Apartment 42, Alder Court, Cline Road, London, N11 2ND
Condition: Third-floor flat with signs of disrepair including mould in the bathroom, damp-affected soft kitchen flooring, wall staining, a detached corridor heater and a loose smoke alarm.
Evidence considered
- Landlord's schedule of agreed rents for comparable flats in the same development (Alder Court and Gean Court), ranging from 2018 to 2026, though lacking detail on specification/quality.
- Closest comparable: a third-floor, front-facing flat with a Juliette balcony let for £1550 pcm in May 2025 - given most weight as requiring fewest adjustments.
- Other comparables let between late 2022 and 2026 ranging £1550-£1650 pcm; a 2022 letting was excluded as too remote in time and a ground-floor unit excluded as a different type.
- Agent's statement suggesting a similar flat in good order would achieve £1500-£1550 pcm, or £1400-£1450 pcm in average condition.
- No tenant rental evidence was submitted.
Tenant submitted evidence: no. Landlord submitted evidence: yes.
Tribunal's reasoning
The tribunal used a schedule of comparable lettings in the same development (Alder Court/Gean Court), favouring the closest comparable (a similar third-floor, front-facing flat with a Juliette balcony let at £1550 pcm) as most reliable since it required fewest adjustments. It disregarded a ground-floor comparable and an outdated 2022 letting. From the £1550 pcm benchmark for a property in good condition, the Tribunal deducted 20% (£310) to reflect disrepair, mould predisposition, and the tenant's own carpets/curtains, arriving at £1240 pcm.
Read the original decision (PDF, GOV.UK)
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