Flat 7, Wootton Heights, Wootton Mount, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH1 1PJ
Condition: An 18-year-old tenancy with items of wear and tear, outstanding kitchen flooring/wall works, and amenity issues from poorly maintained bin storage and a pest infestation, though a new kitchen and some appliances had recently been installed by the landlords.
Evidence considered
- Landlord cited an identical one-bedroom flat in the same building (Flat 3) marketed to let at £990 pcm, though unlet, given limited weight as it was asking rent only.
- Tenant cited an adjoining one-bedroom flat in the same building let at £950 pcm (January 2026).
- Tenant cited two one-bedroom flats in Bath Road let/reduced at £1,000 and £1,100 pcm (including central heating and hot water).
- Tribunal relied substantially on its own expert knowledge of local rental values alongside the above comparables.
Tenant submitted evidence: yes. Landlord submitted evidence: yes.
Tribunal's reasoning
The tribunal found the landlords' section 13 notice valid and determined the market rent as at the notice date. Based on its own expertise and comparable lettings evidence (an identical flat in the same building marketed at £990 pcm, and tenant-provided comparables of one-bedroom flats letting at £950-£1,100 pcm), the tribunal assessed the modernised market rent at £975 pcm. It then deducted £10 pcm to reflect the tenants' part-provision of white goods and £40 pcm to reflect wear and tear, outstanding works and a deterioration in local amenity (bin storage and pest issues), arriving at a final rent of £925 pcm, which was actually a decrease from the previous rent of £990 pcm.
Read the original decision (PDF, GOV.UK)
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