19 Belleville Road, London SW11 6QS: LON/00BJ/MNR/2026/0377 LON/00BJ/MNR/2026/0377
REASONS
[1]On 25 March 2026 the Landlord served a notice under Section 13(2) of the Housing Act 1988 which proposed a new rent of £4,000 per calendar month (pcm) in place of the existing rent of £2,750 pcm to take effect from 01 June 2026. This being a substantial increase of £1,250 per month.[2]On 21 May 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 original assured tenancy commenced on 1 March 2026 for a term of 24 months. The rental period is monthly. Hence, this is a Statutory Tenancy. 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: The property was let unfurnished.[2]No service charges payable by Tenant. Liability for Council Tax[5]The Tenant is responsible for the payment of Council Tax in respect of the property. Any other terms of the tenancy taken into consideration in determining the rent.[6]None Inspection/Hearing[7]The parties did not request an inspection or a hearing. The Tribunal has therefore, considered this case on the basis of the submissions made by the parties, Rightmove, and its own knowledge and specialist expertise. The Property 8 The property is a mid terrace Victorian house. The accommodation comprises, 3 bedrooms, living room, dining room, kitchen, cloakroom and bathroom. The house has an EPC Rating of D which is average and a stated floor area of 114m2. The property has gas central heating, timber single glazed sash windows and flooring coverings. Outside: The property has brick elevations under a pitched roof. There is a rear garden. The property is well located close to Wandsworth Common, all local amenities and Clapham Junction station. Evidence[9]The parties completed Rent Appeal Statements and provided submissions including photographs and comparable evidence of recent lettings in the general area. The Tenant.[10]In the written evidence the Tenant made the following comments: a) The kitchen and bathroom fittings are dated in terms of design. b) The single glazed windows are suffering from minor rot and are draughty. c) No upgrades have taken place in over 12 years d) There is evidence of damp to the walls. e) The carpets are worn f) The comparable evidence provided by the Landlord shows properties that are refurbished and some extended. g) Photographs of a recent letting at 17 Bellville Road, a superior property which let at £3,750 per month. No agents details or agents name was provided and for this reason limited weight can be placed on this evidence. h) Based on this evidence, the tenant is of the opinion the new rental value should be £3,500 per month. The Landlord. 11.The Landlord provided the following evidence. a) The landlord provided details of comparable evidence which ranged from £4,000 through to £5,500 per month. b) The Tribunal were presented with an email from Winchester White, letting agents and a valuation report from Rampton Basley letting agents, each quoting an asking rent of between £4,000-£4,500 subject to “some minor cosmetic repairs made”. c) The property is in a well-regarded street close to Wandsworth Common. Determination and Valuation[12]The Tribunal wishes to thank the parties for their comprehensive submissions and comparable evidence which has been produced in a professional manner and greatly assisted the Tribunal in its determination. 13 Therefore, relying on its own expert, general knowledge of rental values in the Wandsworth area together with the comparable evidence provided by the parties, the Tribunal considers that the market rental of the subject property in modernised and in good condition would be in the order of £4,000 per month. This is the rent we would expect the property to let for in the open market including having white goods, floor coverings and curtains provided by the landlord. This figure falls within the range of the comparable evidence provided by the parties some of which appear to be extended and in a completely refurbished condition.[16]From this level of rent, the Tribunal has made the following adjustments in relation to the following: Damaged single glazed sash window units Dated kitchen and sanitary fittings[3]Worn carpets The Tribunal has considered very carefully this information and usings its own expertise considers that a deduction of £350 should be applied in order to take account of the of the above matters. It should be noted that this figure cannot bea 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 £4,000 pm Less a) Items given under 1)-3) above £350 £3,650 Market rent £3,650 pm Decision[17]The Tribunal determines the market rent at £3,650 per calendar month with effect from the 1 June 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.