LoanRace has launched a new tool which aims to help agents and landlords justify rents ahead of upcoming legal changes.
From May 1, 2026, the Tenant Rights Act will limit rent increases to once a year and require them to reflect local market levels. This change places greater emphasis on being able to provide evidence of what a reasonable “open market rent” is – particularly if a tenant challenges the increase in tribunal.
To address this, Loanares has introduced the “Rental Checker”, a service designed to provide data-backed rental benchmarks. Initially focused on the prime London lettings market, with plans to expand into the M25, the tool uses rents sourced from the Loanrace database rather than advertised asking prices.
Agents input key property details – including postcode, size, bedrooms, bathrooms and offered rent – and the system returns comparable lettings with an accuracy indicator that shows how closely the figure aligns with the local market.
The resulting data can be incorporated into branded reports for landlords, offering documented support for pricing decisions and should rent increases be investigated.
Chris Welch, director of sales at Loanres, said: “Rental Checker helps agents advise their clients on how to increase rents so they can comply with RRA rules. The important thing is that rental comparison is achieved as opposed to asking for rent. This allows a degree of accuracy that some of the broader consumer property portals can’t match.
“And because Loanares is independent – it neither lets nor sells properties – there is also the Rental Checker Report. The report is designed to give agents a means to uplift landlords, and in turn their tenants, to verify their decision-making process. In short Rental Checker promotes both transparency and fairness in this sector.”
Anthony Payne, CEO of Loanrace, said: “Loanrace is uniquely placed to facilitate this service. Rental Checker will help agents and their customers determine true rental values in a fair and transparent way.”