49 Colwell Gardens, Hayards Heath, West Sussex, RH16 4HG
Condition: Dated 1980s first-floor flat with original kitchen/bathroom fittings, no central heating, poor door insulation, no white goods, worn carpets and items of disrepair.
Evidence considered
- Tenant submitted photographs showing condition and disrepair of the property.
- Tenant provided listings of comparable properties, but three were historic (2023/2024) and given little weight; only one recent listing (a 1-bed flat on Larch Way at £895 pcm, let agreed) was current.
- Tribunal relied substantially on its own expert knowledge of local rental values, combined with an internet (Google Street View) view of the property, as the landlord provided no evidence or statement.
Tenant submitted evidence: yes. Landlord submitted evidence: no.
Tribunal's reasoning
The Tribunal first assessed the market rent for the property in good tenantable condition at £950 pcm, based on its own expert knowledge of the local market and the limited comparable evidence (one current listing at £895 pcm plus general area knowledge). It then applied downward adjustments totalling £175 pcm to reflect the property's shortcomings compared to a property in good condition: partial/no central heating, poor thermal insulation at the front door, lack of curtains and dated carpets, absence of white goods, the tenant's repairing obligation for internal decoration, dated kitchen and bathroom fittings, and various items of disrepair. This produced a determined market rent of £775 pcm, effective from the date specified in the landlord's notice.
Read the original decision (PDF, GOV.UK)
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