29 Lower Court Road, Epsom, Surrey, KT19 8SW
Condition: Dated kitchen and bathroom, worn floor coverings, poor layout, and various items of disrepair including joinery, windows, electrics and external fencing.
Evidence considered
- Landlord provided five comparable 'Let Agreed' semi-detached houses in the area, ranging from £1,875 to £2,500 pcm, used by the Tribunal to assess a baseline rent of £2,100 for the property in good condition
- Tenant critiqued each landlord comparable, highlighting differences in condition, bedroom count and letting duration
- Tenant referred to a prior Tribunal decision for a three-bedroom house in the same postcode determined at £1,700 pcm
- Tribunal applied its own expert general knowledge of local rental values alongside the comparables
- Tribunal made itemised deductions from the baseline market rent for specific condition and layout defects (floor coverings/curtains, kitchen, bathroom, layout, disrepair to joinery/windows, electrics, external disrepair) totalling £425 pcm
Tenant submitted evidence: yes. Landlord submitted evidence: yes.
Tribunal's reasoning
The Tribunal first assessed the property's market rent in good tenantable condition at £2,100 pcm using comparable lettings evidence from the landlord and its own expert knowledge of the local market. It then applied itemised deductions totalling £425 pcm to reflect the actual dated and worn condition of the carpets/floor coverings, kitchen, bathroom, poor layout (ground-floor bathroom accessed via kitchen), and disrepair to joinery, windows, electrics and external fencing, arriving at a determined rent of £1,675 pcm. The new rent took effect from the date specified in the landlord's notice as the tenants raised no hardship argument.
Read the original decision (PDF, GOV.UK)
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