The property is a modern three-bedroom terraced house in the Layton area of Blackpool, Lancashire, let on a monthly assured tenancy that began on 14 April 2024 for a term of 12 months. The tenant pays council tax, and the rent excludes it. The existing rent was £850 a month. On 31 March 2026 the company landlord served notice proposing £860 a month from 14 May 2026, and on 10 May 2026 the tenant referred the notice to the tribunal.
The tribunal decided the case on the papers and did not inspect the property. The tenant supplied photographs showing good condition and three comparables on the same road: an identical house under the same landlord advertised at £800 a month several times in 2025 and 2026, and two near identical houses with upgraded interiors and off-road parking, let agreed and marketed at £800. The landlord gave no comparables. The tribunal made no adjustments and set the rent at £800 a month from 14 May 2026, which is £50 below the existing rent and £60 below the proposed rent.
The landlord's only evidence on value was a report that the house had been marketed at £850 a month in 2024, and the tribunal relied on the tenant's more recent comparables instead. A landlord planning a rent review could check what similar homes nearby, including any of their own, have recently been advertised or let at, and be ready to put that evidence to the tribunal. Even a small proposed rise of £10 ended in a cut.
What the tribunal relied on
- The tenant gave three comparables on the same road, all at £800 a month, and the tribunal considered them relevant.
- One comparable was an identical house under the same landlord, advertised at £800 a month several times in 2025 and 2026.
- The other two had upgraded interiors and off-road parking, and were let agreed and marketed at £800 a month.
- The landlord gave no comparables, only a report that the house was marketed at £850 a month in 2024.