Landlady wants to increase rent by £70 a month

Barcode

So, today my housemate and I receive a letter stating that the landlady wants to increase the rent by £70 a month (!?!). The reason cited for this is that the house next door is on the market for £600 which is £70 more than what we currently pay.

Is this fair?

I think not. I was prepared for a rent increase of around £10-£15 in November, but I now think that the landlady is taking the cake. I am on HB and I do not know if they will cover a rent increase like this (I am doubtful). My housemate says she is going to the CAB, but again, we are doubtful as the house next door is on the market for £600.

We have been tenants for three years. In that time, we have not complained when the EA/landlady have been slow to fix things (we are still waiting for them to fix a cracked window which was no fault of ours). As of now, being nice stops. I realise that the landlady is running a business, but I also feel that being trouble-free tenants for three years should count for something (apparently not).

The upshot of this is that either they lower the rent increase to at least 50% of the proposed cost, or we move. I'm also seriously considering witholding the last months rent as they seem the sort to invent a lot of excuses to keep the deposit (I realise this is not advisable, and maybe I'll rethink this once I've calmed down).

Not much else to say, just venting. Feeling really annoyed with this and stressed about a probable move in two months.

RHemmings

What did you tell the landlady? Not all landlords evict their tenants if they won't agree to an increase in the rent. You'd think that your landlady would be more inclined to ask for an increased rent after the house next door achieves a rent of £600. Not when it's up for rent at an asking price of £600.

I'd also make an offer of £550 on the house next door if I were you. To be honest, if I were in your position, I'd rather move to the house next door for the full £600 if there is no way your current landlady will budge. But that's just me.

Barcode

We haven't had a chance to respond yet. The letter arrived today and was received this evening. The first step will be negotiation, but in our experience, the EA/landlady has been inflexible on just about everything.

I may well investigate the house next door, thanks for that suggestion. That would be ironic, moving next door whilst she is left with an empty house for a little bit owing to being really greedy (at least it seems this way to me). As I said, I was prepared for a small increase, but £70 just seems excessive.

I'm just venting here, and will have a plan of action for the week (can't do much at a weekend).

file_wizzard

It really depends what type of tenancy agreement you have, and whether this is due for renewal.

If it is an assured short hold tenancy then she will be unable to increase the rent unless the term has expired ( this is unless a specific clause has been included in your agreement) if you are at the end of your term and are renewing the tenancy then she will be legally entitled to amend the rent, howvere even in this case she will need to give you one months notice of any planned change.

bud-miser

As a landlord, I can tell you that the great fear for me is of having ANY period of 'vacancy'. The prospect of losing the full rent for maybe a couple of months is usually a sobering thought and puts most landlords' rent increase hopes in a more realistic perspective.

A good tactic for you might be to offer whatever extra you CAN afford as a compromise, coupled with an indication that you will give IMMEDIATE notice if this is not acceptable. It might just make the landlady think twice. It's brinkmanship but you might not have another option.

lynzpower

Phone Housing benefit rent assessment panle on monday. tell them whats happeneing & ask them to come round and reassess before agreeing to any rent increase. With a bit of luck they will say no anyway.

Meanwhile have a stab at next door, I would.

this is market forces baby, if she doesnt like it, tough luck eh?

RHemmings

lynzpower wrote:

Phone Housing benefit rent assessment panle on monday. tell them whats happeneing & ask them to come round and reassess before agreeing to any rent increase. With a bit of luck they will say no anyway.

Meanwhile have a stab at next door, I would.

this is market forces baby, if she doesnt like it, tough luck eh?

The landlord may be cutting various corners. The tenants could tell the landlord that they are going to invite the housing benefit rent assessment people around to inspect the flat. If the landlord has anything to hide, she might not want this to happen.

Barcode

I've looked at the house next door now on-line, and it does appear to have been let, unfurnished for £600.

The rent is due to increase from November 21st. I've calmed down a bit now (but still shocked at the greed of the landlady). Here is the plan of action:

- Write a letter saying we are prepared to increase the rent by £20 a month (£10 each) which is what we can afford, if this is unacceptable, please let us know so we can make alternative arrangements.

- Contact HB people to see if they will cover the rent increase (depending on how the EA/landlady responds). The problem is, even if HB covers me, my housemate is going to struggle to find an extra £35 a month.

- If no from the council, and if the landlady is insistent, then it's moving time. We are on a rolling assured shorthold tenancy agreement. My one months calendar notice may conveniently begin on November 21st, leaving her with the Christmas/New Year period to get somebody in (good time to move when people are hungover, worrying about xmas expenses). This is my vindictive streak emerging.

I feel very disappointed by all of this: The landlady has not fixed the gas fire in the front room for THREE years (we've written endless letters, made lots of phone calls) and fobbed us off with the excuse that she doesn't need to as we have central heating. Well, we only wanted to heat one room and not the whole house so we didn't have a big gas bill.

The cracked window in the backdoor (which was like it when we moved in and noted on the inventory) has not been fixed in three years. When the EA inspects the house, it's noted, they promise to fix it, but nothing has been done.

The house is not in the most brilliant condition anyway, with a bathroom with mould in the corners and on the ceiling. Furniture that is ancient (it's noted on the inventory as 'in grubby condition') and falling apart.

I have checked on-line and the houses that are going for £600 or more in my area tend to have modern, new furnishings, modern kitchen, bathroom etc. If she feels she can let the house for £600 in the current condition, then she may have a long wait.

And again, I know it's not the best thing to do, but given our treatment, I do not trust her to refund the deposit. Better to not pay the last month I think and I'll be advising my housemate to do the same. I'm going to have give this a lot of thought. I don't like doing it, but then I am angry at this treatment after being a hassle-free tenant for three years.

lynzpower

Id just find somewhere else and get gone.

If you are witholding your deposit you probably dont need to give her any notice.

Id just leggit, which is probably not the best advice.

Dumbledore55

bud-miser wrote:

As a landlord, I can tell you that the great fear for me is of having ANY period of 'vacancy'. The prospect of of losing the full rent for maybe a couple of months is usually a sobering thought and puts most landlords' rent increase hopes in a more realistic perspective.

A good tactic for you might be to offer whatever extra you CAN afford as a compromise, coupled with an indication that you will give IMMEDIATE notice if this is not acceptable. It might just make the landlady think twice. It's brinkmanship but you might not have another option.

Totally agree, I rent a property too and haven't increased the rent during that 2 years becasue I couldn't cope without rent for 3/4 months. I'd quite like a small increase in rent but I'm just not going to risk it. I suggest you state you are willing to pay £15 per month extra and that any more than that you'll have to leave.

It does depend how financially stable your landlady is though and how easy to get new tenants.

diana11

I rent out property and I never impose a rent increase during the time of a tenancy as I do not want my tenants to have an excuse for leaving. I dread it when tenants eventually move on. As well as losing the rent, the property will always require a freshen up, maybe new carpets, new paint etc etc.

Good long term tenants are hard to find and I guess your landlady may change her mind on the rent increase if you give your notice in.