council tell landlord to increase my rent by £175

poppysarah

socrates wrote: »

I am not sure where you read that LHA was supposed to reduce rents - it was meant to bring rents in - line with the 'real world'

Real world = tax payers paying LHA = rents should go lower.

Rents going up for LHA tenants means that tenant will find it harder to ever get off benefits. Something else that's not beneficial for the country long term.

LHA abuse may benefit landlords and tenants now, but leaves a very big hole in the tax payer's pocket.

socrates

poppysarah wrote: »

Real world = tax payers paying LHA = rents should go lower.

Rents going up for LHA tenants means that tenant will find it harder to ever get off benefits. Something else that's not beneficial for the country long term.

LHA abuse may benefit landlords and tenants now, but leaves a very big hole in the tax payer's pocket.

Anyone got a magic wand?

clutton_2

in my view the LHA rates (*which vary region to region when compared with Housing Benefit rates) are the first time in up to 6 years that i have been able to get a decent market rent.

As a partial benefit landlord, when a new tenant arrived on HB, there was an annual increase of 35p per week, or whatever - and when it was rent-increase time , it was utterly pointless in asking the tenant to increase their top-up as their income had gone up by 28p per week - so HB rental income stayed very much the same over several years - in spite of ongoing increasing maintainance charges, and annually increasing insurance premiums -

and yes, some mortgages have gone done, those on fixed rates (and i had a variety of mortgages) have not.

Some of my old HB rents at £425 were in areas where market rents were around £475-£495 - so i was taking a fair old financial hit every month by staying with HB tenants ... i did so because in the main they are long termers, look after my property and i used to have few voids

LHA is an easier rental evaluation system (no longer is there a need for each individual property to be inspected before "market rent " can be assessed ) - but because of regional differences in rental levels, some tenants, like OP, and some landlords are experiencing financial difficulties.

there has never been a universal good system of housing - whether council or private - i dont suppose there ever will be.

i do agree with Socrates, OP, p lease stop wasting your energies on railing against the system and use them to find a better hoem for you and yoru children, who knows you may find something even nicer.......

bw

bumpoowee

poppysarah wrote: »

It's disgusting what the landlord is doing. It should not be allowed.

Why should rents be allowed to go up like this? LHA is supposed to reduce rents - it clearly doesn't and something needs to be done urgently.

The UK needs cheaper rents. The renters need cheaper rents and the taxpayers could do with it too!

I would ring shelter for legal advice. Look at moving somewhere cheaper and go to the papers or write to your MP.

Absolutely agree with all of this. Disgusting scum landlords like this one make me sick, and the authorities are just encouraging it.

mimie

cant thank everyone enough..i have just read all the posts

..i am more focused now, i will just have to direct my energy, possibly talk to my landlord, I ll ask him either to decrease the rent or rennovate..remove the rubbish furnisher and change the carpets.( I am such a good tenant a few months ago I changed the hallway carpet and put a new one and painted the bathroom on my expense, the way I saw its home and I want to keep it fairly clean).

Please keep posting I do need as much support and advice as possible.

mimie

LHA is by no means perfect BUT if I had left one of my tenants on HB her rent would have been £642 every four weeks or £695.50 pcm - once I switched her over my rent became £820 every 4 weeks or £888.33pcm

There are very very few 2 bedroom flats in East London for £700 pcm.

I took the weeks loss of rent on the chin as this LL is doing.

I am afraid, you took a weeks loss because its for your benefit in the long run..after all you were getting a raise of £100 a month..hope you offered to refurbish your property for your tennant in line with the market too. surely if you are raising a rent you need to justify it..refurbishing, painting etc..!


poppysarah:

I am not sure where you read that LHA was supposed to reduce rents - it was meant to bring rents in - line with the 'real world'

I can reassure you that where I am in surrey £925 will easily get you a 3 bedroom house, £925 for a 2 bedroom flat, must be on the river, brand new with a balcony..I am not in london..i am in a little isolated village in surrey with very little public transport, infact no transport on sundays and half day on sat.My flat at £750 is actually very average to the rent in the area..(I really shouldnt get upset and angry again).

You will also find that it will be very difficult for the OP to move as most LL's shy away from LHA claimants - and the reasons have been discussed to death on here in other threads.

Yes..trapped like a prisoner !!! who is getting maximum gain ...landlord..!! whilst those on new claims at least have the choice of where to go...! I want to be given a CHOICE !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Personally I have a mix of LHA and Private tenants and as long as you know your onions I prefer LHA tenants BUT they are not for in-experienced LL's[/QUOTE]

mimie

bumpoowee wrote: »

Absolutely agree with all of this. Disgusting scum landlords like this one make me sick, and the authorities are just encouraging it.

Thank you..totally agree..the whole country is going through a recession..council giving my landlord£925 a month per flat for 4 flats a raise of £175 per flat...without even assessing them.
wow..what a generous employer..talk about making the rich richer

Welshwoofs

mimie wrote: »

Yes..trapped like a prisoner !!! who is getting maximum gain ...landlord..!! whilst those on new claims at least have the choice of where to go...! I want to be given a CHOICE !!!!!!!!!!!!!

