Surprise rent increase

peroni57

A month ago we signed a form saying we wanted to renew our contract for another 12 months and paid £90 to cover the "administrative charges".

On Friday the agent (Andrews) phoned my partner at work and told her the landlord was increasing the rent by £25 per month and we had to agree to it asap or they would let the flat out to someone else.

So does the fact that we have already agreed to another 12 months and paid their charges (they have cashed our cheque) matter? Are they allowed to force the rent increase on us?

chanz4

why pay a renewal fee, you can just let it go to rolling with no issues. Inregards to the increase yes they can Im afraid

G_M

peroni57 wrote: »

A month ago we signed a form saying we wanted to renew our contract for another 12 months and paid £90 to cover the "administrative charges".
Receipt? Saying...?
Do you have a copy? Is itsigned by LL/agent?
What date does your current fixed term end?

On Friday the agent (Andrews) phoned my partner at work and told her the landlord was increasing the rent by £25 per month and we had to agree to it asap or they would let the flat out to someone else.
They would haveto first evict you which will
* take time
* cost the landlord money - probobly more than £300 (£25 times 12 months)

So does the fact that we have already agreed to another 12 months and paid their charges (they have cashed our cheque) matter?
Has the landlord (or agent) signed the new agreement?
Are they allowed to force the rent increase on us?

You can certainly demand your fee back if the LL is refusing to sign the new contract you wereofferred and signed, which was presumably at the original rent?

New rent? Read:

Rent increases (how and when can rent be changed)

As for what happens when your current fixed term ends, 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?)

peroni57

Thanks for replies.

"Let it go rolling"? They say we have to renew it every so often - 6, 12 or 24 months and we have to pay the fee each time....

No receipt or signed anything and it wasn't a contract - simply a form that we signed to say we wanted to continue the tenancy for another 12 months. They said they didn't have any record of it and the only proof we have is the £90 that has come out of our account.

Surely we'd have to pay court charges and have bad credit rating if it ended up with us being evicted?

Tenancy would end at end of July

ValHaller

Do you have a copy of the form you signed? What does it say?

G_M

peroni57 wrote: »

Thanks for replies.

"Let it go rolling"? They say we have to renew it every so often - 6, 12 or 24 months and we have to pay the fee each time....
read the link in my post above

No receipt or signed anything and it wasn't a contract - simply a form that we signed to say we wanted to continue the tenancy for another 12 months. They said they didn't have any record of it and the only proof we have is the £90 that has come out of our account.
what. You paid cash and didn't ask for a receipt..... :rotfl:


Surely we'd have to pay court charges and have bad credit rating if it ended up with us being evicted?
You only get bad credit rating if
a) you are taken to court (for debt, unpaid rent etc) AND
b) you lose and court orders you to pay AND
c) you still refuse to pay

Tenancy would end at end of July

Read the links provided!

franklee

peroni57 wrote: »

A month ago we signed a form saying we wanted to renew our contract for another 12 months and paid £90 to cover the "administrative charges".

I reckon it's binding especially as the renewal fee was accepted as well so you have proof. I hope you kept a copy of the paperwork.

Have a read of this blog entry by Tessa:
Can landlords refuse to accept a signed tenancy renewal form?
http://www.landlordlawblog.co.uk/2011/06/06/can-landlords-refuse-to-accept-a-signed-tenancy-renewal-form/

Extract:
"... the landlord cannot get out of it. If he has sent a new tenancy agreement to the tenant to sign, and then tenant signs it, there is nothing he can do about it. He is bound by the new tenancy fixed term."

If you read the rest of the blog entry it explains that the landlord doesn't need to have signed.

chanz4

letting agents would say about the fee, as thy charge you and the landlord for it. But nope you can go on a rolling after the initial term