16 Managua Close Reading RG4 5LX
Condition: A 1980s mid-terraced house in good external condition with central heating and double glazing, but tenant-provided flooring, curtains and white goods.
Evidence considered
- Tribunal's own general knowledge of market rent levels in Reading (no external comparables cited)
- Tenant submitted evidence that the same landlord charged lower rents (£154 pw for 2-bed, £194 pw for 4-bed end terrace) to neighbours in the same terrace, but this was given no weight as it reflected landlord policy/subsidised rents rather than open market value
- Monochrome photographs of the property and terrace submitted by tenant, used only to assess condition/appearance
- No inspection was carried out; condition assessed from Google Streetview imagery from November 2022
Tenant submitted evidence: yes. Landlord submitted evidence: no.
Tribunal's reasoning
The tribunal relied on its own general knowledge of market rent levels in Reading, finding the property would let on normal AST terms at £300 per week fully fitted and in good order. A £15 per week deduction was applied because the tenant, not the landlord, had to provide carpets, curtains and white goods, giving a determined rent of £285 per week (£1,235 pcm). The tenant's evidence of lower rents charged to neighbours for identical/larger homes by the same (housing association) landlord was noted but held irrelevant, as those were below-market rents set by landlord policy, and the tribunal's task was to determine a market rent only.
Read the original decision (PDF, GOV.UK)
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