23 Stanton Road, Bristol, BS10 5SJ
Condition: Property suffered from a long-unrepaired leaking bath tap requiring the mains water to be shut off at the stopcock, an unusable ground floor toilet due to water damage, surface mould, worn kitchen/bathroom fittings, aged carpets, and missing statutory compliance documents.
Evidence considered
- Tenant cited an online advertisement for a comparable 3-bedroom semi-detached house within a 3-mile radius, asking £1,500 pcm, used as an indicator of general market tone though judged superior to the subject property in condition and location.
- Landlord's representative attempted to submit a 'Best Price Guide' from an online portal at the hearing, but this was disallowed as it was not disclosed in advance and was unfair to admit at such a late stage.
- The parties initially agreed the open market rent in good condition was £1,550 pcm, which the Tribunal adopted as the starting hypothetical rent before applying condition-based deductions.
Tenant submitted evidence: yes. Landlord submitted evidence: no.
Tribunal's reasoning
The Tribunal first established the open market rent for the property in good condition at £1,550 pcm, based on common ground between the parties and a tenant-supplied comparable (a similar semi-detached house advertised nearby, though superior in condition and location). It then applied deductions from this hypothetical rent to reflect the actual condition: 5% for general disrepair/wear in kitchen and bathroom and an unusable toilet, 2.5% for worn landlord's carpets and lack of statutory compliance documents, and a substantial 25% for the ongoing lack of on-demand running water due to an unrepaired leaking bath tap (water had to be shut off at the stopcock). The Tribunal rejected the landlord's evidence that the tenant had caused delays by cancelling contractor appointments, finding the tenant's account more credible. The resulting adjusted rent of £1,046.25 was rounded down to £1,046.00 pcm, effective from the date in the landlord's notice.
Read the original decision (PDF, GOV.UK)
Want the evidence, not just the decision?
Around half of the decisions in this database cite a problem with the evidence submitted — comparable tribunal outcomes are usually what decides these cases, for both sides. We're testing a paid evidence pack and a guided walkthrough of the application, built from this database.
Landlord evidence pack — from £15
Nearby tribunal outcomes, a rent level likely to survive a challenge, and an evidence pack in the format the tribunal expects — timed for when you serve a section 13 notice.
Register interest in the landlord packTenant pack — from £19
Whether challenging your rent increase is worth it, plus the comparable decisions to include with your MR1 application to the tribunal.
Register interest in the tenant packNot built yet — register your interest by email and we'll let you know when it's ready. This isn't legal advice; see the law and free advice options.