Landlord changing to managed let after 2.5 years + other changes

Babbler

Our landlord has decided to change to managed let after 2.5 years of us living there. At the same time the landlord has decided to have the letting agent "review our contract" - which likely means they will want to up the rent significatly and get us to sign for a set number of months.

My question is - is this allowed? I guess if we refuse the ll could give us notice of 2 months and we will be up the creek with no paddle.

We have been trouble free tennents and always paying the rent on time.

Also - where do we stand if they want to charge us for this??? Im sure they will also want to inspect the property every 3 months etc.

Not a happy person - stressed enough as it is without this hassle!! :mad::mad::mad:

BitterAndTwisted

Why don't you stop worrying about maybes and wait until the landlord or their agent actually make some proposals?

Babbler

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

Why don't you stop worrying about maybes and wait until the landlord or their agent actually make some proposals?

Thanks - but Id like to know where I stand with the maybes for when the discussion takes place. If I dont know where I stand how can I discuss?

BitterAndTwisted

Are you currently on a fixed-term or periodic tenancy?

Babbler

We signed for 6 months to start with at beginning of the let and now it on rolling I guess. Ie 2 months notice from the ll and 1 from us...

BitterAndTwisted

The agents cannot compel you to sign a new fixed-term agreement once you are on a periodic tenancy. They will want you to because they can charge you (and very possibly the landlord) for it.

They will most probably also be looking to increase the rent as they make more commission for collecting it. You need to garner all the evidence you can that the rent you are currently paying is a fair one compared to other similar properties in the area. In any case, should they want to increase the rent they will have to serve you with the appropriate notice. This is either a Section 11 or a Section 13, I can't remember which.

Also another thing to bear in mind is that it suits agents to serve notice on existing tenants, as they can up their fee income by charging new tenants for credit-referencing, getting more commission for letting at a higher rent, and charging the landlord for tenant-finding.

However, it's going to cost the landlord money to go through the process to regain possession with a possible void period between tenancies so you should anticipate using all of your powers of persuasion should it come to it.

jjlandlord

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

In any case, should they want to increase the rent they will have to serve you with the appropriate notice. This is either a Section 11 or a Section 13, I can't remember which.

section 13.

Does not apply if tenant agrees to sign up for a new term, thouggh, in which case the rent is freely negotiated.

Babbler

Yeah - I think the ll has shot themselves in the foot here. Im hoping its just a case of reviewing the contract and maybe a little on the rent - but somehow I doubt it. Unless its what the ll has planned - to get us to leave perhaps. As can see no other reason after 2.5 years trouble free for this to be required. Costing the ll lots of money after all!

Mrs_pbradley936

I can see another reason - we have some properties and have recently changed from non-managed to fully managed because the agent gave us a very good incentive to do so. We have not increased any rents and do not intend to give anyone Notice to quit.

We use two agents and give the property to the one that finds the tenant first. I think the agent that offered us the deal was hoping that the other agent would never get one of ours again because the tenant would only ever contact them and not us.