
No landlord name and address on your rent demands? Why the rent may not legally be due (s47/s48) — tenant walkthrough 2026
Here is a rule a lot of renters have never heard of. If your landlord has not given you a name and an address in England or Wales where you can serve notices on them, your rent is treated as not legally due until they do. It does not mean the rent is wiped, but it can be a genuine point of leverage, especially with a faceless agent or an absent landlord who only ever gives you a PO box or an email. This walkthrough explains sections 47 and 48 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987 in plain English, what they do and do not give you, and how to ask for the missing details. England only.
Landlord ignoring the rent the tribunal set: how to enforce it and reclaim what you overpaid — tenant walkthrough 2026
Winning at the rent tribunal is one thing. Getting the landlord to actually charge the rent the tribunal set is another. Some landlords carry on demanding the figure they originally proposed, or keep deducting the higher amount by standing order, as if nothing happened. The tribunal's decision is binding, so you have clear options: insist on the correct rent, recover anything you have overpaid since the effective date, and if needed pursue it as a debt. This walkthrough explains exactly how, with a demand template and the money-claim route. England only, after a Section 13 determination.
Costs at a rent tribunal: when you can claim, when you might pay (Rule 13) — tenant walkthrough 2026
One of the biggest fears that stops tenants challenging a rent increase is the thought of a costs bill if they lose. The good news is that the rent tribunal almost never orders one side to pay the other's costs: each side normally bears its own. There is a narrow exception, Rule 13, for unreasonable behaviour, and it can cut both ways. This walkthrough explains how costs really work at the First-tier Tribunal, when you could ask for your costs back, when a landlord might try it on against you, and what to write if you need to make or answer a costs application. England only, Section 13 rent challenges.
Withdrawing or settling a rent tribunal challenge before the hearing: the tenant walkthrough 2026
Not every rent challenge has to go all the way to a hearing. If your landlord offers a sensible compromise, or if your evidence turns out weaker than you hoped, you may want to settle on an agreed figure or withdraw the challenge altogether. Both are legitimate, but they have consequences worth understanding first, especially what happens to the proposed rent and to your right to challenge again. This walkthrough explains how withdrawing and settling work, the risks of each, and how to do it safely, with a template you can adapt.
Asking the tribunal to set aside or correct its own rent decision: the tenant walkthrough 2026
Before you reach for an appeal, there is often a quicker, cheaper route. If your rent tribunal decision contains an obvious slip, or if something went wrong in the process, such as you not receiving the hearing notice, the First-tier Tribunal can correct or set aside its own decision. These powers are limited and have tight deadlines, but in the right case they fix the problem in days rather than months. This walkthrough explains when each power applies, how to ask, and what to write, with template wording you can adapt.
Appealing a rent tribunal decision to the Upper Tribunal: the tenant permission-to-appeal walkthrough 2026
If the First-tier Tribunal has decided your rent challenge and you believe it made a genuine legal mistake, you may be able to appeal to the Upper Tribunal. But appeals are not a second go at the same argument: you can only appeal on a point of law, you need permission first, and there is a strict 28-day clock that starts the moment the tribunal sends its reasons. This walkthrough explains what counts as an error of law, how to apply for permission step by step, and what to write, with template wording you can adapt.
Paper determination without a hearing (and bringing a McKenzie friend): the rent tribunal tenant walkthrough 2026
A rent challenge at the First-tier Tribunal does not always need you to attend a hearing. You can often elect a determination on the papers, where the tribunal decides on the documents alone. It is quicker and less stressful, but it puts all the weight on your written evidence. This walkthrough explains how to decide between a paper determination and an oral hearing, how to elect one, and, if you do attend, how a McKenzie friend can support you. It includes template wording for both choices.
Tribunal directions order and requesting an adjournment: the rent-challenge tenant walkthrough 2026
When you refer a rent increase to the First-tier Tribunal, the next thing you usually receive is not a hearing date but a directions order: a set of instructions telling both sides what to file and by when. Tenants often miss how important this step is. Get it right and your case is in good order before anyone walks into a hearing; ignore it and you can weaken a strong challenge. This walkthrough explains what a directions order is, how to comply step by step, and how to request an adjournment if you genuinely cannot meet a date, with template wording you can adapt.