110 Guinness Court, Mansell Street, London, England, E1 8AQ
Condition: Unfurnished two-bedroom fifth-floor flat with gas central heating and double glazing, requiring modernisation to reach the assessed good-order market rent.
Evidence considered
- Tenant submitted a screenshot of a comparable flat in the same development advertised by the landlord in 2022 at £175/week plus £15 service charge, but the tribunal gave this no weight as it was a 2022 social-housing bid listing, not a current market letting.
- Tribunal relied on its own general knowledge and expertise of local rental values to assess the open-market rent at £450 per week before adjustments.
- Landlord relied on the Regulator of Social Housing's Rent Standard (CPI+1%) and Local Housing Allowance rates to justify the proposed increase, though this is a regulatory/affordability argument rather than direct market comparable evidence.
Tenant submitted evidence: yes. Landlord submitted evidence: no.
Tribunal's reasoning
The tribunal relied on its own expert knowledge of local rental values rather than the tenant's comparable (a 2022 bid-based social housing letting), finding it unsuitable evidence. It assessed the open-market rent for the modernised flat at £450 per week, then deducted 15% (£67.50) for the tenant's repairing/decorating obligations and the lack of landlord-provided carpets/furnishings, arriving at £382.50 per week. The tribunal also found no undue hardship justifying a delayed start date, so the new rent took effect from the date in the landlord's notice. Figures converted from weekly to monthly (x52/12) for database consistency.
Read the original decision (PDF, GOV.UK)
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