Property Tribunal cases already rising since Renters’ Rights Act

There has been a spike in cases heard at the First Tier Property Tribunal since the introduction of the Renters’ Rights Act, official figures show.

The rental reforms gave tenants more power to challenge landlords and take them to court over issues such as rent increases.

The latest Ministry of Justice tribunal statistics show an increase in property-related cases, including disputes involving the private rented sector and leasehold homes across England.

The changes were introduced in May and the Government data shows a 56% annual rise in property related cases during the second quarter of 2026 between April and June.

Landlords will be particularly concerned to see if this results in a delay in the ability to charge a reviewed market rent.”

Covering rent cases, leasehold enfranchisement claims, leasehold disputes, Housing Act 2004 cases and park homes, the figures provide an early indication of rising levels of conflict in the lead-up to, and immediate aftermath of, the Renters’ Rights Act reforms, Savills said.

The number of Property Tribunal cases is also up 24% to 15,929 annually as of the end of June.

Sector adjustment

The estate agency brand suggests the data offers a barometer of how housing disputes are evolving as the sector adjusts to the new regulatory landscape.

Lucian Cook (pictured), head of residential research at Savills, says: “As the Renters Rights Act beds in, we’d expect to see the number of cases rise exponentially, particularly in respect of rent reviews.  Both buy-to-let landlords and the Government will have a keen eye on the capacity to process these cases.

“Landlords will be particularly concerned to see if this results in a delay in the ability to charge a reviewed market rent. Meanwhile, the Government will be concerned with both the cost of administration and the need for any tweaks in the regulations.”

It comes as data from LonRes last month revealed that more tribunal decisions on rental reviews are ruling in favour of tenants.

The Government has also announced that HMRC will take over rent reviews to ease pressure on the Property Tribunal but a timeline hasn’t been set out yet.

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Author: Gemma