Apartment 120, Merlin House, 278 Fog Lane, Manchester, M19 1UD
Condition: Second-floor two-bedroom flat with storage heating, generally modernised but with unfinished bathroom refurbishment and flooring defects at the valuation date.
Evidence considered
- Landlord produced a Rightmove 'best price guide' with 23 local rental comparables (17 let agreed) for modern two-bedroom apartments, showing rents typically £1,000-£1,250 pcm; given weight as indicative of general market level but discounted where comparables had superior specification (extra bathrooms/en-suites).
- Tenant provided no comparable evidence, relying instead on the property's condition and lower specification relative to other flats in the development to argue for £750 pcm.
- Tribunal relied on its own expert knowledge of local rental values alongside the landlord's comparables to set the baseline market rent before condition adjustment.
Tenant submitted evidence: no. Landlord submitted evidence: yes.
Tribunal's reasoning
The tribunal used the landlord's Rightmove comparables (23 adverts, mostly let agreed) to establish a general market level of £1,000-£1,250 pcm for modern two-bedroom flats in the area, but discounted the higher comparables as having superior specification (extra bathrooms/en-suites) compared to the subject property's single bathroom. It assessed the property's market rent in good condition at £1,000 pcm, then applied a £50 pcm deduction to reflect unfinished bathroom works and flooring defects that remained outstanding at the valuation date, arriving at £950 pcm. The tenant's claim of undue hardship to delay the effective date was rejected due to lack of supporting financial evidence, so the new rent took effect from the date in the landlord's notice.
Read the original decision (PDF, GOV.UK)
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