67 Downbank Avenue, Bexleyheath, DA7 6RT
Condition: Ground floor self-contained flat with gas central heating and double glazing, with tenant-reported mould and minor disrepair (fencing, rear lock) that the tribunal found did not affect rent.
Evidence considered
- Tenant provided a Rightmove screenshot of a comparable flat at £1,400 pcm, but with limited supporting detail.
- Landlord provided a floor plan and a letting agent's report with two-bedroom comparables ranging £1,450-£1,550 pcm, suggesting a rental value of £1,550-£1,600 pcm, though the tribunal found this unsupported by the actual comparables.
- Tribunal relied substantially on its own expert knowledge of local rental values given the limited evidence.
Tenant submitted evidence: yes. Landlord submitted evidence: yes.
Tribunal's reasoning
The tribunal considered comparable evidence from both parties but found it limited and within a small range. The landlord's agent suggested £1,550-£1,600 pcm but its own comparables did not support this, and the 441 sq ft flat was noted as small for a two-bedroom property. Disrepair issues raised by the tenant (mould, fencing, lock) were found to have no effect on rent and no deduction was made. Relying on its own expert knowledge of local rental values alongside the limited evidence, the tribunal determined a market rent of £1,500 pcm.
Read the original decision (PDF, GOV.UK)
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