Room 2, 1076 (A) Harrow Road, London, NW10 5NL
Condition: Studio room above ground-floor commercial premises, with no functioning WC, no gas supply, no central heating, no hot water and ongoing building works beneath and around the property.
Evidence considered
- Tribunal inspection of the property and common parts, noting disrepair (no WC, no gas, no hot water, excrement on adjacent flat roof, building works beneath)
- Landlord's assertion that similar accommodation attracts around £1400 pcm in housing benefit payments, given limited weight
- Tribunal's own assessment that the property, if fully repaired and the building works completed, would be worth around £1250 pcm for its location
- No documentary evidence from either party regarding access/repair disputes
Tenant submitted evidence: no. Landlord submitted evidence: no.
Tribunal's reasoning
The tribunal first assessed the open-market rent for the property if in good condition and with completed building works at £1250 pcm, rejecting the landlord's proposed £1436 pcm which was based on local housing benefit rates. It then substantially discounted this figure to reflect the actual condition at the effective date: no functioning WC, no gas supply (disconnected since May 2024), no central heating, no hot water, no working hob, ongoing building works immediately below and above, and significant excrement outside the kitchen window on an adjoining flat roof. Given the severity and combination of these defects, the tribunal applied a notional nominal rent of £100 pcm rather than a proportionate reduction.
Read the original decision (PDF, GOV.UK)
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