Flat 138 Dibdin House, Maida Vale, London, W9 1QG

LON/00BK/MNR/2024/0642 · Decided 2024-12-30 · flat · 2 bed

Condition: Older purpose-built flat requiring upgrading, with inadequate bathroom, damp/mould issues, and tenant responsible for internal decoration, white goods and floor coverings; tenant had installed kitchen and central heating boiler at own expense.

Evidence considered

• Tenant provided comparable rents for three flats in the same building (Nos. 62, 106 and 30 Dibdin House) but could not substantiate details of size, tenancy type or basis of rent for any of them, so little weight was given.
• Tenant referred to a previous tribunal decision for Flat 30 showing a 35% reduction, but size/details unknown.
• Landlord cited Rightmove listings at £2,500 pcm and other lettings in the building at £2,025 pcm, but provided no supporting details and did not attend the hearing to be questioned, so the Tribunal found it had insufficient information to rely on the landlord's evidence.
• Tribunal relied substantially on its own knowledge and experience of the Maida Vale rental market to set an open market baseline figure.

Tenant submitted evidence: yes. Landlord submitted evidence: yes.

Tribunal's reasoning

The Tribunal determined that the property, if in good condition, would command an open market rent of £2,300 pcm, drawing on its own knowledge of the Maida Vale market as neither party's comparable evidence could be substantiated or tested (the landlord did not attend the hearing). It then applied a 33% deduction to reflect the property's poor condition, inadequate bathroom, damp and mould, and the tenant's liabilities for decoration, white goods, carpets and the improvements she had funded herself (kitchen and boiler), arriving at a determined rent of £1,541 pcm.

Read the original decision (PDF, GOV.UK)