Tribunal sets market rent at £650 pcm for Wallasey terraced house

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 sought a market rent of £650 per calendar month as proposed in the section 13 notice, relying on Purplebricks market evidence and Rightmove and Zoopla listings showing comparable CH44 properties marketed at roughly £650 to £750 pcm. The landlord did not accept that the reported disrepair justified a reduction, stating the issues were not known until the tenant's email of 3 July 2026, and relied on supplementary evidence of completed roof repairs and arranged ceiling works to argue the condition did not warrant a reduction.

Tenant’s position and arguments

The tenant contended the market rent was £500 per calendar month, based principally on the property's condition, including a hole in the roof, water ingress through the bedroom ceiling, and damp and mould in the kitchen and bedroom, supported by photographs. She submitted the proposed rise from £450 to £650 per month (about 44%) was unreasonable and asked for a lower determination. She also asked for a later start date on hardship grounds.

Tribunal reasoning and decision

The tribunal accepted the tenant raised genuine condition concerns and took them into account, but found they did not justify a reduction to £500 pcm. It gave the landlord's comparable evidence limited weight because of sparse information about both the subject and comparable properties, relying instead on its own knowledge of local rental values. It determined the market rent at £650 per calendar month with effect from 23 October 2026. The tenant's application for a later start date on hardship grounds was refused for lack of supporting evidence.

Original sources

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