14 Exeter Place, Blacon, Chester, Cheshire CH1 5BP
Condition: The property was in poor condition, needing new carpets, oven and bathroom, with a leaking toilet, a leaking shower causing rotted floorboards, and a silverfish infestation.
Evidence considered
- No comparable rental evidence was submitted by either party
- Tribunal relied on its own expert knowledge and online research of local rental values to assess open market rent at £1,000 pcm for the property in good condition
- Rent reduced from the assessed good-condition value to reflect unrefuted disrepair issues raised by the tenant
Tenant submitted evidence: no. Landlord submitted evidence: no.
Tribunal's reasoning
The tribunal assessed the open market rent of the property in good condition at £1,000 pcm based on its own expert knowledge of local rental values, as neither party submitted comparable evidence. It then deducted for disrepair issues (poor condition, carpets, oven, bathroom, leaking toilet and shower causing rotted floorboards, silverfish infestation) raised by the tenant and unrefuted by the landlord, arriving at a final market rent of £850 pcm. Due to tenant hardship, the new rent was directed to take effect from the date of the tribunal's decision rather than the original effective date proposed in the landlord's notice.
Read the original decision (PDF, GOV.UK)
Want the evidence, not just the decision?
Around half of the decisions in this database cite a problem with the evidence submitted — comparable tribunal outcomes are usually what decides these cases, for both sides. We're testing a paid evidence pack and a guided walkthrough of the application, built from this database.
Landlord evidence pack — from £15
Nearby tribunal outcomes, a rent level likely to survive a challenge, and an evidence pack in the format the tribunal expects — timed for when you serve a section 13 notice.
Register interest in the landlord packTenant pack — from £19
Whether challenging your rent increase is worth it, plus the comparable decisions to include with your MR1 application to the tribunal.
Register interest in the tenant packNot built yet — register your interest by email and we'll let you know when it's ready. This isn't legal advice; see the law and free advice options.