5 Staplehurst Road, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME10 2NY
Condition: Tenant reported damp, black mould, poor carpet condition, insufficient insulation, a leaking shower, and broken kitchen flooring.
Evidence considered
- Neither landlord nor tenant submitted comparable lettings evidence or a formal Rent Appeal Statement.
- Tenant's email suggested a fair rent increase up to £1,350 pcm given disrepair issues, which the Tribunal considered.
- Tribunal relied on its own expert general knowledge of local rental values, assessing a range of £1,350-£1,500 pcm for the property in good condition.
- Deductions applied from the top-of-range figure for disrepair/insulation, road position, tenant's decoration liability, and limited amenity space.
Tenant submitted evidence: no. Landlord submitted evidence: no.
Tribunal's reasoning
With no comparable evidence from either party, the Tribunal used its own expert knowledge of the local market to value the property in good condition at £1,500 pcm, the upper end of a £1,350-£1,500 range it considered applicable. It then deducted £175 pcm in total to reflect disrepair and poor insulation (£75), the property's position on a busy road near a roundabout (£25), the tenant's contractual liability for internal decoration (£50), and limited amenity space from a small front garden (£25), arriving at a determined rent of £1,325 pcm.
Read the original decision (PDF, GOV.UK)
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