17 Westfield Road, Smethwick, West Midlands, B67 6AW
Condition: Mid-terraced house with water ingress, condensation/mould, poor bathroom condition, broken stair treads, and a collapsed rear garden fence.
Evidence considered
- Landlord submitted a Rightmove extract listing 7 three-bedroom properties in Smethwick renting from £995-£1,500 pcm, but the Tribunal found this evidence extremely limited, lacking condition detail and not closely comparable (different appearance, parking, one semi-detached).
- Tribunal relied on its own expert knowledge of local rental values to set a baseline rent for the property if modernised and in good order (£1,100 pcm).
- Tribunal applied deductions from the baseline for specific disrepair issues identified at inspection: water ingress/condensation/poor bathroom (-£125) and broken stair treads/unusable rear garden (-£75).
- Tenant evidence consisted of a letter and photographs documenting disrepair (damp, mould, roof leak, water ingress, drainage, rats, electrical faults, cooker issues).
Tenant submitted evidence: yes. Landlord submitted evidence: yes.
Tribunal's reasoning
The Tribunal found the landlord's comparable evidence (a Rightmove listings extract) too limited and not sufficiently comparable to rely on, so it used its own expert knowledge of local rental values, assessing the property's market rent if modernised and in good order at £1,100 pcm. It then deducted £125 for water ingress, condensation and poor bathroom condition, and £75 for broken stair treads and a collapsed, unusable rear garden fence, arriving at a determined rent of £900 pcm, effective from 1 February 2025.
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.