18 Hillside Walk, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 2BQ
Condition: 1970s two-storey terrace house with garden, unfurnished, with restricted vehicular access and a narrow rear alleyway in poor condition.
Evidence considered
- Comparable achieved rent at a neighbouring property on the same street: £550 pcm (similar terraced house)
- Comparable achieved rent at another neighbouring property on the same street: £500 pcm (similar terraced house)
- A semi-detached property in the locality marketed for rent at £800 pcm, used to show the landlord's proposed rent was excessive for a terraced house
- Tribunal's own knowledge and expertise of local rental values given lack of landlord evidence
Tenant submitted evidence: yes. Landlord submitted evidence: no.
Tribunal's reasoning
The landlord proposed increasing rent from £650 to £800 pcm but provided no evidence to the tribunal. The tenant submitted comparable achieved rents on the same street (£550 and £500 pcm for similar terraced houses) and evidence that even a semi-detached property locally was marketed at £800 pcm, supporting that the proposed increase was above market level. Relying on these comparables, the tenant's evidence about restricted vehicular access, and its own expertise, the tribunal determined the market rent was unchanged at £650 pcm, making no adjustments.
Read the original decision (PDF, GOV.UK)
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