6 Lismore Road, Sheffield, S8 9JD
Condition: A Victorian semi-detached property with significant tenant-funded improvements but also notable outstanding disrepair, including broken guttering, an asbestos garage roof, defective windows, and a cracked waste pipe.
Evidence considered
- No comparable evidence was submitted by either party.
- Tribunal relied on its own knowledge of local advertised rents (around £1200 pcm) for smaller properties without garages, adjusting upward by £200 pcm for the garage and larger size.
- Deductions applied for lack of furnishings (£30 pcm), disrepair items totalling £70 pcm, and tenant-funded improvements totalling £80 pcm.
Tenant submitted evidence: no. Landlord submitted evidence: no.
Tribunal's reasoning
The tribunal found the valid notice proposed an increase from £280/week to £460/week. As neither party produced comparable evidence, the tribunal relied on its own knowledge of local advertised rents for smaller properties without garages (around £1200 pcm), adding £200 pcm to reflect this property's garage and larger size. From that market figure it deducted £30 pcm for lack of furnishings, £70 pcm for disrepair items (guttering, windows, garage roof, waste pipe, barge boards) and £80 pcm for tenant-funded improvements (new bathroom/kitchen, boiler, bay window roof, garden landscaping), arriving at £1220 pcm (£280/week) - the same as the existing rent, so no increase was in fact made and hardship provisions did not need to apply.
Read the original decision (PDF, GOV.UK)
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