49 Rugby Place, Bradford, BD7 2DE
Condition: Large stone-built terrace house in need of general refurbishment and decoration, with some disrepair (holes, pipework, leak, sticking doors/windows) that the tribunal disregarded because the tenant had refused the landlord access to carry out repairs.
Evidence considered
- Prior tribunal decision (7 February 2025) determined a market rent of £800 for the same property before disrepair deduction
- Landlord's comparables ranging £1,100-£1,750 pcm and a smaller property on the same street marketed at £900-£1,000 pcm
- Tenant's limited market rent comparables supporting a lower figure (around £575 pcm)
- Tribunal's own comparable on St Margaret's Road, BD7, a similar 4-bedroom property advertised at £875 pcm
- Documentary evidence (letters with postage receipts) showing repeated landlord attempts to obtain access for repairs/gas safety inspection, which the tenant admitted refusing
Tenant submitted evidence: yes. Landlord submitted evidence: yes.
Tribunal's reasoning
The tribunal started from the previous determination of £800 pcm for this property, which had included a £100 deduction for disrepair and need for refurbishment. It found the tenant had persistently and without reasonable justification refused the landlord access to inspect and carry out repairs and a gas safety check, in breach of the tenancy's express/implied access terms. Applying the principle that disrepair caused by a tenant's own breach of the access obligation must be disregarded when assessing market rent, the tribunal made no deduction for the disrepair and determined the market rent at £800 pcm, supported by a comparable similar 4-bedroom property advertised at £875 pcm.
Read the original decision (PDF, GOV.UK)
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