What this tool does
The Free Rent Indexation Tool gives you an indexed rent reference point: a range showing where a property's current rent would sit if it had moved with the average for its local authority in the ONS Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR).
It is built for letting agents in England who want a data-backed reference before proposing a new rent. Enter the postcode, bedrooms, property type, current rent and its start date, and the tool applies the official local index movement since the rent was set. Anyone on the team can run it. It is a starting point for a conversation about rent, not a market rent determination.
What it can and cannot tell you
PIPR is a stock measure: it reflects rents across the whole private rented sector, including sitting tenants and renewals rather than just new lets, so it usually moves more slowly than asking-rent indices. It is published monthly, local authority is the finest level the ONS publishes for England (there is no postcode series), and the latest months are provisional and revised as new data arrives. An average for a whole local authority also cannot see one property's street, condition or features. The index shows how local rents have moved; it never values a property, which is why the tool returns a reference range. The statutory benchmark for a rent increase in England is the open market rent, decided by the First-tier Tribunal if a tenant refers the figure; for the full process, see our guide to rent reviews under the Renters' Rights Act or our explainer on what PIPR measures.
MarketRent supports process and evidence management. It does not provide legal advice. Agents should seek independent legal guidance where needed.