29A High Street, Shoeburyness, Essex, SS3 9AW
Condition: The property was in poor condition with evident limited maintenance by the landlord falling below the statutory repair standard.
Evidence considered
- Tenant provided photographs and a 45-page disrepair log verified by tribunal inspection
- Tenant submitted comparable listings: 2-bed converted flat in Alexandra Street at £950 pm and 2-bed flat in Gordon Road at £950 pm
- Landlord submitted only historic photographs and no rental/comparable evidence to support proposed rent
Tenant submitted evidence: yes. Landlord submitted evidence: no.
Tribunal's reasoning
The tribunal inspected the property and found it in poor condition with limited maintenance below the statutory standard, which restricted the realistic pool of tenants largely to those reliant on housing allowance. Comparable evidence of two similar 2-bed flats advertised at £950 pm was given significant weight, while the landlord's proposed £1,200 pm was found excessive given no supporting evidence was submitted. The tribunal also declined to simply uplift the current £895 pm rent, noting that figure may itself have exceeded true market value, and after accounting for disrepair determined £875 pm.
Read the original decision (PDF, GOV.UK)
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