19 Colvile Road, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, PE13 2EL
Condition: An older semi-detached house in fairly basic condition with damp, poor/missing carpets, loose floorboards, a draughty front door, and no running water to the bathroom wash hand basin.
Evidence considered
- Landlord submitted Rightmove printouts of 4 comparable properties (2 on market, 2 let agreed) ranging £960-£995 pcm, but given limited weight as no analysis of comparability was provided, two were more modern properties, and all were asking rents rather than achieved lettings.
- Tribunal relied on its own local knowledge and experience to assess a baseline market rent for a property in good condition.
- Tenant provided extensive written evidence and photographs documenting disrepair, which was given weight in making a deduction from the baseline rent.
Tenant submitted evidence: yes. Landlord submitted evidence: yes.
Tribunal's reasoning
The tribunal assessed the open market rent for a comparable property in good condition at around £1,000 pcm, drawing on local knowledge/experience and the landlord's Rightmove comparables (found to be of limited value due to lack of comparability analysis and being asking, not achieved, rents). It then deducted £150 to reflect disrepair issues (damp, no running water to bathroom basin, poor/non-existent carpets, loose floorboards, need for redecoration) and the tenant's provision of curtains and some white goods, arriving at £850 pcm, effectively unchanged from the current rent.
Read the original decision (PDF, GOV.UK)
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