RENTS1 Form: How to Complete It Step by Step

The RENTS1 form is a formal application to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) asking it to determine what the open market rent for your property should be. It is used when a landlord proposes a rent increase and the tenant wishes to refer the matter to the tribunal for a determination.

Put simply: your landlord says the rent is going up, you disagree with the amount, and the RENTS1 form is your mechanism for getting an independent body to set a fair figure instead.

Be clear about what the form does not do. It is not a complaint form. It does not pause your rent automatically. It does not give the tribunal power to lower your rent below your current level. The tribunal's job is to set the market rent, which could come in below what your landlord proposed, at the same level, or in rare cases above it. Most tenants who use this process do so because the proposed increase is noticeably above comparable properties in their area.

There is a separate form used in rent repayment order applications, which cover different circumstances entirely, such as unlicensed HMO properties or illegal eviction. If you are dealing with that kind of case rather than a rent increase dispute, our guide to how to apply for a Rent Repayment Order in the UK covers that process.

Gather everything before you open the form. Tribunal applications with missing documents get delayed, and a delay here can mean missing your deadline entirely.

You will need:

• The Section 13 notice your landlord sent you. This is the formal rent increase notice. Without it, the tribunal cannot process your application.
• Your tenancy agreement. The tribunal needs to confirm you are an assured or assured shorthold tenant and to understand the current terms.
• Evidence of comparable rents. This is what wins or loses the argument on quantum. Collect current listings from Rightmove or Zoopla for similar properties in your area: same number of bedrooms, similar condition, same street or postcode district. Screenshot them and note the date. Three to five comparables is usually enough.
• Your current rent amount and the proposed new amount. Both must appear clearly in your application.
• Your contact details and your landlord's contact details. Name, address, email where known.

If you upload a tenancy agreement to Remedy Legal, the platform extracts the key terms and flags relevant clauses automatically, which saves time when you are pulling together the factual background for your application.

The application form is available through official government sources. Ensuring you follow the provided submission instructions can help your application be processed as quickly as possible.

The RENTS1 form is not long, but each section matters. Here is what you are filling in and why.

Section 1: Type of tenancy. Select 'assured tenancy' or 'agricultural occupancy' as appropriate. Most private renters in England will select 'assured tenancy.' If you are unsure which category applies, your tenancy agreement will specify it.

Section 2: Property details. Enter the full address of the rental property, including postcode. This must match the address on the Section 13 notice exactly.

Section 3: Landlord and tenant details. Enter your full name and address, then your landlord's full name and correspondence address. If you only have an agent's address, use that and note it is the agent.

Section 4: Current rent and proposed rent. State the rent you are currently paying, the proposed new rent, and the date the landlord wants the new rent to start. This date is your hard deadline for submission.

Section 5: Grounds for your application. This is where you explain why you believe the proposed rent is above the open market rate. Keep this factual. Reference your comparables: 'Three similar two-bedroom flats within 0.5 miles are currently listed at £X, £Y, and £Z per month on Rightmove (accessed [date]).' Do not editorialise about your landlord's motives.

Section 6: Supporting documents. List everything you are attaching. Attach them in the order you list them. The tribunal receives a lot of applications and clarity here saves time.

Section 7: Signature and date. Sign and date the form. For online submissions, you confirm electronically.

Once complete, send the form and all attachments to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) before the proposed rent start date. Keep proof of submission.

The First-tier Tribunal will acknowledge your application and notify your landlord. From that point, both sides may be asked to submit further evidence or attend a hearing.

In straightforward cases, the tribunal can decide the matter on the papers without a hearing. In contested cases, you will be invited to attend, usually at a regional tribunal venue. The hearing itself is relatively informal compared to a court: a panel (typically one or two members) will review the evidence and may ask questions. You do not need a solicitor present, though you can bring one.

The tribunal will issue a determination setting the market rent. That figure then becomes your rent from the date specified in the original Section 13 notice, overriding whatever your landlord proposed. If the determined rent is lower than proposed, you pay the lower amount. If you have already started paying the higher amount ahead of the determination, the excess is credited.

Response timelines vary by region and current tribunal caseload. Attend any hearing the tribunal lists. Missing it without notice can result in the application being struck out.

For a broader picture of how the First-tier Tribunal handles housing claims, the guide on First-tier Tribunal housing claims for UK tenants covers the general process in detail.

Missing the deadline is the most common and most fatal error. The form must be received by the tribunal before the proposed rent start date. 'Received,' not 'posted.' Allow time for delivery if you are submitting by post, or use the online portal to confirm submission instantly.

The second most common problem is submitting without the Section 13 notice attached. The tribunal cannot process your application without it. If you have lost the original, ask your landlord in writing to resend a copy and keep the email thread.

A vague comparables section kills your chances of a meaningful reduction. Saying 'I think the rent is too high for the area' gives the tribunal nothing to work with. Three specific Rightmove listings with dates, addresses, and asking rents give the tribunal a basis for setting a figure.

Selecting the wrong tenancy type in Section 1 causes administrative delays. Check your tenancy agreement before you select.

Finally, do not confuse the RENTS1 form with a rent repayment order application, which involves different grounds, different forms, and a different legal basis entirely. If your landlord has committed an offence such as operating an unlicensed HMO, illegal eviction, or harassment, a rent repayment order is the correct route. Our guide to the RENTS1 form and rent repayment order tribunal process explains the distinction between these two types of applications.

Remedy Legal is an AI-powered platform built for UK tenants dealing with landlord disputes, including rent increase challenges. It is not a law firm, but it covers a lot of the groundwork that makes a tribunal application credible.

The platform's landlord assessment tool checks your situation across multiple compliance areas and identifies your eligibility for a range of claims, including rent repayment orders where landlord offences apply. If your dispute involves more than just a rent increase, that assessment is worth running before you decide which form to file.

For the documentation side of a RENTS1 application, Remedy's tenancy agreement analysis extracts the key terms you will need to reference in Sections 1 through 4 of the form. Upload your agreement as a PDF or DOCX and the platform flags the relevant clauses, saving you from reading through it manually under time pressure.

The tribunal bundle generation feature helps you organise your evidence, annotate documents, and track deadlines, which matters when you are managing a submission with multiple attachments.

Remedy offers tiered levels of access, providing tools for deadline tracking and tribunal filing support. For more complex cases, the platform offers expert review and strategic guidance to help navigate the dispute process.

If you want to challenge a rent increase, start by sharing your situation with Remedy on WhatsApp for a free initial assessment.

The RENTS1 form is the right tool when your landlord has followed the correct Section 13 process but proposed a rent you think is above market rate. A different set of rules applies when the rent increase itself is procedurally defective.

A Section 13 notice is invalid if it fails to provide the required amount of notice or if the proposed start date does not align with a rent payment date. In those cases, you do not need the RENTS1 form at all. The notice simply does not take effect.

Some landlords attempt to increase rent outside the Section 13 process entirely, for example by inserting a rent review clause into the tenancy agreement and then acting on it unilaterally. Under the Renters' Rights Act 2025, restrictions on this kind of increase have tightened further. If your landlord is trying to raise your rent and you have not received a formal Section 13 notice, the increase may not be legally enforceable.

For the full picture on procedural defects and what to do when a rent increase falls outside the Section 13 route, see our guide on how to challenge an unlawful rent increase in the UK.