Rental Increase - Advice please

roguebrogue

Hi everyone!

We have just received a letter from our LA advising us that the Landlord wishes to increase the rent from £500 to £525pcm.

Now, we love our little flat and it is not much of an increase, and normally we would be happy to pay.

However, my partner especially (me being one who likes to avoid trouble) is unhappy to pay this due to the LL/LA's persistent inability to fix things.

First, our electric hob broke last september and it was not fixed until august this year.

Secondly, the bathroom door handle fell off in April this year and still has not been fixed.

Finally, the blinds in the living room and bedroom broke so that they could not be lifted properly, and eventually last month the ones in the living room fell off the wall completely....still has not been fixed.

We have made numerous phone calls/letters but nothing has been done (bar the hob). The LA says that 'Our landlord has been told but is hard to get hold of'.

So i guess you can see why my partner is unhappy....

So what do you think we should do? Just accept it? Write a complaint letter explaining we won't accept until everything is fixed? Should we of been withholding rent by now?

My only concern is that they will serve us notice. I love this flat and the location and there's not much available round here.

Thanks guys, any advice is appreciated.

david29dpo

All you can do is call his bluff. Most will agree its a buyers-renters market now and any LL will what to hold on to good tenants.

PasturesNew

Difficult shout. If you like the property/location it could be a pain in the a*** to think about moving. Not to mention the associated stress/costs.

However, small point, £25 is 5%. You might point out to them that inflation is about half that and haggle. Which also depends on how long you've been there, what other increases you've had and for how much.

roguebrogue

Well we've been here just over a year, since July last year and this is the first increase.

I am mostly worried about having to move, this flat would get snapped up in no time, so they would have no difficulty finding other tennants.

silvercar

What is the market rent for your flat? If you think the landlord will easily get at least £525 then you may decide its worth paying it to stay. If the going rent is only £500 then it is worth haggling.

A five percent increase would be swallowed up by a void of two and a hlaf weeks. If the property would be empty for longer than that while he finds new tenants, he would be better off sticking with you.

A compromise may be to offer £510 and hope he says yes to £515.

roguebrogue

To be honest I'm not entirely sure what the market rent is....I don't know of the prices for similar flats in this building, I've only seen the penthouses for rent.
But 1 bed flats around here (cardiff) are usually £500 - £550 depending on the quality...

guppy

This is tricky...its obviously worth it to you, but you don't want to be paying over the odds.

Has the LL served formal notice on you that he wants to increase the rent? This should give you a minimum two months unless you agree to it earlier.

How about sending a letter saying that before you renew the tenancy/accept the increase, you want all repairs carried out. Make it clear this is a fundamental condition of the contract, but obviously be careful not to frighten him if you have no intention of moving.

roguebrogue

Yeah the new rent will start on the 24th december.

The letter idea is what I was leaning towards....although I have to admit I've almost given up hope that things will get fixed...

Bad_BB

You like your flat, yet you say little things need fixing.

Can't you fix a handle on the bathroom door for your own convenience and comfort? If money is tight, suggest this to the LL and ask him to reimburse you...a handle doesn't cost much, and the benefit surely worth the little effort involved.

I suggest the same with the blinds...again asking the LL for permission and reimbursement.

Just a thought, but if it was me, I'd have my screwdriver out in a flash!

IveSeenTheLight

Bad_BB wrote: »

You like your flat, yet you say little things need fixing.

Can't you fix a handle on the bathroom door for your own convenience and comfort? If money is tight, suggest this to the LL and ask him to reimburse you...a handle doesn't cost much, and the benefit surely worth the little effort involved.

I suggest the same with the blinds...again asking the LL for permission and reimbursement.

Just a thought, but if it was me, I'd have my screwdriver out in a flash!

As a landlord, I would have sorted out your problems as soon as you had reported them. Regardless of the market conditions, moral standards and my wish for good tenants means I need to be a good landlord.

However as Bad BB states, the repairs you are asking for are quite small, therefore if you are happy to repair them, then I'm sure your landlord would agree and for there to be a re-imbursement for the repairs.

Hope you get your repairs sorted and agree a rental that suits both yours and your landlords needs

roguebrogue

I wish you were our Landlord IveSeenTheLight!

The reason we haven't fixed things ourselves is, again, because I like to avoid trouble. I thought that we couldn't do anything like that without the landlords permission.

To be honest, this being my first rental, I'm terrified of doing anything that may result in us being chucked out! Sad I know.