63 Barrows Road, Birmingham, B11 1PP
Condition: Property has disrepair including damaged ceilings and mould, but this was disregarded as attributable to the tenant's refusal to allow access for repairs.
Evidence considered
- Landlord's comparable at 89 Barrows Road (£1,302 pcm) rejected as a 3-bedroom property with an overpriced, reduced listing
- Landlord's comparable at 225 Walford Road (£1,250 pcm) rejected as a 3-bedroom property not comparable in layout
- Landlord's comparable at Havelock Road (£1,275 pcm) rejected as actually much further from the property than claimed
- Tribunal relied on its own knowledge and a comparable 2-bedroom property in Knowle Road, Sparkhill, reduced to £950 pcm, considered most similar
Tenant submitted evidence: no. Landlord submitted evidence: yes.
Tribunal's reasoning
The tribunal found the property in disrepair (damaged ceilings and mould) but held the tenant had unreasonably refused access for repairs, so the disrepair should be disregarded and the property valued as if in good condition. It rejected the landlord's comparables (89 Barrows Road - larger with an extra converted bedroom and overpriced; 225 Walford Road - three bedrooms, not comparable; Havelock Road - actually much further away than claimed) and instead relied on its own knowledge plus a comparable in Knowle Road, Sparkhill, a similarly sized two-bedroom property recently reduced to £950 pcm, to determine the market rent at £950 pcm.
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.