Nimy Cottage, Front Street, Tantobie, Stanley DH9 9RE
Condition: A stone-built house with annex, dated/poorly maintained in places, with water ingress issues, minor decorative wear, and EPC rating D.
Evidence considered
- Tenant cited general DH9 area asking rents of £700-£900pcm for 3-bed homes (rising to £985pcm further afield), but without a clear summary and largely out of area, so given limited weight.
- Landlord provided no comparable evidence, only noting the rent had not increased for 10 years.
- Tribunal relied mainly on its own knowledge and expertise of local market rents, assessing a reasonable-condition market rent of £1,100pcm before condition-based deductions.
Tenant submitted evidence: yes. Landlord submitted evidence: no.
Tribunal's reasoning
The tribunal determined a baseline market rent of £1,100pcm for the property if in reasonable condition, drawing on its own knowledge and expertise rather than detailed comparable evidence from either party. It then deducted a total of £100pcm for specific defects and disadvantages: water ingress to one annex room, temporary loss of garden amenity due to safety fencing, and the tenant's long-term contribution of minor repair work. This produced a final determined rent of £1,000pcm, and the tribunal found insufficient evidence of undue hardship to justify delaying the effective date.
Read the original decision (PDF, GOV.UK)
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