69 Ray Mill Road West, Maidenhead, SL6 8SN
Condition: The tenant reported significant disrepair (leaks, damaged kitchen, broken fittings) while the landlord described the property as in good condition; the tribunal found it would benefit from refurbishment and redecoration.
Evidence considered
- Landlord provided a desk-top rental assessment letter from a local estate agent at £2,200 pcm, given limited weight as it was not based on an inspection and was described as negotiable.
- Landlord provided a 'Best Price' schedule from another agent listing four comparable properties ranging from £2,300 to £2,600 pcm.
- Tribunal relied on its own expert knowledge of local rental values alongside the landlord's comparables to reach its valuation.
Tenant submitted evidence: no. Landlord submitted evidence: yes.
Tribunal's reasoning
The tribunal disregarded the historic rent and assessed the hypothetical open-market rent based on the landlord's comparable evidence and its own expert knowledge. It found a desk-top agent estimate of £2,200 pcm unreliable as it was not based on an inspection, and noted this was below a separate agency schedule of comparable rents (£2,300–£2,600 pcm). Using its own expertise and the comparables, it assessed a market rent of £2,150 pcm for the property if modernised, but reduced this by £50 pcm to £2,100 pcm to reflect the property's need for refurbishment/redecoration, balanced against limited alternative stock on the market.
Read the original decision (PDF, GOV.UK)
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