Renting & need a new kitchen

Sparklypixie01

I'm stuck in a catch 22!

I have rented a house since 2007 when it was £900 PCM. Since then the rent has steadily increased by £30 pm every year (except 1 or 2 interim years) so it now stands at £1020. I am a working single parent, in receipt of tax credits & housing benefit to help try and bridge the gap. That means I can't readily increase my income as I'm stuck in a benefit trap.

Since I moved in, I highlighted the flaws in the property to the landlord but reluctantly accepted that a lot of the problems meant that the property was valued at a cheaper price than a house in better condition. However, since then, the kitchen has become worse and worse- a cupboard fell off the wall of its own accord and could have caused serious injury to anyone standing in the way, not to mention the floor is rotting, the cupboards lack kickboards and there is a temporary shelf at the height of my son's eye line. The management agent came to look at the property and agreed something needed to be done. Since then, I have obtained various quotes, the most reasonable being £4800 for full refit and redecoration of the kitchen.

The landlord has come back to me to say he will agree to this refit if I either pay half the cost or agree to a £100 rent increase. I asked if he would freeze the rent if I paid half, he said he would increase it by £50 per month, so I'm in a catch 22. Either I continue to live with a dangerous kitchen which attracts mice & have most of my food stored in plastic boxes or I agree to funding something I can't afford. Any suggestions?

Thanks for your help.

S

picklepick

How does the rent of your house compare to other houses in the area?

Sparklypixie01

Average rent for a similar property is about £1400. I don't dispute that my rent is reasonable but when we began renting the price had recently dropped as there was a lack of interest due to bad state of repair. The house had to be rewired when we first moved in and I have, and continue to make improvements from my own pocket with the agreement of the landlord. I have redecorated and recarpeted 2 rooms and made improvements to the garden. The house still has threadbare carpets, 2 cracked, modly & leaking lead windows, you can see daylight through cracks in the front door and the loft is full of a previous owner's junk, meaning I can't get it insulated unless I'm willing to empty it (not an option on my own) so there are big improvements to be made and I have accommodated previous rent increases and never missed a rent payment.

debtfreeby2013

Your LL should complete repairs without having to increase the rent (although he also has a right to increase the rent so it's a bit of an issue). Check out the Shelter website for more info?

G_M

What kind of tenancy agreement do you have? A fixed term? Renewed when? For how long? Or is it a monthly periodic (rolling) tenancy?

Do NOT put any of your own cash into improving the property unless you have a written guarantee you can continue to live there for a reasonable period of time (I suggest at least a 2 year Fixed Term tenancy).

Otherwise the risk is you pay half the kitchen improvement costs, and then get evicted allowing the LL to charge someone else a much higher rent.

You cannot force the LL to provide a new kitchen - that is a matter for negotiation, and it sounds like inevitably that negotiation will lead to a higher rent.

However you CAN force the LL to do essential repairs. Not what you want, I know, but maybe better than nothing. If the floor is rotting, maybe new floor. If cupboards are loose/dangerous, they should be re-fixed. etc.

Yorkie1

I don't think the maths adds up to contribute half yourself, if all else is equal.

Half of £4800 is £2400. That's 4 years of £50 per month reduction. If you plan on staying less than 4 years, or the LL kicks you out within 4 years, or the annual increase in rent is greater in order to bring you closer to the market rate anyway, then you've lost out.

Sparklypixie01

I haven't yet contacted the landlord back about this issue but I'm keen to get something sorted. I still have a cupboard on my kitchen floor that fell off the wall of its own accord, the kitchen is dangerous and I have a 5 year old to consider.

I don't want to get on the wrong side of the landlord but at the same time feel he's being a bit unreasonable asking me to pay half the cost of the kitchen + £50 rent increase or £100 rent increase. The rent increase would be for the life of the tenancy (plus any other increases he decides to add year on year) and he will benefit from a much more up to date kitchen when I leave whilst I will be left with nothing. As I say, I am happy to work within my means to try and meet the needs of the landlord and offered to pay for the decorating & preparing of the kitchen reducing the overall kitchen fitting cost to £3200 but he says if its going to be done it "has to be done properly" so I'm stuck.

I'm sure I could get someone in to assess the health and safety of the kitchen but this would feel like I'm backing the landlord into a corner and may mean he is more likely to increase my rent or drive me out anyway. What can I do? What are my rights?

Many thanks, S

BitterAndTwisted

You don't have any rights. Not where a new kitchen is concerned. You either agree to the landlord's proposal, tolerate things the way they are now or move.

ScotlandM

So you pay 1020 and average is 1400. Nice, good for you
But you have the discounted rent because you have a bad kitchen (and others)

If you get a good kitchen then rent goes up.

I don't understand what your problem or what solution you might want?

A solution you have been offered is to force the landlord to do essential repairs. So perhaps force him to redo the floor, and reattach cupboards to the wall and check all other wall and door fittings. This shouldn't get a rent increase, except the 30/year you are used to.

Think of it from the landlord's side. He could refit the kitchen and perhaps some other rooms and get 1400/month rent. Instead he keeps it as it is but only gets 1020. A new kitchen is part way toward the 1400 rent and he wants rent part way increased.

Agree with other poster, unless you get a long tenacy choose the 100/month increase.

Fire_Fox

Sparklypixie01 wrote: »

I haven't yet contacted the landlord back about this issue but I'm keen to get something sorted. I still have a cupboard on my kitchen floor that fell off the wall of its own accord, the kitchen is dangerous and I have a 5 year old to consider.

I'm sure I could get someone in to assess the health and safety of the kitchen but this would feel like I'm backing the landlord into a corner and may mean he is more likely to increase my rent or drive me out anyway. What can I do? What are my rights?

Many thanks, S

You've already been told what your rights are - not a new kitchen but essential repairs and to make the place safe. If you have mice and things falling off the wall then contact Environmental Health at the local council. Did you report the problems to the landlord in writing at the time they occurred?