You do have a choice, you can rent somewhere else if the place you are in isn't suitable.

It's hardly your LL's fault if you can't save for a deposit

mimie

Welshwoofs wrote: »

You do have a choice, you can rent somewhere else if the place you are in isn't suitable.

It's hardly your LL's fault if you can't save for a deposit

If i was able to save for a deposit I wouldnt be in this in the first place
..what planet are you on !!!!!! people who have no idea what they are talking about and just pass judgemental comments ..single mum on a single income of £970 working fulltime..ie childcare fees, at £75 a week and thats during termtime, school holidays that figure could easily goes up 3 times..for me to be able to work (on the just above minimum wage that goverment has set), I pay ALL the tax credit (work tax credits +child tax credits) and child benefits towards child care..my of my my rent plus my council tax comes up to £500, I am left with under £500 (less than being on income support by £60 ) to live off..ie pay bills, feed my child,pay for school meals, pay for the car (not a luxury, necessary where I live with hardly any public transport)..every month I go into my overdraft..I work because I have ALWAYS worked..being on income support is not an option for me end of ! If I ever increase me income, my tax credits get reduced, and I pay more of the rent by exactly the same amount of the increase of income..I have had to accept lower income jobs and go down the career ladder and change careers..because I am the sole carer for my child..I had a career in the airport with a fairly good salary, but no employer at the airport will give hours to suit carerers in general. I am expected to work round the clock (which I did, for over 2 years till I found this job I am in), it was massive struggle, I had to bring my almost 80 year old mum to look afer my mum, while am work during the nights..because..the whole of the heathrow, does not provide suitable childcare for mums that work the shifts..
childminders will not take overnight.. because they are not insured to do so, and to be insured it cost them a lot and they will have to charge alot, and its not worth it for one child..we could start another debate here.
With the rent going up as it is...I will hardly be able to save for deposit now..will I????
infact no matter how much I earn I will still be on housing benefits...possibly for the rest of my life...unless I find partner..hardly the basis of a good relationship..

Summary..if you are married woman going to a controlling abusive husband...think about it very well..as from my experince..you will only go from one form of abuse and control to another

This whole benefits system is rubbish..it doesnt work, encourages people to remain on income support and needs to scrubbed all together...only benefits the very rich and ecourages the lazy who have no aspirations in life.

socrates

mimie wrote: »

If i was able to save for a deposit I wouldnt be in this in the first place
..what planet are you on !!!!!! people who have no idea what they are talking about and just pass judgemental comments ..single mum on a single income of £970 working fulltime..ie childcare fees, at £75 a week and thats during termtime, school holidays that figure could easily goes up 3 times..for me to be able to work (on the just above minimum wage that goverment has set), I pay ALL the tax credit (work tax credits +child tax credits) and child benefits towards child care..my of my my rent plus my council tax comes up to £500, I am left with under £500 (less than being on income support by £60 ) to live off..ie pay bills, feed my child,pay for school meals, pay for the car (not a luxury, necessary where I live with hardly any public transport)..every month I go into my overdraft..I work because I have ALWAYS worked..being on income support is not an option for me end of ! If I ever increase me income, my tax credits get reduced, and I pay more of the rent by exactly the same amount of the increase of income..I have had to accept lower income jobs and go down the career ladder and change careers..because I am the sole carer for my child..I had a career in the airport with a fairly good salary, but no employer at the airport will give hours to suit carerers in general. I am expected to work round the clock (which I did, for over 2 years till I found this job I am in), it was massive struggle, I had to bring my almost 80 year old mum to look afer my mum, while am work during the nights..because..the whole of the heathrow, does not provide suitable childcare for mums that work the shifts..
childminders will not take overnight.. because they are not insured to do so, and to be insured it cost them a lot and they will have to charge alot, and its not worth it for one child..we could start another debate here.
With the rent going up as it is...I will hardly be able to save for deposit now..will I????
infact no matter how much I earn I will still be on housing benefits...possibly for the rest of my life...unless I find partner..hardly the basis of a good relationship..

Summary..if you are married woman going to a controlling abusive husband...think about it very well..as from my experince..you will only go from one form of abuse and control to another

This whole benefits system is rubbish..it doesnt work, encourages people to remain on income support and needs to scrubbed all together...only benefits the very rich and ecourages the lazy who have no aspirations in life.

I have tried with silvercar and clutton to give you practical advice.

I hear you about your situation and I empathise and I know you need to vent BUT how is any of that helping you to rectify your current predicament.

Its wonderful that you have two people or two hundred that agree with you - but how have they actually helped you, do they have any advice that will take you forward?

So stop taking one step forward and ten steps back. Half way through you said you had a plan and then you started venting again.

Visit the Housing Benefits team and give them the facts in person. You already qualify for the Rent Deposit Scheme so see which LL's are subscribed to it and move forward.

As for my personal situation regarding the £100 more a month - all that extra £100 did was to pay for the arrears that my tenant built up by not paying her top up on HB .

Its not a bed of roses being a LL and there a good LL's and bad LL's just like tenants.

So in summary - move forward with the people and departments that can change your circumstances.

We will still be here to assist with practical advice and no-one is judging you.