215 Yardley Fields Road Birmingham B33 8RN
Condition: The property has disrepair issues including damp/mould, window seal gaps, peeling wallpaper, exposed wiring and a leaking sun room roof, placing it below the standard of comparable properties.
Evidence considered
- Landlord submitted twelve 3-bedroom property listings from Zoopla within a 3-mile radius, asking rents £1,100-£1,500 pcm, eight being semi-detached or end-terraced - given significant weight
- Tenant submitted comparable semi-detached houses at asking rents £1,000-£1,250 pcm and argued landlord's comparables were advertised (not achieved) rents - considered but landlord's evidence preferred
- Tenant submitted photographs showing disrepair (damp, mould, window seals, exposed wiring, leaks) - used to justify condition deduction
- Tribunal relied on its own expert general knowledge of local rental values alongside the comparable evidence
Tenant submitted evidence: yes. Landlord submitted evidence: yes.
Tribunal's reasoning
The tribunal assessed the market rent for a modernised, good-order comparable semi-detached house at £1,300 pcm based on landlord's Zoopla comparables and its own expertise, rejecting the tenant's characterisation of landlord works as mere repairs rather than improvements. It then deducted £25 pcm to reflect that white goods were tenant-provided and £65 pcm for the property's below-standard general condition (damp/mould, window seals, electrics, leaks) relative to the comparables, giving a determined rent of £1,210 pcm. Due to tenant's financial hardship (Universal Credit, single parent), the effective date was postponed from the notice date to the date of determination.
Read the original decision (PDF, GOV.UK)
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