Rent increase (Protocol)

surfer9

Hi everyone.

I live in a house share and have an assured shorthold tenancy agreement. I just got back from work and have an email from the landlord informing me that my rent will be increasing by £30 on January 1st 'due to increases in household utility and service bills'.

I am just curious to learn if this is all correct and proper......

1. Is contacting us on the 1st of the month at 11am giving us 1 months notice? Doesn't seem like it.

2. Is sending us an email appropriate / acceptable or should there be some sort of process, form I should be receiving?

3. The landlord has specified that the £30 increase is due to household utility and service bills increasing significantly. There are 6 of us living in the house. So £30 per head per month = £2160 per year. I doubt bill payments have increased by that huge amount in the past year?


I don't particularly have a problem with the rent increase, but for the many years I have lived in the house the landlord/agent running the house has never done so by the book, so just want to make sure this is all above board?

Thanks.

Dird

surfer9 wrote: »

I don't particularly have a problem with the rent increase, but for the many years I have lived in the house

Have you had price rises before in these many years? Is what you pay cheaper than others of similar standard on gumtree?
BTL rules changed so he has to pay more tax soon, he's probably lumping it in "services" to make up for the loss

G_M

More information needed. Read the link below then provide full info if you are still in doubt:


* Rent increases: when & how can rent be increased?

surfer9

It seems all ok to me then.

Just £30 specified under bills and services seems a bit extreme, but I see it as a rent increase and think that the landlord for whatever reason decided to count it under a bill increase.

surfer9

Just another thought....

Am I correct in saying rent can only be raised once a year?

I am likely going to be signing a new 6 month term shorthold tenancy agreement which will start at the beginning of January....the 'bills' will rise then to an extra £30.......

As the landlord has specified the increase is 'bills', does that give him the opportunity to make further rent increases during the year?

Miss_Samantha

surfer9 wrote: »

Am I correct in saying rent can only be raised once a year?

No, there is no restriction.

saajan_12

G_M's link has the full details but essentially, if you accept the increase, there doesn't need to be any formal process. You just start paying the new rent from the agreed date.

If you don't accept it, the landlord can issue a Section 13 while you are in rolling contract, giving you atleast a full rental period's notice for the increase. You can challenge this and a committee will decide if its fair but remember both sides can give notice to end the tenancy if they don't agree. So, if you don't have a problem with the increase and would rather stay at the property, it may be wise to come to a mutual agreement than go through S13 process.

Unless theres a clause in your tenancy, in general, the LL doesn't need to give a reason ('bill increases' sounds like an excuse/for the sake of giving a reason) and it theres no limit on the frequency. It doesn't matter whether theres a small increase every 6 months or a big increase after a few years. If you were to challenge the increase, they would look at how the proposed total rent compared to market rate, regardless of the size of increase.

G_M

Only one S13 notice can be served in each year.

But if you're signing new fixed term contracts every 6 months (or 3 months, whatever) the rent will be whatever is agreed in the contract.

teeni

surfer9 wrote: »

Just another thought....

Am I correct in saying rent can only be raised once a year?

I am likely going to be signing a new 6 month term shorthold tenancy agreement which will start at the beginning of January....the 'bills' will rise then to an extra £30.......

As the landlord has specified the increase is 'bills', does that give him the opportunity to make further rent increases during the year?

rent can ony be increased once a year in a periodic tenancy if 2 fixed terms tenancies re granted in a year the rent can be increased on the new tenancy

Miss_Samantha

teeni wrote: »

rent can ony be increased once a year in a periodic tenancy if 2 fixed terms tenancies re granted in a year the rent can be increased on the new tenancy

There is no such restriction.

G_M

teeni wrote: »

rent can ony be increased once a year in a periodic tenancy. If 2 fixed terms tenancies re granted in a year the rent can be increased on the new tenancy

I assume there's meant to be a full stop there?

But even so, that is wrong.

"rent can ony be increased once a year via S13 Notices in a periodic tenancy."