Rent Increase Disputes Could Be Resolved in Days as VOA Takes Over From Tribunal

Rent Increase Disputes Could Be Resolved in Days, Not Months, as VOA Takes Over From Tribunal

The government has confirmed that the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) will take over responsibility for ruling on Section 13 rent increase challenges, currently handled by the First-tier Tribunal — a change expected to cut resolution times from around three months to as little as one to three weeks.

Why the current system is under strain
Rent increase challenges have surged since the Renters' Rights Act took effect in May 2026. Tribunal figures show 166 cases were decided in July alone — the highest number on record — with 73% of all tribunal decisions made by August involving applications submitted after 1 May. Wait times have already fallen from five to six months at the start of the year to roughly three months following a court recruitment drive, but remain a significant bottleneck. Since tribunal decisions cannot be backdated, tenants currently have little financial disincentive to challenge any proposed increase, since a landlord who wins still doesn't recover the disputed period.

Why the VOA model should be faster
The approach mirrors Scotland's system, where rent challenges go first to Rent Services Scotland before any tribunal appeal. Almost no cases proceed beyond that first step, and Freedom of Information data shows Scottish determinations typically take one to three weeks — a fraction of the current English timeline. Because the Valuation Office already collects extensive rent data as part of its standard duties, it's positioned to assess market rents quickly without building new infrastructure from scratch.

Timeline
The change requires new legislation, and government estimates the transfer of responsibilities from tribunal to VOA could take up to two years. No start date has been confirmed yet.

What this means for landlords now
Nothing changes immediately, but the shift signals two things worth acting on now: rent increase challenges are likely to keep rising in the interim under the current slower system, and evidence quality will matter just as much under a VOA-led process. Landlords should ensure any proposed increase is backed by achieved local rents (not advertised asking prices on portals like Rightmove or Zoopla), and that the property's condition supports the figure — tribunals have already set rent below market rate in cases where a property fell short on standards.

Source: NRLA, 22 September 2026