Renters unions, trade unions, charities and renters across the country are campaigning for rent controls. By challenging rent rises at the tribunal, we help build the movement for rent controls by showing renters won’t put up with unaffordable rent rises.
We are taking part in a national campaign with other tenant’ unions up and down the country, Resist Rent Rises.
Why should you take part?
Rents are too high
In Oxford, the number of households facing the threat of homelessness doubled from January – March 2025. The average monthly rent in Oxford increased by a staggering 11.5% in the 12 months to July 2025. Oxford has the highest average rent outside of London.
We have the right to challenge our rent increases
We urge everyone to pledge to challenge their rent increases at the ‘Rent Tribunal’ where you can argue that the rent your landlord wishes to charge is too high given the condition of the property and comparable local rents on the open market.
However, even if you lose you will empower yourself and others for the following reasons:
Rent tribunals can save you money even if you lose
Renters who challenge their rent increases are on average £1,140 per year better off than they would have been had they accepted the landlord’s proposed increase.
Even if you lose, by taking your rent increase to tribunal, you put off paying the higher rent until the tribunal has made a decision.
Use the national campaign’s free tool to find out how much you could save if you challenge your rent rise in the rent tribunal.
That means if you challenge a £100pcm rent rise and it takes two months for your rent tribunal case to be heard, you save £200 (minus a £47 court fee if those apply to you) even if the rent tribunal decides the rent your landlord is proposing is ‘market rent’. If you win and the rent rise is reversed, your landlord cannot increase your rent for another year which would save you £1200.
Evidence of disrepair, poor conditions and of comparably lower rents in your neighbourhood will help you to win the tribunal. This can mean reducing the increase, keeping your rent the same as it is now, or in some cases even lowering it below what you pay at the moment.
We will help you through the Tribunal process with access to legal resources and personalised guidance from our members.
Challenging your rent rise helps your neighbours
Accepting a higher rent means other landlords can get away with charging higher rents to their tenants. Estate agents and landlord lobby groups encourage landlords to push up rents collectively by showing them that some landlords in the area have got away with higher rent rises. We will not let them get away with this anymore.
Challenging rent rises will reduce increases and therefore keep the ‘market rate’ lower for everyone. The more of us take a stand and bring our rent rises to tribunal, the greater the downward pressure on local rents and the harder it is for landlords and letting agents to justify never ending increases.
Rising private rents also affects social tenants, because social rents and affordable rents are calculated as a percentage of ‘local market rents’, and on property values which often reflect potential rental income from a property.
Let’s show landlords and letting agents that we won’t put up with unaffordable rent rises year-on-year. We should not be paying an average of 40% of our income on rent, with many pushed into homelessness by rent increases. Housing is a human right, not a luxury.
Further questions before pledging?
Contact us at campaigns@oxfordrentersunion.org.uk. We can also arrange a phone call to discuss.