50a Bridge Road, Litherland, Liverpool L21 6PH

MAN/00CA/MNR/2026/0169 · Decided 2026-09-11 · maisonette · 2 bed

Condition: No current disrepair found; property recently part-repaired by landlord with modernised kitchen and bathroom, but draughty windows and lack of white goods noted.

Evidence considered

• Landlord's comparables: four local 2-3 bed properties with asking rents £775-£895 pcm, mostly modern flats or with outside space, found largely dissimilar save for one duplex comparable at £775 pcm asking (achieved rent unknown).
• Tenant's comparables: two Seaforth Road 3-bed properties at £695 pcm asking rent, considered more similar; a Bootle 2-bed property at £625 pcm was discounted as too far away (4.5km).
• Tribunal relied substantially on its own expert knowledge of local rental values given the limited comparable evidence (mostly asking rents with unknown achieved rents).

Tenant submitted evidence: yes. Landlord submitted evidence: yes.

Tribunal's reasoning

The tribunal rejected the landlord's reliance on an informal council valuation and found most landlord comparables (modern flats, properties with gardens) too dissimilar, though gave some weight to one duplex comparable. It preferred the tenant's nearby comparables as more representative of the local market, and used its own expert knowledge to assess a market rent of £725 pcm for the property in modernised, tenantable condition, reflecting poor access and no outside space. It then deducted £25 pcm to reflect the need for window upgrades and lack of white goods, arriving at £700 pcm. Due to delay and the tenant's reliance on benefits (though no documented financial hardship), the new rent's effective date was deferred to 29 August 2026.

Read the original decision (PDF, GOV.UK)