2 Wakefield Gardens, Ilford, London, IG1 3SJ
Condition: Good condition on the ground floor with minor damp issues near the kitchen window, but decoratively tired upstairs with chipped skirting, faded paintwork and a water-ingress mark on a bedroom ceiling; an outbuilding also had a cracked wall.
Evidence considered
- Landlord provided 7 asking rents for 3-bed properties in Ilford (£2,100-£2,800 pcm), given very limited weight due to thin detail and wide geographic spread
- Tenant provided 4 asking rents (£2,100-£2,250 pcm), also given little weight for similar reasons
- ONS rental index and borough/London-wide average rent increase data submitted by both parties; given very little weight as an active transactional market existed locally, making indexation unnecessary
- Tribunal relied primarily on its own expert knowledge of local rental values given the weakness of the comparable evidence
Tenant submitted evidence: yes. Landlord submitted evidence: yes.
Tribunal's reasoning
The tribunal found the asking-rent comparables from both parties carried very little evidential weight due to their limited detail, wide value range and distance/dissimilarity from the subject property, and similarly gave little weight to ONS index data and average rent increase submissions since an active transactional market existed for similar local properties. Relying on its own expert knowledge and the inspection findings, the tribunal assessed the property's market rent in good condition at £2,500 pcm, then deducted 5% (£125) to reflect tired upstairs decoration and other minor defects, arriving at £2,375 pcm. The tribunal also found no undue hardship to the tenant, so the increase took effect from the date in the landlord's notice.
Read the original decision (PDF, GOV.UK)
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