Rental question

Horasio

We have opted to rent until the market picks up after selling our house in 2007.

We have moved 3 times since 2007 and it is been tiring and expensive.

In our current property, after our 6 months initial lease, they offered either 6 months or a year renewal. We decided it would be better for 6 months, as we want to get a slightly cheaper place but haven't found one we could stomach but as we were about to sign for another 6 months, the Landlord (LL) then said he wanted to put us on a rolling contract (2 months notice from them/1 month from us notice) and reduced the rent by £100 a month. We said OK.

Two months on the LL decides he wants us to have a year contract at the original rate.

He is not the type to negotiate. When he says something, he doesn't budge - he is only in his 20s and not mature nor very reasonable. The LL is also the son of the agent owner. My husband had a meeting with the agent's letting manager to put his foot down about being treated shoddily, which seemed to work. Whilst we know they want to make money. We pay a hefty rent and expect to be treated in a fair and decent way.

As he bought the place to knock down, he is not wanting to spend much on it, including making good the heating which keeps acting odd and only doing what he has to do on any repairs.

We like the place. It is peaceful, spacious and in a good area, it is a little more than we would like to pay, but the lower rent made it more attractive.

If we decide to move, we have all the upheaval and my OH is trying to set up a business, so staying put is more attractive and less stressful.

If we stay, we will have to pay more again and have to deal with this LL when things go wrong

What would you do?

silvercar

If you sign a new tenancy agreement then you will get the right to remain in the property for the length of the contract at the prescribed rent. The landlord will not be able to increase the rent for one year.

If you don't sign then the landlord will have to serve a section 21 notice if he wants you out. This would give you two months notice to end at the end of a rent period. The landlord could increase the rent by serving a section 13 notice giving you a months notice. He can only do this once a year.

Your call, but personally I wouldn't want to pay a higher rent with no long term security, so I wouldn't accept a rent increase on a periodic contract.

Difficult choice you have; it is the price of waiting for house prices to fall.

Horasio

The choice we have is we take it for a year and we are committed for a year which is secure but also limits us.

If we don't take it, then they could decide to give us notice of 2 months.

We have been looking and the choice of rentals is dire.

gazfocus

In my view, and not commenting on your taste of house/living standards, but if the house isn't in great condition and things such as the boiler are acting up, I think the LL should have enough common sense to keep the tennants he's got otherwise he would have to fix all the problems before anyone else is likely to rent out the house.

If you want to stay there for another year (which it seems you do to save hassle), you're not really losing much by going back to the original rent if he tries to force it on you. It might be worth just keeping quiet for a bit and see what happens - he's likely to try and demand the contract again before kicking you out I would have thought.

silvercar

In my mind this is the wrong way round. Rent should be cheaper on a longer term contract as it is guaranteeing the landlord a steady flow of income. Shorter rents are often more expensive as the landlord risk a void at the end of the short tenancy plus any redecorating.