Tenancy Renewals

Buzzbox

Pretty soon I will receive another letter to fork out about £150 for the pleasure in extending my tenancy with my current landlord. Is there a way that I can ask for an extension to the contract without drawing up a new contract?

Contract jargon is not exactly clear but I did see something about extending the contract for 6 months....

N79

If you sign nothing and do nothing the tenancy will become a statutory periodic tenancy. You can end this tenancy by giving 1 months notice. The LL can end it by giving 2 months notice. You will not have any more security of tenure than this.

Other option is to sign a new agreement for 6 /12 months etc.

Gwhiz

One your AST ends you automatically go onto a periodic tenancy - i.e. monthly. So if you want another AST for 6 months then you will need a new contract. The Q is why £150? That is v expensive and so I would question that. As an example my LA typically charges £50.

Buzzbox

The £150 was a guess, just checked the paperwork and they charge me £117.50 for a new tanancy contract to be sent to me, valid for a year.

tbs624

N79 wrote: »

If you sign nothing and do nothing the tenancy will become a statutory periodic tenancy. You can end this tenancy by giving 1 months notice. The LL can end it by giving 2 months notice. You will not have any more security of tenure than this.

Other option is to sign a new agreement for 6 /12 months etc.

Agree with N79 but perhaps a S21 has already been served earlier in the Tenancy?


OP- if you have your LLs' name and address (& your are legally entitled to it) why not try talking direct to him/her? It is probable that the LA is also trying to sting the LL for a renewal fee. Some LLs don't even realise that the T will be charged a fee becuase the LL wasn't through enough when checking all the paperwork when they signed up with the LA. If you are a reliable T then a LL is not going to want to risk a rental void and all the hassle of finding a new T who will be an unknown quantity. Negotiate

adg1

Contract extensions usually have a fee associated through a letting agent - £117.50 is very high though. I have paid between 40 and 80 in the past.

Depending on the landlord, the tenancy could turn periodic but the lettings agent will probably be employed by the landlord to find a new tenant to replace you with another fixed term as it is, in that sense, more stable for the landlord. Remember that you can offer just 1 months notice to quit in a periodic, whereas a new tenant an another AST for 12 months will be there for another 12 months.

It is down to the landlord. If he is happy with a periodic (and the property is not managed by the LA so you should have details for him/her) then you can bypass the EA with the landlords backing and go down that road. If the Landlord wants a new, guaranteed tenancy then so be it, with you as a tenant of another, freshly referenced tenant through the lettings agent.

I'd try negotiating that fee - it sounds extortionate for a contract renewal.

tbs624

adg1 wrote: »

... Remember that you can offer just 1 months notice to quit in a periodic, whereas a new tenant an another AST for 12 months will be there for another 12 months...

....assuming that the new T doesn't turn out to be an unreliable PITA who stops paying rent and then refuses to move out without a court order

adg1

tbs624 wrote: »

....assuming that the new T doesn't turn out to be an unreliable PITA who stops paying rent and then refuses to move out without a court order

Indeed but that is a risk we all run in renting out a property. Its a toss up between potential long term stability with a new tenant, or stick with what you know and run the risk of them leaving with 1 months notice at any point from, well, straight away.