23 Turvins Farm Cottage, Sundridge Road, Dunton Green, Sevenoaks, Kent TN14 6HB
Condition: An unmodernised property with largely resolved disrepair issues (former damp/mould, roof, guttering, step), but with remaining water supply/private drainage problems and ongoing nearby construction disruption.
Evidence considered
- Tenant provided five advertised comparables (three-bed semi-detached and terraced houses, £1,700-£2,350 pcm) - given limited weight as not matched in age, character or locality despite comparable size/layout.
- Landlord provided two actual lettings of its own cottages (3-bed and 2-bed semi-detached, both £1,600 pcm, let 1-2 years earlier) - given more weight for proximity/locality/age/character but discounted as not recent and one had fewer bedrooms.
- Tribunal relied substantially on its own expertise and general market knowledge to set a £1,800 pcm baseline for the property in modernised condition before adjustments.
- Correspondence from a local authority housing officer was used to assess the current condition/disrepair of the property rather than as rental evidence.
Tenant submitted evidence: yes. Landlord submitted evidence: yes.
Tribunal's reasoning
The tribunal first confirmed it had jurisdiction despite a technical timing question over the notice, finding the proposed start date matched the tenancy's monthly rent payment date. It set a starting market rent of £1,800 pcm for the property in modernised, good condition, benchmarked against the landlord's more locally comparable (though older and fewer-bedroom) lettings, adjusted upward for the subject property's larger size. From this it deducted £100 pcm for disruption from nearby construction works, £75 pcm for the property's unmodernised condition, and £25 pcm for ongoing water supply/drainage issues, giving £1,600 pcm. No deduction was allowed for the tenant's own garden/fencing improvements or for other disrepair issues found to have been substantially resolved. The tenant's claim of undue hardship to delay the rent increase was rejected due to lack of supporting evidence, so the new rent took effect from the date in the landlord's notice.
Read the original decision (PDF, GOV.UK)
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