Landlord increasing rent to cover previous 'sharp practice' loss

JustLikeThat

My son (school teacher) has been renting a bedroom (£650 per month) and shared facilities in a London tower block without an actual contract. He had one previously and when it lapsed he simply continued living there. Another bedroom is similarly rented out. In addition the flat's living room has been rented out as well.
The block owner has now told the 'landlord' that the living room can't be rented out, so my son has been asked to pay £200 more per month to make up for the income loss. he has been given a week or so to decide or move out.
If he stays he will at last have the use of a living room and finding somewhere else may be a challenge, especially at short notice. However, can anyone give an accurate assessment of the legality of all this? Guesswork would not help I'm afraid.
Thanks...

G_M

1) Of course he has a contract. Read:

Ending/Renewing an AST (what happens when the Fixed Term ends?)(What is a Periodic Tenancy?)(How can a LL remove a tenant?)(How can a tenant end a tenancy?)



2) Rent can only be raised in certain circumstances. Read:

Rent increases (how and when can rent be changed)

As a school teacher he should have no difficulty understanding these.

RAS

Does the LL live in the property?

k0sh

The first step is to read the original contract as G_M advises. The answer is in there my friend.

tbs624

OP - if you answer the question put to you by RAS this will indicate whether your son is a tenant or a lodger ( T has more security although even if a T, if the Fixed term has expired and the contract is running on from one month to another your son can be given two months notice by the LL, after which date the LL can apply for a court order)

As G_M says, appropriate notice of rent raises must be given.

thelem

Is the original contract a joint contract with the other tenants for the whole flat, or separate contracts for each room? If it is a joint contract, are all three tenants named on the contract?

JustLikeThat

Thanks for the replies. My info is via my wife's conversations, but the flat is in a tower block and the LL does not live there. My son and another person separately rent as of now and the living room was being rented to a married couple until the recent directive that this was not allowed. They were moving anyway and just left. So the 2 remaining tenants have to pick up the loss in rent...
I have shared the info so far given with my son.

EmmaHerts

Your son could rent his own studio/one bed flat for the same money they are asking, not just a room.

dgtazzman

I know commuting costs too, but for that money you'd get a nice 2 or 3 bedroom house within an hour's commute to London. If I were your son, I'd tell the LL to stuff it, he is a tenant, so legally should be given 2 months notice as you have described it, should be enough time to find another place...

G_M

JustLikeThat wrote: »

....My son and another person separately rent as of now and the living room was being rented to a married couple until the recent directive that this was not allowed. They were moving anyway and just left. So the 2 remaining tenants have to pick up the loss in rent...
I have shared the info so far given with my son.

These two sentences contradict each other.

1) if they rent seperately they have no legal obligation for each others' rent, or the rent of the flat as a whole. they only have responsibility for their own rent (whatever that was agreed at).

2) if they have to pick up the loss in rent that implies they are 'jointly and severally'responsible for the rent of the flat as a whole

So please clarify thelem's query:

Is the original contract a joint contract with the other tenants for the whole flat, or separate contracts for each room? If it is a joint contract, are all three tenants named on the contract?

JustLikeThat

They have no joint relationship and moved in at different times. I simply meant that the LL was trying to recoup a loss in overall rent by upping both of theirs.