Help with Fees for a rent tribunal application

Help with Fees is the GOV.UK scheme that may reduce or remove a court or tribunal fee if you have little or no savings and are on certain benefits or have a low income.

For a market rent application, this may matter because the current fee is £47 unless an exemption applies. If paying that fee would be difficult, check Help with Fees before assuming you cannot apply.

Check your rent increase for free to understand the rent evidence before deciding your next step.

What Help with Fees is

Help with Fees is sometimes called fee remission. It is not specific to rent cases. It applies to court and tribunal fees more generally.

The scheme looks at your financial situation. GOV.UK says eligibility depends on savings, which benefits you get and your income. You may need your National Insurance number, income details, savings information and, if you have a partner, information about their income and savings too.

You can apply online or use EX160, officially called “Apply for help with fees”.

UpRently does not assess Help with Fees eligibility. You must use the official GOV.UK service.

How it fits with the rent tribunal fee

The market rent application fee is currently £47 unless you do not have to pay because an exemption applies. If the fee applies, Help with Fees may still reduce the amount or mean you pay nothing.

These are separate questions:

• Is the MR1 fee payable for your application?
• If it is payable, can you get Help with Fees?
• Does your evidence suggest the proposed rent is above open market rent?

Try to answer all three. A fee exemption does not prove the rent increase is unfair. Strong rent evidence does not automatically remove the fee. They are connected in the process, but they answer different problems.

What you may need to check

Before applying for Help with Fees, gather information about:

• savings and investments
• benefits
• wages or other income
• a partner’s income and savings if relevant
• your National Insurance number or Home Office reference number
• the tribunal form or fee you are applying about

GOV.UK guidance explains that some benefits may qualify, but savings limits still matter. Low income may also qualify, depending on the amount and household circumstances.

Do not guess if you are unsure. Use the official GOV.UK checker or guidance.

Why Help with Fees matters for renters

Rent increases can create immediate financial pressure. A tenant may be worried about the higher rent, moving costs, other bills and the cost of using the official process.

That is why clear fee information matters. If someone does not have to pay the fee, or can get help with it, that may remove one barrier to understanding their options.

But the evidence still matters. The official market rent process is about whether the proposed rent is above the open market rent. You still need to compare the proposed rent with similar homes.

How UpRently helps

UpRently helps with the evidence side of the decision, not the fee application.

The UpRently Rent Rise Checker compares your proposed rent with local market evidence where suitable comparables are available. It gives a result and a confidence rating, so you can understand whether there is enough evidence to form a useful view.

The Evidence Pack gives a structured record of the comparables and method used. It can help you organise evidence if you are thinking about speaking to your landlord or using the official process.

You should still check GOV.UK for the Help with Fees rules and speak to an advice service if you are unsure about your situation.

A practical way to approach it

If you are worried about cost, do not start with the assumption that the process is unaffordable.

First, check whether the £47 fee applies to your application. Second, check whether Help with Fees may apply. Third, check whether the proposed rent appears above local market evidence.

That gives you a clearer view of both the cost and the strength of the evidence before deciding what to do.

What to read next

• The £47 market rent application fee and when you do not have to pay
• MR1: apply for a determination of an open market rent
• How to challenge a rent increase in England
• What happens after you apply to challenge a rent increase?
• What evidence helps with a rent increase challenge?