Upper Maisonette, 14 Frederick Street, London, WC1X 0ND LON/00AG/F77/2025/0275
FIRST-TIER TRIBUNAL
PROPERTY CHAMBER (RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY)
Case No LON/00AG/F77/2025/0275
Between
Mr P Keane and Mrs R KeaneApplicantThe Riverside GroupRespondentMr P Keane and Mrs R KeaneTenantThe Riverside GroupLandlord
Before
Judge N O’Brien
Members
Ms M Bygrave FRICSDate 15 December 2025Property: Upper Maisonette, 14 Frederick Street, London WC1X 0ND
DECISION
The sum of £270.50 per week will be registered as the fair rent with effect from 15 December 2025, being the date the Tribunal made the Decision. ____________________________________ Background[1]Following an objection from the Tenant to the determination of a fair rent by the Rent Officer, the Tribunal has made a determination under the provisions of the Rent Act 1977. The Rent Officer concluded that the Maximum Fair Rent Order 1999 applied and assessed the capped rent payable for the property at £267.50 per week from 5th August 2025. Inspection[2]Tribunal did not inspect the property but considered this case on the basis of the written submissions and evidence provided by the parties Evidence[3]The Tribunal has consideration of the written submissions provided by the Tenant. There were no written submissions from the Landlord. Description of the Property[4]The property is a 4-bedroom maisonette and forms part of a converted Victorian terraced house. It has one bathroom, a living room and a kitchen/diner however the tenant states that the latter is not large enough for a dining table. The third and fourth bedrooms are described by the tenants as box rooms measuring 8.23 square meters and 7.28 square meters respectively. There is no garden.[5]The tenants complain of disrepair to the property. They have supplied photographs of the windows, some areas of defective flooring in particular to the stairs and of water damage to the walls. The property has original sash windows which have gaps. The sash mechanism has failed in that the top panes do not stay up if they are opened. The tenants also complain that the internal doors are not of good quality and that the bathroom has suffered leaks.[6]The tenant asserts that the rent should be set at no more than £170 per week based on the registered rents for other properties in the area. The tenants have supplied a list of other properties with registered rents, but do not state when the rents on those properties were registered. The tenants indicate that the landlord has asserted that the maximum fair rent cap should not apply due to improvements which were carried out in 2012 to 2015 however the landlord has not made any such assertion in these proceedings. The tenants submit that the in any event the rent should not exceed the maximum fair rent cap. Determination and Valuation[7]Having consideration our own expert, general knowledge of rental values in the area, we consider that the open market rent for the property in good tenantable condition would be in the region of £1107.69 per week. From this level of rent we have made adjustments in relation to the following matters;a. Decoration tenants’ liabilityb. No white goodsc. Single glazed sash windows in need of repaird. Bathroom leakse. Tenant replaced doors and door furnituref. Stair treads in disrepair[8]The Tribunal has also made an adjustment for scarcity.[9]The full valuation is shown below: Market Rent per week £1107.69 Less No white goods 2.5%) Decoration tenants 2.5%) approx. 21% Repairs needed 16%) £ 232.61£875.08 Less Scarcity approx. 20% 175.02 £700.06[10]The Tribunal determines a rent of £270.50. per week Decision[11]The uncapped fair rent initially determined by the Tribunal, for the purposes of section 70, was £700 per week. The capped rent for the property according to the provisions of the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999 is calculated at £270.50 per week. The calculation of the capped rent and service charge is shown on the decision form. In this case the lower rent of £270.50 per week is to be registered as the fair rent or this property. Chairperson: Judge N O’Brien Date: 15 December 2025 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 a party wishes to appeal this decision to the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber), then a written application for permission must be made to the First-tier Tribunal at the Regional Office which has been dealing with the case. The application should be made on Form RP PTA available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/form-rp-pta-application- for-permission-to-appeal-a-decision-to-the-upper-tribunal-lands-chamber The application for permission to appeal must arrive at the Regional Office within 28 days after the Tribunal sends written reasons for the decision to the person making the application. 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. Please note that if you are seeking permission to appeal against a decision made by the Tribunal under the Rent Act 1977, the Housing Act 1988 or the Local Government and Housing Act 1989, this can only be on a point of law. If the First-tier Tribunal refuses to grant permission to appeal, a further application for permission may be made to the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber).