30 Marriott drive, Kibworth, LE8 0UX
Condition: Dated, unmodernised terraced town house with rotten timber windows/rear door, defective double glazing, an old kitchen and bathroom, though tenant had added carpets, flooring and garden improvements.
Evidence considered
- Tenant submitted two comparables (3-bed semi at £995 pcm and 4-bed semi at £1,250 pcm) to argue for a lower rent.
- Landlord submitted four comparables of 3-bed semi/detached/link-detached houses in the same village ranging £1,295-£1,350 pcm, which the Tribunal used as the main starting point.
- Tribunal applied its own expert knowledge and made deductions from the comparable-derived starting rent for the property's unmodernised condition, poor kitchen/bathroom, tenant-provided improvements, and tenant's decorating liability.
Tenant submitted evidence: yes. Landlord submitted evidence: yes.
Tribunal's reasoning
The Tribunal started from a notional market rent of £1,295 pcm for the property if modernised, based on the landlord's comparable evidence and its own expert knowledge of the Kibworth rental market. It then deducted a total of £230 pcm to reflect the property's unmodernised condition (rotten windows, door and double glazing), poor kitchen/bathroom, tenant-provided improvements (carpets, flooring, garden, some white goods/curtains) and the tenant's liability to decorate, arriving at £1,065 pcm. The tribunal declined to delay the effective date despite the tenant's claim of financial burden, as no evidence of undue hardship was provided and the determined rent was already well below the landlord's proposal.
Read the original decision (PDF, GOV.UK)
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