A first-floor two-bedroom maisonette with central heating in Brighton, East Sussex, was let on a monthly rental period under a tenancy that began in July 2025. The existing rent was £1,550 a month. In April 2026 the landlord served a notice proposing £1,710 a month from 21 July 2026. The tenants referred the notice to the tribunal in June 2026. They said defects including mould, failed window seals, poor insulation and structural noise meant the market rent was lower.
The tribunal decided the case on the papers. It found the tenants' evidence supported their case on insulation, windows, mould and decoration, and that the landlord's agent had not shown the property had premium fixtures or that the problems came from the tenants' lifestyle. The agent supplied no comparables. The tribunal took £1,550 a month as the rent for the property in good order, deducted £115 for the defects, and set the rent at £1,435 a month, £115 below the existing rent, from 21 July 2026.
For a landlord planning a rent review, the lesson is that the condition of the property can outweigh the headline market rate. Repair reports sent to an agent during the tenancy were part of the evidence the tribunal weighed. Claims about a premium specification, tenant lifestyle or blocked access were not accepted without supporting evidence. Before proposing a rise, a landlord may want to resolve outstanding repairs, keep records of them, and gather comparable lettings to put forward.
What the tribunal relied on
- The tenants' evidence supported their complaints about insulation, windows, mould and the state of decoration.
- The landlord's agent supplied no comparable lettings and no evidence of premium fixtures or of tenants blocking tradespeople.
- The tribunal started from £1,550 a month for the property in good order and made deductions of £50, £25, £25 and £15.
- The neighbouring property put forward by the tenants was not treated as a true comparable because it had one bedroom.