renting: how long before signing another year's contract?

morg_monster

We rent with Bushell's in SW London. Our contract runs out on 19th July. Can anyone give me an idea of how long letting agents leave it before writing to ask you to come in and sign a new tenancy agreement? Obviously this is assuming that our LL still wants to rent (and still wants to rent to us!). We don't want to contact the LA ourselves because I'm sure they'll charge us to sign the new agreement and obviously the later we have to fork out the better. Also we're slightly worried about whether they are likely to increase our rent by more than inflation (which was our pay rise this year...)

We are intending to sign for another year but just wondering how long we should wait before worrying that the landlord is selling up or something. [I don't know why he would, the asking price of equivalent 1-bed flats in our block has gone up by about 50k in the year since we starting renting there]

thelawnet

1st: contract expiring on 19th July - providing the landlord issued a valid notice that he requires the property back at the end of the contract (under s21) (usually issued when you move in), you are homeless on 19th July (well technically you'd have to be evicted if you stay), so you should sort it out ASAP

2nd, why not contact the landlord yourself, you must have his address

3rd If the price has gone up 50k, that would surely make him more likely to sell, as he has made a profit, which presumably was his goal...

thesaint

morg_monster, I will give you some advice.

1. Check whether you have received a S21 Notice to quit already. If you haven't do not contact the letting agent, there is no point, wait for them to get back to you.

2. You don't have to pay for signing the new agreement if you haven't already agreed to this.
They can of course ask the landlord to evict you, but why would he if you are a good payer?

3. Do not believe all the hype that everyone is selling up, this rumour has been put about by dreamers hoping to get on the property ladder.

Most landlords goal is not to make 50k, but to secure their future, 50k will only secure the short future of a suicide bomber.

chugalug

Technically you don't have to sign a new agreement - you just run into a 'periodic tenancy'. this carries on month to month until either you or the landlord end it. In practice most letting agents do start a new agreement for various reasons......... the main one being they can charge various 'fees' for doing so.

franklee

chugalug wrote: »

Technically you don't have to sign a new agreement - you just run into a 'periodic tenancy'. this carries on month to month until either you or the landlord end it. In practice most letting agents do start a new agreement for various reasons......... the main one being they can charge various 'fees' for doing so.

True but the landlord may already have served notice. As has already been pointed out above a Section 21 notice requiring possession is often served when the tenant moves in. It is easy for the tenant to overlook this when they are busy with other things to do with moving in. It is vital that morg_monster and all tenants learn to recognise when a S21 is served and realise what it means.

See my sig for more details!

morg_monster, check all the paperwork you've been given to see if there is a S21 lurking in there.

morg_monster

Cheers thanks for all the help.
I don't think that he'll necessarily be selling up with a 50k profit (well I'm sure its more than that, he has had the house for at least a year before we moved in), because he is living/working in Portugal where he has family but he was born here and I doubt he'll want to cut a tie like a flat. He's only a young chap, late 20s at oldest.
I have looked through our paperwork from when we moved in - we have only got the contract which we signed and the original application/references etc - I have had a scan through the contract but no mention of a S21, I will of course have a more comprehensive read through later this evening.

Is it is possible for the S21 to be 'slotted in' to a regular tenant's contract or does it have a particular layout that needs to be followed?

Thanks for your help everyone

thelawnet

the s21 notice will be a separate letter (not part of the contract), a single piece of paper saying that the landlord requires the property back on a certain date. This must be issued at least 2 months in advance.

Example here:

http://www.landlordzone.co.uk/pdf/Section21Notice.pdf

As you have not been issued one, you cannot be evicted for at least 2 months, so you do not need to do anything, unless you want a new contract.

At the end of the contract the contract reverts to an assured periodic tenancy, which basically means one month rolling contract, and the landlord can evict you with 2 months notice to end on the last day of the month (if the 12 month ends on 27th, then subsequent periods will be 28th - 27th, and any notice to quit will have to end on the 27th of the month, so in fact notice will be between 2 months and 2 months 30 days).

You can ask for a new contract, or just leave it, and continue to pay the rent at the same rate, it is your choice.