Rent increase

Homeagain

I live in a small two bedroom house which is fine for my daughter and I. We have lived here for four years. The interior of the house was in a shocking state when I first looked at it (and I mean awful - worn out carpets, hadn't been painted in over 10 years, dreadful kitchen and floors, dirty etc etc). However, the landlord said that I could pay a reduced rental of 600 pm (which is fair for the area but not an absolute bargain) if I attended to all the decorating etc. We did it and the house, (although still needing attention and re-decorating again), is comfortable. My problem is that a year ago the LL raised the rental by 15.00 which is not much I know. I have just had an email regarding the renewal stating that the LL is raising the rent by a further 20.00. Is this fair bearing in mind that we had an agreement or at least an understanding that the rent would remain low if I attended to the upkeep and decoration of the interior which has cost me a lot of money over the time? Should I point this out to the Agent? I don't earn a great salary and a further 20.00 is hard for me to find which probably sounds ridiculous but is true. Overall, any major problems in the house are attended to immediately so I have no complaints regarding that. I really don't know whether to make a fuss or just 'suck it up'. Any advice would be appreciated. I know of the risks when renting but I will not be able to buy a house now or ever in my lifetime.

theartfullodger

The landlord can evict you, for no reason at all, thanks to "Section 21" of Housing Act 1988: (Thatcher: Remember at election..).

So, you can argue about condition & decoration but recognise possible consequences: (wrong, unfair, but legal).

(In future I humbly suggest..) no decoration or repairs or spending on something a landlord should do. That he hasn't bothered to sort his responsibilities tells you all about the sort of *rs*h*l* he is.

Sorry. Better luck in your next rental: Me, I'd be looking to move.

parking_question_chap

Homeagain wrote: »

However, the landlord said that I could pay a reduced rental of 600 pm (which is fair for the area but not an absolute bargain) if I attended to all the decorating etc. We did it and the house, (although still needing attention and re-decorating again), is comfortable.

My problem is that a year ago the LL raised the rental by 15.00 which is not much I know. I have just had an email regarding the renewal stating that the LL is raising the rent by a further 20.00.

Is this fair bearing in mind that we had an agreement or at least an understanding that the rent would remain low if I attended to the upkeep and decoration of the interior which has cost me a lot of money over the time?

Key thing is you had an understanding not a written contract to that effect, you cannot expect the landlord to keep the price low forever. Also consider they could well have increasing costs of insurance and maintenance to pay.

Take the previous agreement out of the picture, is the property worth the new price to you? If yes stay, if not move out.

ACG

Go back and try to negotiate something lower? 4 years paying on time and lookig after the proeprty, when I was a landlord I would have begged you to stay (both my tenants were shocking).

However, due to recent tax changes, landlords are paying more tax which will increase year on year for the next 3-4 years...so just be prepapred that there will probably be more rises to come.

theartfullodger

ACG wrote: »

...............However, due to recent tax changes, landlords are paying more tax which will increase year on year for the next 3-4 years...so just be prepapred that there will probably be more rises to come.

Aye, right: Just like all those landlords dropped the rent when interest rates dropped to the all-time-low & their mortgage costs shrank, massively.

ACG: Did you drop your rents? (I didn't...)

Homeagain

parking_question_chap wrote: »

Key thing is you had an understanding not a written contract to that effect, you cannot expect the landlord to keep the price low forever. Also consider they could well have increasing costs of insurance and maintenance to pay.

Take the previous agreement out of the picture, is the property worth the new price to you? If yes stay, if not move out.

I do understand that there is no formal clause in the agreement regarding low rental/decoration etc. However, I look at it in this way : if the LL is no longer prepared to keep the rent low, surely I no longer have an obligation to repaint etc and he needs to now take on this task as most decent LL's do. Is that worth pointing out?
After all the money I have spent on carpeting, repairs etc, yes, the property is now worth it. In any event, what choice do I really have.

ACG

I was only a landlord for 18 months in 2008-9(ish). My rates were low from day one.

The rent I charged was probably towards the higher end, but I had litterally just renovated the whole house. My plan was to sell it for a profit but alas I bought just before the recession hit.

All I can say is that, I would never be a landlord again. As far as I am concerned yes there is good money but (in my experience) tenants do not look after the property. My tenants were both employed in decent jobs. My favourite was a single mum who workd as a legal secretary growing canabis in the cellar and making holes in walls for ventilation.

My other one was a tenant who burnt the carpet with an iron and said it was there before he moved in, until I pulled out the receipt showing it was fitted the day before he moved in.

So I can understand why landlords do charge top whack. Within 18 months of renovating a property, I had to redecorate 3 rooms, re carpet 2 rooms and put right the the brick work where a woman had built her canabis farm, on top of having to pay for a skip to bin her crap.

This is why I said on my first post, I would have done what I could to keep her even if that means losing out on some money. Getting a good tenant is easier said than done.

Just to be clear, I am not saying all tenants are bad. Likewise there are good and bad landlords.

Homeagain

ACG wrote: »

Go back and try to negotiate something lower? 4 years paying on time and lookig after the proeprty, when I was a landlord I would have begged you to stay (both my tenants were shocking).

However, due to recent tax changes, landlords are paying more tax which will increase year on year for the next 3-4 years...so just be prepapred that there will probably be more rises to come.

Thank you, I might just do that - I just feel a little cheated, that's all. I played my part fairly in the agreement I feel he should too. I might suggest that I will accept the increase, (I can't see a way out of it especially in the light of the recent tax changes you mention) and request that he hire a painter (I have already bought all the paint). I don't think they are bad LL at all, just forgetful?

parking_question_chap

Homeagain wrote: »

I do understand that there is no formal clause in the agreement regarding low rental/decoration etc. However, I look at it in this way : if the LL is no longer prepared to keep the rent low, surely I no longer have an obligation to repaint etc and he needs to now take on this task as most decent LL's do. Is that worth pointing out?
After all the money I have spent on carpeting, repairs etc, yes, the property is now worth it. In any event, what choice do I really have.

Sadly thats the reality of renting, the landlord is not obliged to redecorate under the Landlord and Tenant Act.

I rented for about four years, never did any paintwork as I didnt want to waste the money, nor had any been done before I moved in. By the time I moved out the skirting boards were all flaking away and the ceilings all needed freshening up.

If the property is in dire need of cosmetic attention, I suggest either contacting the landlord (or managing agent) and tell them you will stay but would like financial contribution (you dont have to actualy adhere to this as you are not providing it in writing). However, I doubt this is the case just 4 or 5 years after the last decorating. It might just be that you have higher standards than many others, and on that basis I doubt they will contribute.

ACG

Raise it with them.

Personally I would try to speak to the landlord rather than the agent, agents normally get a percentage of the rent.

If you do not ask, you do not get. No harm what so ever in trying and reminding them that you have spent £x on decorating/carpets etc.

PasturesNew

He agreed to the rent remaining low, not it remaining the same.

If he'd rented it in pristine condition there'd have been regular rent reviews and it'll have gone up a bit in line with what others locally are doing.

How much would it cost to rent a house like yours that's the same/better condition?