Landlord has put rent up - can I protest

G_M

McKneff wrote: »

Are you for real. The rent hasnt gone up for 4 years !!!!!!.

We all have our idiocyncracies,personality traits and, err, faults, on this forum.

Regular posters on the housing forum will know mine.

ruggedtoast's post is true to form if you check previous posts!

Fire_Fox

Don't report things to the agent by e-mail, report them to the landlord by letter. If anything is dangerous is not fixed you can get Environmental Health involved. Don't confuse this with your rent, either the raise is fair considering the market and the overall condition/ location of the property or it is not. You might ask for a new one year AST to be signed as part if the rent increase, this will give you security if that is your wish.

At five surely your children can move schools, it's madness to stay in an area you cannot afford for a child of that age. There is nothing stopping you paying rent earlier in the month if that helps your budget, or setting the rent money aside in a second bank account. Your cashflow issues are none of your landlords concern and vice versa. The Debt Free Wannabe board will help you if you complete a Statement of Affairs.

Freecall

McKneff wrote: »

If they are served with notice, they have 2 months to find somewhere else to live............ till a court puts them out and the council are obliged to house them.

Or if they need a bit longer just pay the increased rent for a month or two, they are only on one month's notice after all.

Heliflyguy

McKneff wrote: »

Are you for real. The rent hasnt gone up for 4 years !!!!!!.

Have you looked at rental prices between now and 2008. You need to and get this into perspective.

If they are served with notice, they have 2 months to find somewhere else to live. Plenty of time to do so, if they cant, then they just stay put, till a court puts them out and the council are obliged to house them.
Homelessness is not in the equasion.

For a start that fact the rent hasnt gone up for 4 years is irrelevent and not a reason to put up a rent, so the question is why are rents rising? not down to the interest rate is it.

You could say market forces driven by greedy landlords and equally greedy letting agents taking advantage of supply and demand, is this the perspective you talk about?

Without knowing both sides of the story its impossible to say if its fair/right or not.
Problem is that the business of housing is not a good mix in England at the moment.

Also the likley scenario of getting evicted in that way could be considered as making themselves homeless so no help from the council there.

GDB2222

G_M wrote: »

HOW has he informed you?
WHAT does your tenancy agreement say (if anything)?

This will tell you how and when rent can be raised:

Rent increases (how and when can rent be changed)

Can that page be amended. It took me a while to find a S13 notice, as the link does not work. Here's a new link http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/doc/tenancyform4b.doc

SecondTimeBuyer

A lot of strong opinions here.

Have you spoken to the landlord / agency? If not speak to them and advise of your situation.

Personally I would look around and see if you can find something equivelent for the same price you are currently paying, if you can tell him to stick his flat. A 1 month void in tennacny will be negate any benefit he'd get for putting up the rent.

GDB2222

ruggedtoast wrote: »

It makes me sick that these parasites can put the rent up £100 and threaten a working family with homelessness.

Thats an extra £1200 a year for doing nothing.

Presumably, when the price of your newspaper goes up 10p, that's 10p "for doing nothing" and also makes you sick. Likewise fuel for the car, fares, clothing, etc. Why do you think that rents should not be subject to inflation?

Heliflyguy

GDB2222 wrote: »

Why do you think that rents should not be subject to inflation?

I am not fighting anyones corner here but rents in many areas of the UK have increased well above inflation, maybe rises should be fixed to the inflation rate (pick one) and drop when inflation drops as well.

ruggedtoast

McKneff wrote: »

Are you for real. The rent hasnt gone up for 4 years !!!!!!.

They are not threatening a working family with homelessness,
they are proposing to raise the rent.
Have you looked at rental prices between now and 2008. You need to and get this into perspective.

If they are served with notice, they have 2 months to find somewhere else to live. Plenty of time to do so, if they cant, then they just stay put, till a court puts them out and the council are obliged to house them.
Homelessness is not in the equasion.

Since 2008 house prices have dropped, wages have stagnated, but still parasites raise rental fees and exploit lax housing regulation to bully extortionate fees out of families that can barely afford them.

At £1200 I'd wager that their rent is about £600 more than it should be already. There should be rent controls and security of tenure in place to stop the vultures raiding their tenants bank balances whenever they feel like it.

Sure, moving house is no big deal when you have kids who are in school.

What a joke. You clearly don't have a clue.

jjlandlord

GDB2222 wrote: »

Why do you think that rents should not be subject to inflation?

We should keep in mind that the inflation figure as defined by the CPI and RPI is the result of price fluctuation, not the cause of it.
Price fluctuation is due to supply and demand, also to underlying costs.

I don't think that landlords' costs have increased in the past years, so I would think that the main cause of rent fluctuation is the result of supply and demand in the local market.
So in the context of OP's question it really depends on the local conditions.