Market-rent evidence

How to judge market-rent evidence before a Section 13 rent increase

The figure matters more than the form at the start. Before you serve Form 4A, check whether the comparables actually support the rent you want to charge.

Not every nearby advert carries the same weight

Some listings genuinely support the market calculation. Others are useful context. Some are too old, too different, or too extreme to carry much weight.

The checker separates those groups so you can see which comparables actually affected the median and which ones were shown for context only.

Supportable is not the same as maximum

A supportable rent is not always the highest advert you can find nearby. It is the figure you can explain calmly using the best available comparables.

If the strongest listings point closer to the middle of the range, the more sensible move may be to serve a lower increase and keep the file cleaner.