17 Byfield Road, Scunthorpe, DN17 1RW
Condition: The property had unresolved disrepair including damp and mould, plumbing leaks, heating control issues, and neglected management, per an environmental health officer's findings.
Evidence considered
- Tenant provided photographs and a draft Environmental Health officer report identifying category 2 hazards, but no comparable rental evidence.
- Landlord asserted similar properties let at £725 pcm but provided no supporting evidence.
- Tribunal relied on its own expert knowledge of local rental values to set a baseline 'good condition' rent, then applied percentage deductions for disrepair and management issues.
Tenant submitted evidence: no. Landlord submitted evidence: no.
Tribunal's reasoning
The tribunal found the property suffered from unresolved disrepair (damp/mould, plumbing leaks, heating faults, neglected management) corroborated by an environmental health officer's category 2 hazard findings, despite the landlord's claim that repairs were completed. Neither party submitted comparable rental evidence, so the tribunal used its own expert knowledge to set a notional 'good condition' market rent of £750 pcm, then deducted 10% for service defects, 5% for damp/mould decoration impact, and 5% for neglected management, giving £600 pcm. The absence of a gas safety certificate was held to be a separate compliance issue not invalidating the rent increase process.
Read the original decision (PDF, GOV.UK)
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