Market rent set at £498.33 pcm, below landlord's proposed increase

PCM means per calendar month. Non-monthly rents are converted to monthly equivalents for comparison. The assessed market rent can exceed the landlord’s proposal. New Rent is the payable amount after any statutory cap. A strike-out is not a rent determination; a new rent shown for a struck-out case is the rent the parties agreed, not a figure set by the tribunal.

Landlord’s position and arguments

The landlord submitted that the proposed rent of £125 per week was a fair market rent, relying on the bungalow accommodation, off-road parking, enclosed garden, storage, furnishings and housing management. It provided advertised comparables from Blackburn and East Lancashire, including shared accommodation at £525 pcm excluding bills, and argued that local shared accommodation was commonly advertised at or above the proposed rent.

Tenant’s position and arguments

The tenant opposed the increase from £105 to £125 per week, arguing the proposed rent exceeded market levels for comparable local accommodation. He cited three bills-inclusive room advertisements at £115, £115 and £137 per week, and calculated that adding his share of separately paid utilities to the proposed rent gave an occupation cost of about £171.88 per week, substantially above local comparables.

Tribunal reasoning and decision

The tribunal considered the parties' comparable evidence and accepted no directly comparable property existed. Weighing the competing comparables and adjusting for the property's bungalow accommodation, small number of occupiers, absence of an en-suite and exclusion of utilities, it determined the market rent under section 14 of the Housing Act 1988 at £498.33 per calendar month (£115.00 per week), lower than the landlord's proposed £541.67 per month, with effect from 20 October 2026.

Original sources

• Read the decision on GOV.UK
• Tribunal document 1 (PDF)