1A Harrington Road, Brighton, BN1 6RE
Condition: Detached house in reasonable but dated condition, needing redecoration, with a dilapidated garage, a derelict swimming pool, a partially faulty oven and other minor disrepair items.
Evidence considered
- Tenant cited three alleged comparable 2-bed flats (£1,000, £1,200 and £1,800 pcm) but provided no tenancy agreements, adverts or witness statements, so given no significant weight; also the comparables were flats, not a comparable property type to the subject detached house.
- Landlord asserted a local agent's estimate of £2,100-£2,300 pcm but supplied no supporting evidence, so given no significant weight.
- Tribunal relied on its own expert knowledge of the local rental market to set an open market rent of £2,250 pcm for the property in good condition, then deducted £150 pcm for disrepair and dated condition.
Tenant submitted evidence: yes. Landlord submitted evidence: yes.
Tribunal's reasoning
Neither party's comparable evidence carried significant weight: the tenant's comparables were unsupported and concerned a different property type, and the landlord's agent estimate was unevidenced. The Tribunal therefore used its own market expertise to value the property in good tenantable condition at £2,250 pcm, then deducted £150 pcm to reflect disrepair (garage, pool, oven and other wants of repair) offset by desirable location, parking and transport links, arriving at £2,100 pcm effective from the date specified in the landlord's notice.
Read the original decision (PDF, GOV.UK)
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