188 Birmingham Road, Coventry CV5 9HA
Condition: Internal condition was disputed, with tenant alleging damp and mould issues while landlord relied on professional reports and a revocation of an improvement notice confirming completed works.
Evidence considered
- Landlord submitted evidence that market rent for 2-bedroom apartments in the area ranged from £850-£975 pcm
- Tenant asserted a market rent of £560-£600 pcm but provided no supporting evidence
- Tribunal relied on its own expert knowledge of local rental values to reach a base figure of £800 pcm
- A £40 pcm deduction was made for susceptibility to mould/moisture ingress and tenant's redecoration liability
Tenant submitted evidence: no. Landlord submitted evidence: yes.
Tribunal's reasoning
The tribunal assessed the open market rent for the property in good tenantable condition at £800 pcm, drawing on landlord-submitted comparable evidence (£850-£975 pcm range) and its own expert knowledge, since the tenant provided no comparable evidence. A £40 pcm deduction was applied to reflect the property's susceptibility to mould and moisture issues and the tenant's repair/redecoration liability, resulting in a determined rent of £760 pcm. The effective date was deferred to the date of the tribunal's decision due to tenant hardship.
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.