Flat 6 Holland Park Mansions, Holland Park Gardens, W14 8DY
Condition: Property had significant disrepair to ceilings, poor windows, a substandard electrical system, and no central heating.
Evidence considered
- Tenant submitted two rent register comparables, rejected by the tribunal as not comparable (converted terraced flats in a less desirable area vs a mansion block)
- Landlord submitted no comparable evidence, only relying on an RPI-based calculation to support the rent officer's registered rent
- Tribunal relied on its own general expert knowledge of rental values in the area
- Adjustments made for lack of central heating/double glazing, absence of carpets/curtains/white goods, disrepair, poor electrical installation, and scarcity
Tenant submitted evidence: yes. Landlord submitted evidence: no.
Tribunal's reasoning
This is a Rent Act 1977 fair rent registration (not an assured tenancy market rent case under ss.13/14 Housing Act 1988). The tribunal, having rejected the tenant's two comparables as not truly comparable (converted flats in terraced houses in a less desirable location versus a mansion block), used its own expert knowledge to assess an open market rent of around £53,000 per year before adjustments for lack of central heating/double glazing, absence of carpets/curtains/white goods, disrepair, poor electrics and scarcity. This produced an uncapped fair rent of £23,320 per year (£1,943.33 pcm), which was below the statutory cap of £30,466.50 per year under the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999, so the lower figure was registered.
Read the original decision (PDF, GOV.UK)
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