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What is First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber)?
Last verified 31 October 2026
The First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) is the tribunal in England that decides many residential property disputes between landlords, tenants and other parties. GOV.UK calls the route Residential Property.
Why it matters to landlords
GOV.UK says landlords, tenants, freeholders, leaseholders, park home occupiers and site owners can apply. The disputes it lists include rent increases to fair or market rates, leasehold disputes such as variable service charges, rent repayment orders, improvement notices and prohibition orders, disputes about HMO licences, financial penalties issued by local authorities, banned tenant fees paid to a landlord or letting agent, and fire safety issues.
For a landlord this is usually where you go to challenge a council decision, and where a tenant goes to claim back rent after an unlicensed property or a banned fee. Deadlines for appeals are short, often 28 days, so diarise any date on a council notice the day it arrives. Keep the paperwork that shows what you did and when: the tribunal decides on evidence. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate routes for these disputes.
Example
Ruth receives a council notice on 8 March 2027 refusing her request for a temporary exemption notice for her HMO in Stockport. The refusal letter says she has 28 days to appeal. She diarises 5 April, collects her written plan to reduce occupiers, and lodges the appeal with the tribunal before the deadline.