Open Market Rent Calculator

Free UK open market rent calculator built on ONS and Property Data. Check local market rent and build defensible evidence for a Section 13 rent increase.

Illustration of two yellow houses with a tree between them
Open Market Rent Tool

Find out what your property could rent for.

Estimate the open market rent on your property using live comparable evidence — then build a defensible case for a Section 13 increase or tribunal hearing.

1Property
2Estimate
3Evidence Pack
——
We'll use this to find comparable rentals within 0.5 miles.
Optional. Used in the increase analysis.
Optional. The rent you'd like to charge — we'll check whether market data supports it.
Section 13 / First-tier Tribunal
Evidence Pack
—

Open Market Rent Evidence

Note for use in proceedings: This evidence pack is generated from publicly listed market data at the time of search. For Section 13 notices, attach this document with your Form 4. For First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) submissions, supplement with property photos, EPC certificate, and any improvement records. This tool does not constitute legal or surveying advice.
Estimates are indicative and based on currently advertised rentals. Actual achievable rent depends on property condition, presentation, and market timing. For a binding valuation, instruct a RICS-qualified surveyor.

How to manually work out the market rent for your property

Market rent is the local median for your postcode, adjusted up or down for your property's size, condition and features. A Section 13 increase is simply that market rent minus what your tenant pays now.

Learn more about Renters' Rights →
Try an HMRC-recognised platform
open market rent formula
Step 1

Find the local median rent

Use published ONS figures for your postcode and property size, not asking prices from listings.

Step 2

Adjust for your property

Condition, EPC rating, furnishing and features move the median either way - a refurbished flat justifies a premium, a tired one doesn't.

Step 3

Compare against the current rent

The difference is your proposed increase, and the evidence behind it is what a tribunal would expect to see.

Worked example

‍

A two-bed flat where the ONS median rent is £1,300, adjusted up 10% for a refurbishment and an EPC C rating. The tenant currently pays £1,200.

‍

Market rent = £1,300 × 1.10 = £1,430

‍

Section 13 increase = £1,430 − £1,200 = £230 a month

Other calculators you might be interested in

Buy-to-Let Mortgage Calculator

Estimate your monthly interest-only or repayment mortgage costs before you commit to a buy-to-let.

Use Calculator
Buy-to-Let Mortgage Calculator

Mileage Tracking Calculator

Log property journeys, apply the HMRC mileage rate, and download an expense pack for Self Assessment.

Use Calculator
Mileage Tracking Calculator

Rental Yield Calculator

Work out the gross and net yield on a rental property to see what your investment really returns.

Use Calculator
Rental Yield Calculator

Section 13 evidence

Icon of a document with a pound sign

A defensible rent increase figure in seconds

Backed by real, local listing and let data

Time-stamped output you can save as Section 13 evidence

Icon of a rising data chart with a magnifying glass

Built on live UK market data

Updated continuously from current lettings activity across England and Wales

Illustration of a landlord reviewing a rental performance dashboard on a phone

Why should you use our open market rent checker?

  • Built for Section 13 evidence
  • UK-specific data, UK-specific rules
  • Free, fast and no commitment
  • Designed by a platform landlords already trust
  • A sensible starting point for annual reviews

FAQs

What is open market rent?

Plus Icon

Open market rent is the amount a willing landlord and a willing tenant would agree on for a property, on the open market, on the date the rent is being assessed. It assumes both parties are acting freely and reasonably, the property is being let on standard terms, and neither side is under unusual pressure to agree a deal. In short: what the property would actually let for today, if you put it back on the market.

Under the Renters' Rights Act, a tenant who challenges a Section 13 notice can have the rent set at or below the figure you proposed, but never above it. That makes proving an accurate open market rent more important than it has ever been for UK landlords.

How does the rent checker estimate market rent?

Plus Icon

The calculator looks at recent advertised and let rents for comparable properties in the same area, then adjusts the figure based on the details you enter - postcode, number of bedrooms, property type and condition. The result is an indicative open market rent: a reasonable starting point for pricing a new let or reviewing the rent on an existing tenancy. It's designed to give you a quick benchmark, not a formal valuation.

Can I use this estimate to support a Section 13 rent increase?

Plus Icon

The rent checker has been built with Section 13 evidence in mind. The estimate is based on comparable local listings and recent lets, which are exactly the kind of data points a First-tier Tribunal looks for when assessing open market rent. Save or screenshot your result alongside the underlying comparables so you have a clear, time-stamped record to support the figure in your Form 4A.

Why is the comparable property data anonymised?

Plus Icon

Linking a rent figure to an identifiable address can amount to personal or commercially sensitive information about the tenants and landlord at that property. The comparable evidence is licensed for market analysis and estimation, not for republishing individual property-level records. To add specific properties, you can use the upload property feature to provide additional evidence.