8 College Road, Brighton, East Sussex BN2 1JA
Condition: One-bed ground-floor flat in a converted Victorian building in Kemptown with gas heating, double glazing to the bedroom and secondary glazing in the living room; let furnished. The tenant alleged internal damp/mould (though also said recent repairs had been carried out) and rotten, unsafe external decking with mould on the outside walls.
Evidence considered
- Tenant: rental adverts for two-bedroom Brighton properties at roughly £1,300–£1,500 pcm, treated with caution as not directly comparable to the one-bed subject flat
- Landlord relied on the property's two previous tenancies both having let at £1,500 pcm, but provided no other comparables
Tenant submitted evidence: yes. Landlord submitted evidence: no.
Tribunal's reasoning
With limited comparable evidence from either side, the tribunal relied mainly on its own expertise, valuing the flat (in a desirable part of Brighton, with outside space) at £1,500 pcm, then deducted £50 for the unaddressed exterior wall and decking condition, giving £1,450 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.