The ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal has rejected an application by Empire Global Developments to increase a tenant’s rent by 20 per cent on a one-bedroom Canberra apartment.

It said the increase should be allowed because interest on borrowing costs, ACT government rates, and power costs had all increased – but those reasons were rejected because the costs were all tied to the entire apartment complex.

The ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal ordered a more moderate eight per cent rental increase for the property.