Flat 4,19 Crossfield Road, London, NW3 4NT
Condition: Second-floor one-bedroom converted Victorian terrace flat, generally in good condition with minor cosmetic wear (flaking paint, small cracks) and historic but inactive signs of a ceiling leak.
Evidence considered
- Landlord provided comparables from the NW3 area, including one on Belsize Avenue which the tribunal found particularly useful and relied on to set the rent.
- Tenant provided comparable evidence but argued the landlord's comparables were not truly comparable (luxury, higher ceilings, newly refurbished, quieter location); tribunal gave this less weight as the Belsize Avenue comparable was preferred.
- Tenant's evidence of disrepair (including a council environmental health humidity reading) was considered but found insufficient to justify a rent adjustment.
Tenant submitted evidence: yes. Landlord submitted evidence: yes.
Tribunal's reasoning
The tribunal determined the open-market rent by relying mainly on the landlord's comparable evidence for a property on Belsize Avenue, which it found particularly useful, alongside other comparables from both parties. No adjustment was made for disrepair as the tenant's evidence did not demonstrate a level of disrepair warranting a reduction or showed repairs had already been addressed. The tenant's personal/financial hardship submissions could not affect the rent level itself (only the starting date), and the tribunal used its discretion under s.14(7) to delay the new rent's start date to 15 November 2024 to avoid undue hardship.
Read the original decision (PDF, GOV.UK)
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