Property-related cases reaching UK’s First-tier Tribunal increased sharply in the second quarter of 2026, providing an early indication of growing pressure on the housing dispute system following the introduction of the Renters’ Rights reforms.
Ministry of Justice figures show that 4,613 property-related cases were recorded during the three months to June, an annual increase of 56%.
The figures cover a range of property disputes rather than rental cases alone. They include private rented sector matters alongside leasehold disputes, enfranchisement claims, Housing Act 2004 cases and park-home cases.
That means the increase should not be interpreted as evidence that the Renters’ Rights Act itself caused all of the additional tribunal activity.
Tribunal workload is increasing
The wider figures also show an increase in the number of property cases handled by the tribunal.
There were 15,929 property-related cases in the year to the end of June, representing a 24% increase compared with the previous year.
The rise comes as the UK’s private rented sector enters a new regulatory period following the introduction of the Renters’ Rights Act.
The legislation brought significant changes to the relationship between landlords and tenants, including new rules around rent increases and greater protections for renters.
The timing of the increase means tribunal capacity is likely to come under greater scrutiny as more disputes work their way through the system.
Rent disputes are becoming an important test
One area attracting particular attention is rent reviews.
Under the new system, tenants can challenge a proposed rent increase through the First-tier Tribunal where they believe the proposed rent is above the market level.
Recent analysis by LonRes of tribunal decisions has also found that tenants have secured reductions from proposed rents in a substantial proportion of the cases it examined. Its analysis of 200 Section 13 decisions found that 73% resulted in the rent being set below the amount proposed by the landlord.
That does not mean most rent increases will end up before a tribunal. But if more tenants decide to challenge increases, the additional workload could become significant.
For landlords, the issue is not only whether a proposed rent is ultimately upheld. Delays in determining a dispute could also affect when a revised rent can be implemented.
Government plans a different route for rent determinations
The Government has already announced plans to change how rent-increase disputes are initially assessed.
HM Revenue and Customs’ Valuation Office is due to take responsibility for initial rent determinations, with the aim of using its property valuation expertise to speed up decisions and reduce pressure on the tribunal system.
Until that new arrangement is implemented, tenants challenging a proposed rent increase continue to use the First-tier Tribunal.
The Government’s proposed change therefore comes at a time when tribunal workloads are already rising.
The figures provide an early warning
The latest data should be treated as an early indicator rather than proof of a long-term trend.
The Renters’ Rights reforms only began taking effect in May 2026, meaning the second-quarter figures cover the early period of the new system.
It is also too early to establish how much of the increase in property tribunal cases is directly connected to the reforms.
The broader tribunal caseload includes several categories of property dispute, and the 56% annual increase cannot be attributed solely to disputes between landlords and tenants.
Nevertheless, the increase comes at a significant time for England’s housing market.
As landlords, tenants and agents become familiar with the new rules, disputes over rent increases and other tenancy matters could become a larger part of the tribunal workload.
Capacity could become a bigger issue
The immediate question is whether the dispute-resolution system has enough capacity to deal with any sustained increase in cases.
Savills residential research head Lucian Cook has warned that tribunal capacity will be closely watched as the Renters’ Rights reforms become established, particularly if rent-review cases increase.
The Government has recognised the potential pressure by proposing to move initial rent determinations to the Valuation Office.
For tenants, a faster system could make it easier to challenge a rent increase without facing a lengthy wait for a decision. For landlords, timely decisions would provide greater certainty over the rent that can ultimately be charged.
The challenge will be ensuring that additional cases do not simply move from one part of the system to another and create new delays.
A housing dispute system under pressure
The latest Ministry of Justice figures show that property tribunal activity was already increasing as the Renters’ Rights reforms began.
The 56% annual rise in quarterly property cases is significant, but the figures need to be read carefully because they cover several types of property dispute.
What happens over the next few quarters will provide a clearer picture of whether the increase is a temporary adjustment or the beginning of a sustained rise in housing-related tribunal activity.
For England’s rental sector, the development of the new rent-determination process will be particularly important. If more tenants challenge rent increases, the effectiveness and capacity of the system will become an important part of how the Renters’ Rights reforms work in practice.
