6 Victoria Street, Hemsworth, Pontefract, WF9 4BS
Condition: Tenant alleged unsafe front/back doors, a loose toilet, and black mould in one bedroom, but provided no supporting evidence, so no adjustment was made to the rent.
Evidence considered
- Landlord provided online property portal listings showing similar properties advertised between £795 and £925 pcm, which the tribunal found useful.
- Tenant raised disrepair concerns but submitted no comparable rental evidence or evidence to support the repair claims.
- Tribunal also relied on its own knowledge and expertise of local rental values.
Tenant submitted evidence: no. Landlord submitted evidence: yes.
Tribunal's reasoning
The tribunal assessed the market rent for a modernised, good-condition version of the property at £825 pcm, based on the landlord's comparable evidence (online listings of similar properties at £795-£925 pcm) and its own expertise. No deduction was made for the tenant's alleged disrepair issues (loose toilet, unsafe doors, mould) as no evidence was submitted to support them. Since the landlord's proposed rent of £800 pcm was lower than the £825 pcm open-market valuation, the tribunal determined the rent at the lower proposed figure of £800 pcm, effective from the following rental period as no undue hardship evidence was provided to justify delaying the increase.
Read the original decision (PDF, GOV.UK)
Want the evidence, not just the decision?
Around half of the decisions in this database cite a problem with the evidence submitted — comparable tribunal outcomes are usually what decides these cases, for both sides. We're testing a paid evidence pack and a guided walkthrough of the application, built from this database.
Landlord evidence pack — from £15
Nearby tribunal outcomes, a rent level likely to survive a challenge, and an evidence pack in the format the tribunal expects — timed for when you serve a section 13 notice.
Register interest in the landlord packTenant pack — from £19
Whether challenging your rent increase is worth it, plus the comparable decisions to include with your MR1 application to the tribunal.
Register interest in the tenant packNot built yet — register your interest by email and we'll let you know when it's ready. This isn't legal advice; see the law and free advice options.