102b Cranbrook Road, First Floor, London, Lewisham, SE8 4EJ
Condition: Unfurnished first-floor converted flat with central heating and double glazing; kitchen and bathroom replacement agreed but not completed due to lack of tenant access.
Evidence considered
- Landlord's third-party market valuation of £1,555 pcm (Nov 2024 data), discounted by landlord to £1,244 pcm (£287.08/week) with no specific comparable evidence submitted
- Tenant's unsupported assertion that a larger ground-floor flat in the same building rented for a maximum of £500 pcm, with no tenancy agreement or details provided
- Tribunal's own general expert knowledge of local rental values, as housing association rents were considered unsuitable comparables
- Evidence of a settled disrepair claim (kitchen/bathroom replacement agreed but not completed due to lack of tenant access) and unsupported tenant claim of rat infestation
Tenant submitted evidence: no. Landlord submitted evidence: yes.
Tribunal's reasoning
The tribunal determined rent on written submissions without an internal inspection (access was not given). It relied on its own expert knowledge of local rental values rather than specific comparables, since neither party provided reliable comparable evidence; the landlord's figure derived from a third-party valuation with an unexplained 80% discount, and the tenant's reference to a cheaper larger flat below lacked supporting tenancy details. The tribunal valued the property in good and tenantable condition at about £1,500 pcm (£346/week), and declined to deduct for outstanding kitchen/bathroom works because the tenant (who had already received disrepair compensation) was preventing access for those works.
Read the original decision (PDF, GOV.UK)
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