4b Broom Hill Road, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP1 4EH
Condition: Property required refreshing/redecoration to meet market expectations; tenant had replaced kitchen/bathroom flooring and redecorated at their own cost.
Evidence considered
- Neither party submitted comparable evidence; tribunal relied on its own expert knowledge of local rental values, Council planning records, EPC Register and Google Images to establish the property's layout.
Tenant submitted evidence: no. Landlord submitted evidence: no.
Tribunal's reasoning
Neither party submitted comparable rental evidence, so the tribunal relied on its own knowledge of local rental values. It found the landlord's proposed rent was more akin to a terraced house than a converted flat, and that tenant-funded improvements (new flooring and redecoration) should be disregarded as they were not required under the tenancy. The tribunal valued the refreshed property at around £940 pcm but reduced this to £900 pcm to disregard the tenant's own improvement works. No undue hardship was found to justify delaying the effective date.
Read the original decision (PDF, GOV.UK)
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