303 Bickenhall Farm Cottage, Taunton, Somerset, TA3 6TX
Condition: Semi-detached house in a rural setting with dated kitchen and bathroom, some disrepair (mould, wall crack, poor insulation), no white goods, carpets or curtains provided by landlord.
Evidence considered
- Landlord provided two comparables: a 3-bed semi-detached house let at £1,395 pcm and another at £1,300 pcm.
- Tribunal used its own knowledge and expertise to set a notional 'modernised' market rent of £1,400 pcm, then applied itemised deductions for lack of white goods, carpets/curtains, dated kitchen, dated bathroom, general disrepair, and poor insulation.
- Tenant provided photographs evidencing disrepair (mould, cracked wall, poor insulation) but no rental comparables.
Tenant submitted evidence: yes. Landlord submitted evidence: yes.
Tribunal's reasoning
The tribunal determined a notional market rent of £1,400 pcm for the property if modernised and in good condition, based on its own expertise and two landlord-supplied comparables of similarly sized semi-detached houses. It then deducted specific amounts totalling £460 pcm to reflect the property's dated kitchen and bathroom, lack of landlord-provided white goods/carpets/curtains, general disrepair, and poor insulation, arriving at a market rent of £940 pcm, only slightly above the existing rent of £920 pcm and below the landlord's proposed £995 pcm.
Read the original decision (PDF, GOV.UK)
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