Flat 3, 42 Grantham Road, Brighton, BN1 6EE
Condition: The flat suffers from chronic damp and mould, cracked plaster, defective single-glazed windows, a dated kitchen and bathroom and unsatisfactory electrics, plus an unsafe unauthorised loft room unfit for habitation.
Evidence considered
- No comparable evidence was provided by either party.
- Tribunal relied on its own expert knowledge of Brighton rental values to set a hypothetical good-condition rent of £1,200 pcm.
- A 30% deduction (£360 pcm) was applied for disrepair including damp/mould, cracked plaster, defective windows, dated kitchen/bathroom and unsatisfactory electrics.
- Photographs and extracts from an electrical report and a damp report were submitted by both parties.
Tenant submitted evidence: yes. Landlord submitted evidence: yes.
Tribunal's reasoning
The tribunal first valued the flat in good condition at £1,200 pcm using its own expert knowledge of the Brighton market, as no comparable evidence was submitted by either side. It then applied a 30% reduction (£360 pcm) to reflect disrepair found on inspection, including chronic damp and mould, cracked plaster, defective windows, dated kitchen/bathroom fittings and unsatisfactory electrics, as well as a loft room accessed by an unsafe staircase that was deemed unfit for habitation and unusable except for storage. This produced a determined market rent of £840 pcm, effective from the date in the landlord's original notice of increase.
Read the original decision (PDF, GOV.UK)
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