Property Old Keepers Cottage, Collins End, Reading, RG8 7RN
Condition: A historic thatched detached house in an isolated rural setting, described as full of character and in good condition for its age, though the tenant raised issues of damp, mould, mice and minor disrepair.
Evidence considered
- Tenant cited a nearby property (Hardwick Stud Farmhouse) with rent increased from £2,250 to £2,323 pcm - given limited weight as not open-market letting evidence
- Tenant cited Leigh Cottage let at £1,600-£1,625 pcm in August 2025 - considered of limited relevance due to different property type/location
- Tenant referenced online rental valuation estimate of £2,191-£2,430 pcm for the subject property - considered but not determinative
- Tenant referenced prior (unsupplied) Knight Frank valuations and an analogous property (Dower House) valuation/achieved rent comparison suggesting £2,112-£2,324 pcm - given limited weight as reports not produced in these proceedings
- Landlord referred to having 22 market-rent and 5 near-market-rent properties on the estate but declined to disclose rent details, citing GDPR - tribunal rejected this justification and gave landlord's position no evidential weight
- Tribunal ultimately relied on its own general and expert knowledge of local market values in absence of reliable comparable evidence
Tenant submitted evidence: yes. Landlord submitted evidence: no.
Tribunal's reasoning
The landlord's notice proposed increasing rent from £2,250 to £2,750 pcm. The tenant's comparable evidence (other estate lettings, online valuations, and a prior Knight Frank-based analysis) was given limited weight as it derived from properties of different character/location or was not directly submitted, while the landlord failed to disclose any comparable rent evidence from its wider portfolio, citing GDPR, which the tribunal rejected as a valid reason. In the absence of reliable market evidence, the tribunal relied on its own expert knowledge of local values to determine a market rent of £2,500 pcm, and found no undue hardship justifying a delayed start date.
Read the original decision (PDF, GOV.UK)
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