Ground floor flat, 46a Danvers Road, London, N8 7HH: LON/00AP/MNR/2025/1010 LON/00AP/MNR/2025/1010
REASONS
[1]On 9 September 2025, the Landlord served a notice under Section 13(2) of the Housing Act 1988 which proposed a new rent of £400 per week in place of the existing rent of £352.75 per week to take effect from 20 October 2025.[2]On 13 September 2025, 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 Tenant confirmed that there is no written tenancy agreement. The Tenant has been in occupation of the Property since 1990. The rental period is weekly. 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 (other than carpets and curtain and white goods specified below) and the costs relating to the same.[5]The Tenant has provided the furniture and white goods, including the washing machine, fridge and freezer. The Tenant has also provided curtains in the bedroom and living room.[6]The Landlord has provided the carpets and floor coverings, as well as the blinds in the kitchen and hallway. The oven and hob are the Landlord’s. 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]N/A Inspection/Hearing[9]Neither party requested an oral hearing. The Tribunal has considered this case on the basis of an inspection and the papers provided by the parties and its own knowledge and specialist expertise. The Property[10]The Tribunal carried out an inspection of the Property on 5 March 2026 in the presence of the Tenant, Mrs Whale, and Mr Hava on behalf of the Landlord.[11]The Property is a ground floor flat in a converted house, offering the following accommodation: One large bedroom, a living room, a kitchen and a bathroom with shower, sink and WC. Outside: a rear garden with patio and lawn, accessed via two steps down from the living room. The Property benefits from central heating. The windows are largely double glazed, other than the bedroom and a single window in the living room. The Property is situated in north London, to the south of Alexandra Palace and Park. Muswell Hill is approximately 0.5 miles to the west. Hornsey Station is approximately 1 mile to the east. Evidence[12]Both the Tenant and the Landlord returned the Tribunal’s Reply forms. The Tenant.[13]The Tenant made the following comments: a) Issues of condition with the living room door and connected damp and mould were raised in the submission but confirmed on inspection that this door had been replaced with new uPVC doors. b) Issues of condition with the wallpaper coming away from the wall in the bedroom, moth damage to the living room carpet and rising damp in the hallway were outlined in the Tenant’s submission and observed by the Tribunal at the inspection. c) The electrical fuse is in the communal hallway outside the flat and there is no stop cock to turn off the water. d) Noise issues as the upstairs bedroom is above the lounge in the Property and vice versa.[14]In terms of rental evidence, the Tenant did not provide any comparables, but questioned why the Landlord’s comparables were all two-bedrooms, when the Property only has one bedroom. The Landlord[15]The Landlord provided floor plans of the Property, showing a change to the layout undertaken as part of a refurbishment in 2013/2014. The flat used to have two bedrooms. The entrance to the flat was from an internal communal hallway, with one door directly into the main bedroom and another to access the rest of the flat. During the works, the second bedroom was converted to a kitchen. The area where the kitchen used to be was converted to a hallway to allow access from an exterior pathway, enabling disabled access.[16]The following comparables were provided by the Landlord: a) A 2 bedroom flat in a converted house on Glebe Road on the market for £400 per week. b) A 2 bedroom flat in a converted house on Hanley Road on the market for £450 per week. c) A 2 bedroom flat on Priory Road on the market for £450 per week. This flat appears to have a garden. d) A 2 bedroom flat on Coleridge Road on the market for £438 per week. e) A 2 bedroom flat in a converted house on Crouch Hall Road on the market for £519 per week.[17]No details of the size or layout of the comparables were provided. Determination and Valuation[18]All of the comparables provided by the Landlord were of two bedroom properties available to let on the market. The Tribunal is valuing the Property in its current configuration as a one bedroom flat.[19]Relying on its own expert, general knowledge of rental values in the area, and the comparables provided by the Landlord, the Tribunal considers that the market rental of the subject Property in good and tenantable condition would be in the order of £425 per week. This is the rent we would expect the property to let for in the open market if it was in the same general condition as the comparable properties including having white goods and all window coverings provided by the landlord.[20]From this level of rent, the Tribunal has made adjustments in relation to the following: a) The Tenant’s provision of the white goods and some of the window coverings. b) Wants of repair in terms of the rising damp, carpet in the living room and decoration of the bedroom. c) The single glazed nature of the windows in the bedroom. The full valuation is shown below: Starting Rent £425.00 per week Less a) Items given under a) above £10.63 b) Items given under b) above £21.25 c) Items given under c) above £10.63 £42.50 Market rent £382.50 per week Decision[21]Therefore, the Tribunal determines the market rent at £382.50 per week with effect from 20 October 2025. 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.