21 Barnes Court, Whitley Mead, Stoke Gifford, Bristol, BS34 8XT
Condition: Ground floor flat in a modern purpose-built development, double glazed with electric heating, flooring, blinds and white goods provided, EPC rated C, with some historic minor repair issues raised but not affecting valuation.
Evidence considered
- Landlord's agent provided a comparable flat let at £1,250 pcm, which the tenant disputed as having a different bathroom specification
- Schedule of condition with photographs from the start of the tenancy
- Tribunal's own general knowledge of rental values in the Bristol area
Tenant submitted evidence: yes. Landlord submitted evidence: yes.
Tribunal's reasoning
The landlord's notice proposed increasing the rent from £995 to £1,075 pcm. The tenant referred the notice to the Tribunal, raising issues about historic repairs, a water leak, security concerns and comparable evidence. The Tribunal held these personal/historic circumstances were not relevant to an open market rent assessment, and using its own knowledge of Bristol rental values together with the comparables provided, determined that £1,075 pcm (the figure proposed in the landlord's notice) represented the market rent, effective from the date in the notice.
Read the original decision (PDF, GOV.UK)
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