Editor's note: This brief was summarised by The Property AI Team from a report by Property118. Read the original article for full details.
Rent Tribunal Backlogs Fuel Rent Control Calls
Landlords are facing calls for nationwide rent controls as tribunal backlogs leave some waiting longer for increases that cannot be backdated to before a decision. The London Renters Union (LRU) has told the Guardian that challenging individual increases offered insufficient protection where rents across an area were rising rapidly.
According to Property118, the pressure for wider rent controls comes amid growing frustration at the time it takes for rent increase challenges to be resolved through the tribunal system. The report highlights that some landlords are left waiting longer for increases, and that those increases cannot be backdated to a point before a decision is made.
The LRU has argued that contesting individual rent increases does not provide sufficient protection in areas where rents are rising quickly across the board. It made that case to the Guardian, according to the report.
The report also references the Renters' Rights Act, noting that tribunals play a role under the legislation. Property118's coverage indicates that the operation of the tribunal system sits at the centre of the current debate over how rent increases are challenged and determined.
For letting agents and inventory clerks, the development is a reminder that the tribunal process, and the delays associated with it, remains a live issue affecting how rent increases are handled in practice. The report does not set out specific figures for backlog times or the number of cases affected.
Property118 reports that the LRU made this argument directly to the Guardian.
No further detail on proposed measures, timelines, or government response is included in the source report. Letting agents and inventory clerks may wish to follow the original article for any updates as the debate develops.
Source: Property118