Eastdowns Farmhouse, Old London Road, Chipping Norton, OX7 5 XE
Condition: Period farmhouse refurbished circa 2020 to a high standard but with limited insulation, defective central heating (reliant on plug-in heaters/wood burner), and evidence of water ingress in chimney breasts.
Evidence considered
- Landlord submitted a schedule of comparable lettings suggesting an undiscounted rent of around £2,000-£2,350 pcm, discounted to £1,750 pcm to reflect heating/insulation issues.
- No direct comparable evidence was available for properties with similarly inadequate heating/insulation, so the tribunal relied on its own knowledge and experience.
- A heating assessment report and repair quotation confirmed the heating system was inadequate for the property's heat loss.
Tenant submitted evidence: no. Landlord submitted evidence: yes.
Tribunal's reasoning
The tribunal assessed the open-market rent disregarding the historic passing rent and any personal circumstances of the parties, focusing instead on comparable lettings and the property's condition. It found the heating and insulation to be inadequate, which would concern a prospective tenant, and applied a discount to the landlord's comparable evidence (which suggested an undiscounted rent of £2,000-£2,350 pcm) to reflect this. In the absence of direct comparables for similarly under-heated properties, the tribunal relied on its own expertise to determine a market rent of £1,750 pcm, matching the landlord's proposed figure.
Read the original decision (PDF, GOV.UK)
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