Flat 2, Gowland Court, 137-139 Seaside Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN21 3PG
Condition: Purpose-built flat with original single-glazed windows affected by rot, dated 35-year-old kitchen/bathroom, basic electric storage heating and no white goods, carpets or curtains provided.
Evidence considered
- Tribunal's own professional judgement and experience of Eastbourne rental values combined with comparable evidence submitted by both parties, used to set a notional 'good condition' rent of £775 pcm
- A 20% (£155) deduction applied to the notional rent to reflect the property's dated fittings, lack of white goods/carpets/curtains, basic heating and rotting windows
- General reference to Rightmove data showing rising Eastbourne rents and reduced rental supply since 2020, cited as market context
Tenant submitted evidence: yes. Landlord submitted evidence: yes.
Tribunal's reasoning
The tribunal first valued the flat in good, modernised condition (reasonably modern kitchen/bathroom, white goods, carpets, curtains, modern heating) at £775 pcm based on its own expertise and the comparables submitted by both parties. It then applied a 20% (£155) deduction to reflect the property's actual poor internal condition, including outdated 35-year-old kitchen and bathroom, absence of white goods/carpets/curtains, basic storage heating and rotten single-glazed windows, arriving at a determined rent of £620 pcm. The tribunal noted this adjustment was a matter of professional judgement rather than a strict arithmetical calculation.
Read the original decision (PDF, GOV.UK)
Want the evidence, not just the decision?
Around half of the decisions in this database cite a problem with the evidence submitted — comparable tribunal outcomes are usually what decides these cases, for both sides. We're testing a paid evidence pack and a guided walkthrough of the application, built from this database.
Landlord evidence pack — from £15
Nearby tribunal outcomes, a rent level likely to survive a challenge, and an evidence pack in the format the tribunal expects — timed for when you serve a section 13 notice.
Register interest in the landlord packTenant pack — from £19
Whether challenging your rent increase is worth it, plus the comparable decisions to include with your MR1 application to the tribunal.
Register interest in the tenant packNot built yet — register your interest by email and we'll let you know when it's ready. This isn't legal advice; see the law and free advice options.