According to new information obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, the Government has no way of knowing the impact the Renters’ Rights Act will have on the rent appeal Tribunal.

The Ministry of Justice confirmed to law firm Spector, Constant and Williams that the Government does not hold data on the average time it takes for the Tribunal to consider, process and rule upon rent increase appeals. 

David Smith, Partner at Spector, Constant and Williams, said: “It is simply bizarre that the Government is failing to collect basic data on the performance of the rental appeals Tribunal. For all its talk of not wanting the system to be overwhelmed, without measuring the average time taken to process rent cases both now and in the future there will be no way of knowing the impact the Renters’ Rights Act is actually having and what additional resources are required by the Tribunal to operate effectively. 

“If ministers are serious about wanting their reforms to work, they need urgently to measure, and publish in full, baseline data on the performance of the Tribunal now. The Government should regularly publish this data to ensure everyone can see if, and when, the Tribunal starts to struggle with the anticipated massive increase in rent appeal cases it is asked to consider.”

As a result of the Act, due to be implemented from the 1st May next year, every private renter will be able to challenge, at the Tribunal, a proposed rent increase from their landlord which is above local market rates.