Flat 1, 23-25 Lozells Street, Handsworth, Birmingham, West Midlands, B19 2AU
Condition: Ground floor flat, modernised in good order, with gas central heating.
Evidence considered
- Tribunal relied on its own expert knowledge and general knowledge of rental values in the area, together with online research, rather than comparable evidence submitted by either party.
- Landlord's proposed rent included a service charge element (£25.47/week, up from £19.45/week), which was included within the figure considered by the Tribunal.
- No independent comparable evidence of market rents was submitted by either party.
Tenant submitted evidence: no. Landlord submitted evidence: no.
Tribunal's reasoning
Neither party requested an inspection or hearing, so the Tribunal decided on the papers using its own expert knowledge and online research of rental values in the area. It determined a market rent of £170.00 per week (£736.67 pcm), noting this was a ceiling figure as the landlord, a Registered Social Landlord, could charge up to but not exceeding this amount. Because the increase was substantial, the Tribunal exercised its discretion to delay the effective date from 6 April 2026 (the date in the landlord's notice) to 3 June 2026 (the decision date) to avoid undue hardship to the tenant, though it found the tenant had not provided specific evidence of hardship beyond general living costs.
Read the original decision (PDF, GOV.UK)
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