41 Battison Street,Bedford MK40 1QU
Condition: Tired, Victorian-era detached house with a basic/dated kitchen and bathroom and a long list of unresolved minor defects (heating, windows, doors, mould, leaks) despite some local authority intervention.
Evidence considered
- Landlord cited three nearby 3-bedroom Victorian terraced houses let in 2024 at around £1,300-£1,350 pcm, but these were found less comparable as the subject was assessed as a 2-bedroom property with inferior condition.
- Tenant provided photographs and a statement on disrepair, which the tribunal relied on in making a £150 pcm condition deduction.
- Tribunal relied substantially on its own general knowledge of local market rents to set a baseline figure before adjustments.
Tenant submitted evidence: yes. Landlord submitted evidence: yes.
Tribunal's reasoning
The tribunal started from its own knowledge of market rents in Bedford, assessing the property at £1,200 pcm if fully fitted and in good condition. It then deducted £150 pcm to reflect a basic/dated kitchen and bathroom, tenant-provided washing machine and some curtains, and a long list of minor but persistent disrepair issues, arriving at £1,050 pcm. The tribunal also found the property to be effectively a 2-bedroom house (the third room being too small for a standard single bed), and allowed the increase to take effect only from the decision date rather than the notice date due to tenant hardship. Landlord-provided comparables of 3-bedroom terraced houses were given limited weight as the subject was found to be a 2-bedroom detached house in inferior condition.
Read the original decision (PDF, GOV.UK)
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