Rent increase offer agreed via email - binding?

Crafty_Moggie

Hi there!
I have a 12-month rental contract with my landlord, managed by an agency, and it's been renewed yearly for a few years now. With the end of tenancy approaching, the landlord, through the agency, communicated a rent increase via email few weeks ago. I made a counteroffer, which the landlord accepted, as clearly confirmed by the agency in writing.

However, two weeks later, the agency says the ll has made another counteroffer increasing the rent again. Given the written confirmation of acceptance, are the terms I proposed binding, or can the ll change his mind after accepting them?
We haven't signed the updated contracts yet.

It feels strange that the ll initially accepted the terms but changed his mind much closer to the end of the tenancy.

propertyrental

So you are in a (1 year?) fixed term due to end shortly?

Does the (current) tenancy agreement have a rent review clause? What exactly does it say?

However I believe you have two options:

1) rely on the (yes legally binding) agreement already reached but do NOT sign a new fixed term contract. When your current fixed term ends, stay, and you will automatically move to a periodic (rolling) tenancy at the agreed new rent.

2) ignore all the above and sign a new tenancy agreement at whatever you and the LL agree at the time of signing. If the LL insists on a higher rent you don't like, then don't sign (see 1 above)

Now read

Post 4: Ending/renewing an AST: what happens when a fixed term ends? How can a LL or tenant end a tenancy? What is a periodic tenancy?

Post 5: Rent increases: when & how can rent be increased?