Renewing rental contract period

EmmaJ_3

I'm renting with my boyfriend - we're both new graduates, I'm 24 on £25k (vet), he's 25 on much less with a part-time lecturing job and trying to build up a freelance business on the side although always looking for the dream full-time job (he's a sound engineer, it's a tricky industry to get into). This is a long-term relationship, lived together for the last 5 years.

I always thought once we graduated that we'd be looking to get onto the housing ladder asap, however with uncertainty about his career over the next few years whilst he gets into the industry we're not so sure now, especially with all the scaremongering about house prices and it being difficult for us to afford to buy a house as nice as what we're renting. We've been renting the place we're in for 6 months, the letting agency called us last week to say renewal period was up and did we want to go for a rolling contract or sign for another 6 months. We're definitely not going to be looking to buy in the next 6 months, but possibly not even the next 12, so I asked the agent to put the request to the landlord could we sign for the next 12 months. Phone call this morning to say the landlord wouldn't go for 12 months, and we're going down to the office in a few days to sign another 6 months contract.

We wanted to do 12 months for added security and to protect ourselves against any rent increase really (which isn't being asked for now). Is the landlord just leaving his options open with rental increases? I'd have thought landlords like the security of long-term tenants, and we are pretty good tenants, keep the place in great order and never missed any rent. Why else would they not go for a 12 month contract? I've only ever had 12-month contracts before on student houses.

moneysavinmonkey

6 months would bring you april when the CGT is apparently going to be lowered so that would make sense if your landlord wanted to selll or wanted to keep his options open to sell... might not be that at all might just be that he prefers 6 months as he has had problem tenants in the past?

The other thing is... do you have to pay the lettings agents if you renew your contract (even if you don't they almost certainly will charge the landlord) therefore it is in their interests to recommend to him the 6 months renewal period that way they get twice the fees.

Could you speak to your landlord directly and ask why they don't want to renew for 12 months?

EmmaJ_3

The LA hasn't asked us for a fee for renewing - unless they're leaving that bombshell until we're in the office on Thursday!

I do know the landlord's name and address (it's on the deposit protection certificate) but don't have a contact phone number or email so no way to contact them before signing the renewal short of turning up on his doorstep which I don't want to do.

We don't have much choice really I guess, but it has made me think again at whether we should look at buying in 6 months rather than this time next year.