43 Lawrence Road Biggleswade Bedfordshire SG18 0LS : CAM/00KC/MNR/2025/0819 CAM/00KC/MNR/2025/0819
REASONS
[1]The First Tier Tribunal received an application dated 16 December 2025. This was before the effective start date 30 December 2025 of the new rent sought, from tenants of the Property, regarding a notice of increase of rent served by the landlord, under S.13 of the Housing Act 1988 (the Act). © CROWN COPYRIGHT 2013[2]The notice dated 14 October 2025, proposed a new rent of £1,590 per calendar month exclusive, with effect from and including 30 December 2025. This rent does not include other services.[3]The tenancy is now an assured periodic calendar monthly tenancy. It had originally been granted for a fixed 12 months term on 30 December 2024 following earlier grants of fixed terms. The passing rent was £1,250 pcm. The original tenancy was from 30 December 2022 at £1,100 pcm. A copy of the current tenancy was provided. Directions[4]Directions, dated 22 December 2025, for the progression of the case, were issued by Legal Officer Laura Lawless. Neither party asked for a hearing. Inspection[7]There was no inspection. The Property is a 2 level mid terraced house dating from around 1880. It opens directly from the back edge of the pavement. It has a small rear garden. (Google Streetview August 2024). There is no off-road parking but, there is on street parking. The Property is a part of a longer terrace of very similar houses as are the buildings across this established residential road. The house is of traditional construction, rendered brick walls to front elevation to 2 levels. The main roof is double pitched finished to concrete single lap tile. It is set in the town, within streets of small 2 and 3 bedroom houses in short terraces built around the late nineteenth century as workers cottages, of similar age and construction. There is a shared passageway through the terrace to the rear garden. The Property has 2 bedrooms, living room, kitchen, bathroom/wc. It is unclear which floor the bathroom is on. There is gas fired central heating, with double glazing, both provided by the landlord. The carpets, curtains, white goods are assumed also provided by the landlord. Tenants’ and Landlord’s Representations[9]The tenant provided written submissions via the Application Form and the completed standard Reply Form. The tenant refers to some initial cleaning of the house and subsequently repairing the back garden and fence though under no particular obligation to do so. There are reports of damp and consequent mould from condensation on cold spots in what, despite upgrades and improvements over the years, is a traditional house nearing 150 years old. Neither party referred to other comparable property lettings in the locality. The Tribunal received no representations from the landlord’s agent. 2[10]Law[11]The Tribunal is grateful for such information as was provided by both parties in the application, in the standard Reply Form. In accordance with the terms of S.14 of the Act we are required to determine the rent at which we consider the property might reasonably be expected to let in the open market, by a willing landlord, under an assured tenancy, on the same terms as the actual tenancy; ignoring any increase in value attributable to tenant’s improvements and any decrease in value due to the tenant’s failure to comply with any terms of the tenancy. Thus the Property falls to be valued as it stands; but assuming that the Property to be in a reasonable internal decorative condition. Decision[14]From the Tribunal’s own general knowledge of market rent levels in Biggleswade and from its review of rents sought and achieved in the town, it determines that the subject Property would let on normal Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) terms, for £1250 per calendar month, fully fitted and in good order. From the representations the Tribunal found that the minor but persistent issue of cold spots and mould growth warranted a small reduction of £50 pcm. The new rent will therefore be £1,200 pcm with effect from 30 December 2025. Although the landlord is not obliged to charge this rent and may charge a significantly lower rent as a result of their own choice, policy, or governmental regulation; they may not charge more than this figure after 29 December 2025. Any sums already paid over, in excess of this new rent for the period after 29 December 2025, should be credited to the account in the usual way. Chairman N Martindale FRICS Date 16 February 2026 3 Rights of appeal By rule 36(2) of the Tribunal Procedure (First-tier Tribunal) (Property Chamber) Rules 2013, the tribunal is required to notify the parties about any right of appeal they may have. If either party is dissatisfied with this decision, they may apply for permission to appeal to the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) on any point of law arising from this Decision. Prior to making such an appeal, an application must be made, in writing, to this Tribunal for permission to appeal. Any such application must be made within 28 days of the issue of this decision to the person making the application (regulation 52 (2) of The Tribunal Procedure (First-tier Tribunal) (Property Chamber) Rule 2013). If the application is not made within the 28-day time limit, such application must include a request for an extension of time and the reason for not complying with the 28 day time limit; the tribunal will then look at such reason(s) and decide whether to allow the application for permission to appeal to proceed, despite not being within the time limit. The application for permission to appeal must identify the decision of the tribunal to which it relates (i.e., give the date, the property, and the case number), state the grounds of appeal and state the result the party making the application is seeking. If the tribunal refuses to grant permission to appeal, a further application for permission may be made to the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber). 4