What happens after you apply to the tribunal

The sequence

Nothing here requires you to attend unless you ask to.

• You send the MR1, with your evidence and a copy of the notice and your tenancy agreement.
• The tribunal acknowledges it and writes to your landlord, who is given a chance to respond.
• It sends you a Form MR3 at the same time, so you can reply to whatever your landlord says.
• It may inspect the property, if either side asked or it decides one is needed.
• It decides — usually on the papers, sometimes at a hearing — and sends the decision to both of you.

How long it takes

In the decisions we hold where both dates are recorded, the median time from application to decision was 98 days — about fourteen weeks. One in ten took longer than 236 days.

That is a long time to be uncertain, but the new rent does not simply run in the meantime on the terms the landlord set: the tribunal decides what it should be, and from when.

What to do while you wait

Keep paying your existing rent unless you are told otherwise, and keep a record of what you paid and when.

Read your landlord’s response properly when it arrives, and answer it on the MR3. It is usually the first time you see their actual argument and often the only chance to answer it.