"The report is designed for letting agents to forward on to landlords and, in turn, their tenants as a means of verifying their decision-making process. In essence, Rental Checker promotes both transparency and fairness in the sector"
- Chris Welch - LonRes
LonRes has launched Rental Checker, a new service to help letting agents establish fair open market rent ahead of Section 13 of the Renters' Rights Act (RRA) coming into force on 1 May 2026.
Under Section 13, landlords will only be permitted to raise rents once a year, and only in line with local market rents. If a tenant believes an increase is too high, they can take their complaint to a first-tier tribunal, a process that can be lengthy and disruptive for all parties. Determining what constitutes an open market rent is not always straightforward, and that complexity is what Rental Checker is designed to address.
The tool works by taking a property's postcode, floor space, bedroom and bathroom count, and current rental value, then searching for like-for-like historic rental comparisons within the LonRes system. The result is an accuracy barometer showing how closely a proposed rent aligns with others in the local area. Crucially, the data is based on achieved rents rather than asking rents, a distinction LonRes says provides greater accuracy than many of the wider consumer property portals.
Agents can pull the comparables data into a branded report that, alongside methodology, acts as independent verification that the rent being sought is fair and within the open market range. The service is initially aimed at the prime London lettings market, with plans to extend coverage to all areas within the M25.
"Rental Checker helps letting agents advise their clients in setting rent increases so that they comply to the RRA rulings," said Chris Welch, director of sales at LonRes. "Importantly, the rental comparables draw upon achieved as opposed to asking rents. This allows for a degree of accuracy not matched by some of the wider consumer property portals.
"And because LonRes is independent – it neither lets nor sells property – the Rental Checker report is too. The report is designed for letting agents to forward on to landlords and, in turn, their tenants as a means of verifying their decision-making process. In essence, Rental Checker promotes both transparency and fairness in the sector."
Anthony Payne, chief executive of LonRes, said the business was well placed to deliver the service. "LonRes is uniquely placed to facilitate this service. Rental Checker will help letting agents and their clients in determining true rental values in a fair and transparent manner."
