Top Floor Flat, 75 Lavender Hill, London, SW11 5QL
Condition: The flat was found to be in good overall condition with modern kitchen, central heating, double glazing and recently installed bathroom extractor and heater, though the bathroom has three external walls raising tenant concerns about heating costs.
Evidence considered
- Landlord submitted a list of two-bedroom flats in the vicinity currently available to rent, ranging from £2000 to £4000 pcm; given some weight for market context.
- Tenant submitted comparables of lettings and asking prices ranging from £2000 to £2250 pcm, including actual lettings at £2150-£2175 pcm; given more weight as they represented completed lettings rather than asking prices.
Tenant submitted evidence: yes. Landlord submitted evidence: yes.
Tribunal's reasoning
The tribunal inspected the property and preferred comparable evidence of flats that had actually been let over asking-price listings. It found the flat to be in good contemporary condition and determined a market rent of £2250 pcm, slightly above the landlord's original proposed rent of £2130 pcm (though the notice itself proposed £2310 pcm) and above the tenant's cited comparables. The tribunal also found that despite the bathroom's exposed external walls causing a tenant-specific disrepair issue, a notional market tenant would not discount the rent given the bathroom's good condition, extractor fan and heater.
Read the original decision (PDF, GOV.UK)
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