2 Fairways House St Andrews Square Stoke on Trent ST4 7GB
Condition: Basement/ground floor flat with central heating, double glazing and private parking, recently redecorated with new carpets and refurbished bathroom and boiler following a flooding event.
Evidence considered
- Landlord provided four comparable two-bed flat lettings in the vicinity ranging from £770-£875 pcm
- Ground floor flat in adjacent block let at £795 pcm treated as a direct comparable (same developer, similar layout/condition)
- Flat directly above the subject let at £770 pcm, considered slightly inferior due to recent refurbishment of the subject
- First floor flat in adjacent block let at £775 pcm, considered inferior due to floor level and lack of utility room
- A comparable at Elizabeth House (£875 pcm) was disregarded as an outlier
- Tenant submitted no evidence beyond the application form
Tenant submitted evidence: no. Landlord submitted evidence: yes.
Tribunal's reasoning
The tribunal accepted the landlord's proposed rent as the market rent, finding most of the landlord's comparable lettings relevant and supportive of that figure, while disregarding one comparable (Elizabeth House) as an outlier with a materially higher rent. The tribunal also relied on its own expert knowledge of local rental values, no inspection or hearing having taken place.
Read the original decision (PDF, GOV.UK)
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