Ground Floor Flat 2, Wilson Street, Lincoln, LN1 3JA
Condition: Purpose-built ground floor flat with double glazing and gas central heating, with some tenant-made adaptations and minor wear and tear.
Evidence considered
- Tenant cited a housing association bungalow let at £450 pcm, but tribunal gave it little weight as not reflective of open market rent
- Landlord submitted no comparable evidence
- Tribunal relied on its own knowledge of purpose-built one-bedroom flats in central Lincoln letting at £650-£750 pcm, and converted flats from £600-£625 pcm
Tenant submitted evidence: yes. Landlord submitted evidence: no.
Tribunal's reasoning
The tribunal assessed the open market rent for this purpose-built one-bedroom flat at £650 pcm, based on its own knowledge of comparable one-bedroom flats in central Lincoln (purpose-built flats letting at £650-£750 pcm; cheaper converted flats at £600-£625). It deducted £15 pcm for carpets/white goods not provided by the landlord but typical in comparables, and £10 pcm for a tenant improvement to the rear yard, giving a net rent of £625 pcm. The tenant's cited housing association comparable was disregarded as not reflective of open market rent, and the landlord provided no evidence. Due to undue hardship from the tenant's frozen housing benefit, the increase was ordered to take effect from the date of the decision rather than retrospectively.
Read the original decision (PDF, GOV.UK)
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