Landlord increased rent 25%

[Deleted User]

teaselMay said:

If you're on PIP, depending what your assessment says, you may be entitled to the 2 bedroom LHA rather than 1. 

Im not sure. I will throw £800 at the LL and see if that can buy me a year. I understand the economy has affected everyone but 25% seems high for a one off rent increase.  Bit cheeky for this part of Wales. In Cardiff, perhaps.  Around here its not exactly boom town. 

_Penny_Dreadful

[Deleted User] said:

_Penny_Dreadful said:

[Deleted User] said:

Did you move in before or after 1st December 2022?  If before were you given an AST that converted to an occupation contract later?

I moved in May 2022. I renewed the tenancy in Sept 2022 and rent was agreed at £700 pcm.  Not sure why the RHW12 says £650.  They also own the adjacent identical 2 bed, so im assuming that guy pays less than me. 

In May 2022 did you sign an Assured Shorthold Tenancy agreement?

Then in September 2022 did you sign another Assured Shorthold Tenancy agreement?

Due to a change in Welsh housing legislation on 1st December 2022 the fixed term AST you signed in September automatically become a converted fixed term standard contract and your landlord had until 1st June 2023 with a new written contract.  Did your landlord do this?  It sounds like they didn't.

It is vital to establish what kind of occupation contract you have and whether your landlord has provided you with the required written contract following the legislation change 1st December.  The answers to these questions impact what you can do about the rent increase.

https://sheltercymru.org.uk/housing-advice/renting/written-occupation-contracts/written-occupation-contracts-general-information/

[Deleted User]

_Penny_Dreadful said:

[Deleted User] said:

_Penny_Dreadful said:

[Deleted User] said:

Did you move in before or after 1st December 2022?  If before were you given an AST that converted to an occupation contract later?

I moved in May 2022. I renewed the tenancy in Sept 2022 and rent was agreed at £700 pcm.  Not sure why the RHW12 says £650.  They also own the adjacent identical 2 bed, so im assuming that guy pays less than me. 

In May 2022 did you sign an Assured Shorthold Tenancy agreement?

Then in September 2022 did you sign another Assured Shorthold Tenancy agreement?

Due to a change in Welsh housing legislation on 1st December 2022 the fixed term AST you signed in September automatically become a converted fixed term standard contract and your landlord had until 1st June 2023 with a new written contract.  Did your landlord do this?  It sounds like they didn't.

It is vital to establish what kind of occupation contract you have and whether your landlord has provided you with the required written contract following the legislation change 1st December.  The answers to these questions impact what you can do about the rent increase.

https://sheltercymru.org.uk/housing-advice/renting/written-occupation-contracts/written-occupation-contracts-general-information/

Yeah, it was an AST with an initial fixed term 6 months.   Since doing that Sept 2022 i havent seen the landlord, i just pay the top up amount every month.  This is the first correspondence i have had. 

Herzlos

Whatever you're doing, I'd also be actively looking at other cheaper rentals in the background. If you find one, then submit your notice, move and job done.

If you need a bit of time, I'm sure you can get away with ignoring the rise, continuing the existing agreed amount and wait to be evicted by a court. Much easier if you can move away on your own terms though.

saajan_12

[Deleted User] said:

teaselMay said:

If you're on PIP, depending what your assessment says, you may be entitled to the 2 bedroom LHA rather than 1. 

Im not sure. I will throw £800 at the LL and see if that can buy me a year. I understand the economy has affected everyone but 25% seems high for a one off rent increase.  Bit cheeky for this part of Wales. In Cardiff, perhaps.  Around here its not exactly boom town. 

In principle nothing wrong with a one off larger increase, if its in place of several smaller ones surely. Otherwise you'd have paid an extra £50-100 x 12 months at least, with still the same proposed new rent now.. I appreciate it feels more shocking, but a higher % increase could mean that the new rent is too high OR that the old rent is too low (or a combination of both). 

The question is really what the new rent is in line with the market, and focus on that for a negotiation, rather than the %. 

_Penny_Dreadful

[Deleted User] said:

_Penny_Dreadful said:

[Deleted User] said:

_Penny_Dreadful said:

[Deleted User] said:

Did you move in before or after 1st December 2022?  If before were you given an AST that converted to an occupation contract later?

I moved in May 2022. I renewed the tenancy in Sept 2022 and rent was agreed at £700 pcm.  Not sure why the RHW12 says £650.  They also own the adjacent identical 2 bed, so im assuming that guy pays less than me. 

In May 2022 did you sign an Assured Shorthold Tenancy agreement?

