3 Walnut Bank, Farnborough, Banbury, Oxfordshire, OX17 1DZ
Condition: Unfurnished two-bedroom house with electric night storage heaters, wood burner and secondary double glazing; tenant responsible for internal decoration and floor coverings; small garden with damp sheds and a right of way, no allocated parking.
Evidence considered
- Five landlord comparables of two-bedroom properties in nearby villages ranging £1,050-£1,400 pcm, used as the main basis for valuation
- Two comparables (Wormleighton and Horley) noted as superior accommodation/parking, explaining their higher rents and given less weight
- Tenant's comments on garden condition, asbestos, parking and shower were considered but did not include independent rental evidence
- Tribunal's own expert and general knowledge of local rental values also relied upon
Tenant submitted evidence: no. Landlord submitted evidence: yes.
Tribunal's reasoning
The tribunal started from a market rent of £1,150 pcm for the property if modernised and in good order, based on five landlord comparables of two-bedroom village properties, adjusting for superior accommodation in two of them. It then deducted £100 pcm to reflect the tenant's responsibility for internal decoration, the unfurnished letting with tenant-provided floor coverings, and the lack of allocated parking, arriving at £1,050 pcm. No undue hardship was found, 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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