3 Sussex Street, Salford, M7 1BN
Condition: Modern semi-detached house in good order, with gas central heating, double glazing, integrated kitchen appliances and built-in wardrobes.
Evidence considered
- Tenant provided three comparables (semi-detached houses in Salford advertised at £1350, £1550 and £1450 pcm); only the £1550 pcm comparable was considered relevant due to locational differences in the others.
- Landlord referred to properties on the market around £1550 pcm and a let at £1600 pcm but provided no supporting evidence, so it was given little weight.
- Tenant's claim of a neighbour paying £1000 pcm was unsupported by evidence and not given weight.
- Tribunal relied on its own expertise and general knowledge of local rental values alongside the accepted comparable.
Tenant submitted evidence: yes. Landlord submitted evidence: yes.
Tribunal's reasoning
The tribunal assessed the open-market rent using one accepted tenant comparable and its own expertise, arriving at £1550 pcm for the property in good condition. Since the landlord's proposed rent of £1535 pcm was lower than this open-market valuation, the tribunal determined the new rent at the landlord's proposed figure of £1535 pcm. The tribunal also found no undue hardship justifying a delayed start date, so the new rent took effect from the first new period of the tenancy.
Read the original decision (PDF, GOV.UK)
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