1 Brantley Avenue, Finchfield, Wolverhampton, WV3 9AP
Condition: Dated ground floor flat requiring general modernisation, with no central heating and tenant-supplied fridge/washer.
Evidence considered
- Tenant submitted photographs showing cracking, dated fittings and poor decoration
- Tenant cited three nearby tenants paying £500-£665 pcm, but tribunal gave this limited weight as rents may not have been increased recently
- Tenant submitted adverts for similar flats at £560-£664 pcm
- Landlord submitted inspection reports describing the property as in satisfactory condition
- Landlord submitted comparable flats let at £800-£925 pcm, used as the basis for the fully modernised market rent figure
- Tribunal applied its own expert knowledge to set a full market rent of £925 pcm then deducted for lack of central heating, missing fridge/washer, and need for kitchen/bathroom refurbishment
Tenant submitted evidence: yes. Landlord submitted evidence: yes.
Tribunal's reasoning
The tribunal started from a fully modernised market rent of £925 pcm, derived from landlord comparables of £800-£925 pcm and its own expertise, rather than the lower tenant comparables which were considered potentially outdated. It then deducted a total of £190 pcm for the property's lack of central heating, tenant-provided white goods, and the need for kitchen and bathroom refurbishment, arriving at £735 pcm. The tribunal also delayed the effective date of the increase to 20 July 2026 due to tenant's evidence of financial hardship following divorce debts.
Read the original decision (PDF, GOV.UK)
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