51 Caroline Court, Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, DE14 3NG
Condition: An older, largely unmodernised ground-floor flat with worn carpets, a deteriorating bathroom floor, and timber double-glazed windows showing external rot, though due for minor cosmetic updates.
Evidence considered
- Landlord submitted details of 19 two-bedroom flats in Burton-on-Trent, rents roughly £695-£850 pcm, but these were generally more modern and in better condition than the subject property.
- Tenant submitted photographs of interior/exterior showing worn carpets, deteriorating bathroom floor, poor window condition, and lack of refurbishment since 2016.
- Tribunal's own inspection and expert knowledge of local rental values used to set baseline market rent and adjustments.
Tenant submitted evidence: yes. Landlord submitted evidence: yes.
Tribunal's reasoning
The tribunal started from a market rent of £825 pcm for the property in modernised, good condition (based on landlord's comparables and its own expertise), then deducted for poor window condition (-£50), worn carpets needing replacement (-£40), tenant (rather than landlord) providing washing machine and fridge (-£15), and an outdated bathroom (-£30), arriving at £690 pcm. The landlord's comparables were found to be of newer, refurbished flats not fully reflective of the subject property's condition, justifying the downward adjustments. Due to tenant's undue hardship, the new rent was deferred to take effect from 1 May 2026 rather than the notice date.
Read the original decision (PDF, GOV.UK)
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