Then in September 2022 did you sign another Assured Shorthold Tenancy agreement?

Due to a change in Welsh housing legislation on 1st December 2022 the fixed term AST you signed in September automatically become a converted fixed term standard contract and your landlord had until 1st June 2023 with a new written contract.  Did your landlord do this?  It sounds like they didn't.

It is vital to establish what kind of occupation contract you have and whether your landlord has provided you with the required written contract following the legislation change 1st December.  The answers to these questions impact what you can do about the rent increase.

https://sheltercymru.org.uk/housing-advice/renting/written-occupation-contracts/written-occupation-contracts-general-information/

Yeah, it was an AST with an initial fixed term 6 months.   Since doing that Sept 2022 i havent seen the landlord, i just pay the top up amount every month.  This is the first correspondence i have had. 

This is significant as your landlord has missed the deadline to provide you with a converted written statement. This means that until your landlord provides you with a converted written statement you cannot be legally evicted from the property.  If/when your landlord eventually provides you with the converted written statement they then need to wait 6 months until they can serve a valid Section 173 notice to start the eviction procedure.

Does the property does not have an electrical installation condition report (EICR), hard-wired interlinked smoke alarms fitted on every floor of the property and a carbon monoxide alarm in every room with a solid fuel source?  Those are legal requirements also required to be in place for 1st June 2023.

As your landlord hasn't provided you with the converted written statement then I'm not sure the RHW12 you have received is valid because the converted written statement must set out how your rent can be increased and if you've never received any such converted written statement.

If/when your landlord ever gets round to issuing the converted written statement and then another RHW12 forum you can challenge the rent increase with Rent Assessment Committee because you initially had an AST that was subsequently converted. The challenge needs to be made within 2 months of receiving the RHW12.

[Deleted User]

I haven't had that converted written statement,  but what's to stop them just saying they gave me one? Is it something I would sign? Would it have been an email?  Also the RHW12 was emailed and I think it has to be posted or hand delivered,  not emailed.   I never see the landlord.   The house is up to spec on the electrical and smoke detections.   They had an inspection last year and spent a while checking everything.  

ReadySteadyPop

[Deleted User] said:

I have rented a 2 bedroom terrace in wales for 2+ years.  My landlord recently emailed me a letter and RHW12 saying that the rents going up from 700.00 to 900.00 pcm on May 1. 

Currently im low income (UC/PIP) and get 525.00 LHA towards the rent, and I pay the difference.  Im also responsible for the energy & water.  This rise in rent will be a bit of a struggle to budget for and im wondering what options i have to try and sort something out.  I really dont want to move and housing in the area is limited.   £675-800 is about the going rate. 
 

Options? Make a deal with landlord? Citizens Advice? Suck it up? 

Landlords are getting nervous, especially recent landlords, can you get someone else in to share the rent?



You are not obliged to cover the landlord`s borrowing mistakes though so if you can find cheaper rental I would just give them notice, if they can`t replace you they will be taking a hefty council tax increase on top of their BTL debt. Just do what is best for you, good luck.

ReadySteadyPop

saajan_12 said:

[Deleted User] said:

teaselMay said:

If you're on PIP, depending what your assessment says, you may be entitled to the 2 bedroom LHA rather than 1. 

Im not sure. I will throw £800 at the LL and see if that can buy me a year. I understand the economy has affected everyone but 25% seems high for a one off rent increase.  Bit cheeky for this part of Wales. In Cardiff, perhaps.  Around here its not exactly boom town. 

In principle nothing wrong with a one off larger increase, if its in place of several smaller ones surely. Otherwise you'd have paid an extra £50-100 x 12 months at least, with still the same proposed new rent now.. I appreciate it feels more shocking, but a higher % increase could mean that the new rent is too high OR that the old rent is too low (or a combination of both). 

The question is really what the new rent is in line with the market, and focus on that for a negotiation, rather than the %. 

Maybe the landlord is heavily mortgaged?

https://www.cityam.com/brokers-expect-interest-rates-to-jump-by-start-of-2026/

Best to find a landlord with low mortgage debt or no mortgage at all, they are more likely to keep the rent low for long term tenants.

ripplyuk

FlorayG said:

You don't say how many people live with you. If you are a single occupant in a two bedroom house I think your chances of getting any discretionary help with payments is almost zero; they will tell you to move to a one bed place instead

Not necessarily. I was a single occupant in a 2 bed house and I had a discretionary award for 14yrs. The councils know that in some areas 1 bed properties are rarely available. It’s worth applying for it, OP.