2 Melbourne Court, Anerley Road, London SE20 8AS:LON/00AF/MNR/2026/0187 LON/00AF/MNR/2026/0187
REASONS
[1]On 30 January 2026, the Landlord served a notice under Section 13(2) of the Housing Act 1988 which proposed a new rent of £1,450 per calendar month (pcm) in place of the existing rent of £1,300 per month to take effect from 1 April 2026. This being an increase of £150.[2]On 30 April 2026, under Section 13(4)(a) of the Housing Act 1988, the Tenant referred the Landlord’s notice proposing a new rent to the Tribunal for determination of a market rent.[3]The assured tenancy commenced on the 30 September 2024. The Tribunal were presented with a copy of the agreement at a passing rent of £1,300 per month. The tenancy was for a term of 12 months; therefore, this is a statutory tenancy agreement. Allocation of Repairs between Landlord and Tenant.[4]As per section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. Services Charges or furniture provided by Landlord:[5]No furniture supplied by the landlord.[6]No service charges. Liability for Council Tax[7]The Tenant is responsible for the payment of Council Tax in respect of the Property. The rent determined is exclusive of Council Tax. Any other terms of the tenancy taken into consideration in determining the rent.[8]It is assumed; there are none. Inspection/Hearing[9]The parties did not request a hearing or inspection.[10]The Tribunal has therefore, considered this case on the basis of the papers, together with the papers provided by the parties, Rightmove, and its own knowledge and specialist expertise. The Property[11]The property is a converted ground floor flat forming part of a three storey “Art Deco” block built during the 1930’s with separate access arrangements. The accommodation comprises, one bedroom, living room/kitchen, utility area and bathroom. The flat has an EPC Rating of D which is ab average and a stated floor area of 48m2. The property has gas central heating, double glazed windows, white goods and flooring coverings. Outside: The property has rendered, tiled and brick elevations under a flat roof. There is an allocated parking space on the frontage and enclosed rear garden. The Property is situated in an established residential area close to local amenities and both Anerley and Crystal Palace stations. Evidence[12]Both parties returned the Tribunal’s completed Rent Appeal Statements together with photographs and comparable evidence of recent lettings in the Anerley area. The Tenant.[13]In the written evidence the Tenant made the following comments: a) There have been persistent failures with the boiler and heating system. b) The integrated oven is unsafe, and the extractor is not working. c) There have been drainage issues. d) There have been continuous matters of disrepair. e) The property fronts onto a busy road with noise disturbance. f) The walls are suffering from mould, mildew and plaster repairs are required. g) The comparable evidence provided by the Tenant was for new refurbished lower ground floor studio flat at £1,400 pcm and lettings which range from £1,250-£1,650 pcm h) Based on this evidence, the tenant is of the opinion a realistic increase would be between £1,350 pcm The Landlord.[14]The Landlord provided the following evidence. a) The landlord provided comparable evidence of recent lettings in the area which ranged between £1,400-£1,650 pcm which fully supported the proposed increase. b) Work sheets provided in the evidence bundle show the repairs undertaken and a maintenance chronology. c) The landlord confirms he has on all occasions responded to the maintenance and repair issues. d) The property was converted in 2008 and was completely redecorated in 2024 with new carpets. Determination and Valuation[15]Relying on its own expert, general knowledge of rental values in the Anerley area together with the comparable evidence provided by the landlord and tenant, the Tribunal considers that the market rental of the subject property modernised and in good condition would be in the order of £1,450 per month. This is the rent we would expect the property to let for in the open market including having white goods and curtains provided by the landlord.[16]From this level of rent, the Tribunal has made the following adjustments in relation to the following: a) There is evidence of mould and damp staining to the main walls.[16]The Tribunal has considered very carefully this information and usings its own expertise considers that a deduction of £75 should be applied in order to take account of the of the above matters. It should be noted that this figure cannot be. a simple arithmetical calculation and is not based upon capital costs but is the Tribunal’s estimate of the amount by which the rent would need to be reduced to attract a tenant. The full valuation is shown below: Starting Rent £1,450 Less a) Items given under a) above £75 Market rent £1,375 pcm Decision[17]Therefore, the Tribunal determines the market rent at £1,375 per calendar month with effect from the 1 April 2026 being the date of the Landlord’s notice. APPEAL PROVISIONS 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 statement of reasons (regulation 52 (2) of The Tribunal Procedure (First-tier Tribunal) (Property Chamber) Rules 2013) stating the grounds upon which it is intended to rely in the appeal.