Reasons - 24 Fenwick Drive, Bradford, BD6 2NH
Condition: The property was found to be in poor condition, with defective windows and doors, a faulty electrical installation, and external structural/disrepair issues including cracking, defective mortar joints and guttering.
Evidence considered
- Tenant's comparables: two 1950s 3-bed semi-detached houses nearby at £695 and £675 pcm, given some weight as similar age/type to the subject property
- Landlord's comparables: two terraced houses at £895 and £875 pcm, given little weight due to being a different property type and limited information available
- Tribunal's own knowledge of five other 3-bed comparables in the area ranging from £800-£1095 pcm, used to help set the pre-disrepair market rent of £850 pcm
- Landlord's Electrical Installation Condition report, Gas Safety Record and EPC (C rating) submitted to show condition, but tribunal found visual/photographic evidence of electrical defects despite the EICR
Tenant submitted evidence: yes. Landlord submitted evidence: yes.
Tribunal's reasoning
The tribunal began from a market rent of £850 per month for the property in good repair, based on its own knowledge of local rents and limited weight given to both parties' comparables (the landlord's comparables were modern terraced houses with little information known about them; the tenant's comparables were more relevant 1950s semi-detached houses). It then deducted £150 per month for significant disrepair (defective windows, electrical installation defects, and external/structural issues including cracking, defective mortar and rainwater goods) and £10 per month for the landlord's failure to provide white goods, as the tenant's other claimed "improvements" were found to be wear and tear or personal choice rather than true improvements. This produced a determined market rent of £690 per month, effective from the date specified in the landlord's notice of increase.
Read the original decision (PDF, GOV.UK)
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