37 Shaws Road, Northgate, Crawley, West Sussex, RH10 8DH
Condition: Room in an HMO with en-suite shower, reported damp/mould to shower and sink and out-of-date fire extinguishers, though the leak had reportedly been resolved.
Evidence considered
- Landlord provided details of recently let similar rooms in the area, showing a rental range of £725-£900 pcm
- Tribunal relied on its own expert knowledge of rental values in the Crawley area and Rightmove listings
- Tenant's evidence of condition issues (damp/mould, expired fire extinguishers) was accepted and led to a £25 deduction from the starting valuation
Tenant submitted evidence: no. Landlord submitted evidence: yes.
Tribunal's reasoning
The tribunal assessed the market rent for a room with en-suite in an HMO using landlord comparables (range £725-£900 pcm) and its own knowledge of the Crawley rental market, arriving at a starting figure of £825 pcm for the property in good, modernised condition. It then deducted £25 to reflect the tenant's evidence of condition issues (damp/mould to shower and sink, out-of-date fire extinguishers), resulting in a determined rent of £800 pcm. The tenant's claim of hardship was unsupported by evidence, 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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