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msrt5mp2
Posts: 21 Forumite
Good Morning All,
I have a huge dilemma that is causing massive strain and hope you can help fill me in on what my rights are and how I can proceed. I have looked at some very useful articles on the forum and site as well as others but as far as I can see most are not applicable to my situation.
My rented property house has just been sold with me as a sitting tenant and this went through last week. I met with representatives of the new landlord yesterday who tried to get me to sign up to a new tenancy agreement with an increase in rent from £295pcm to £368pcm. This proposed increase of 24.75% comes as quite a shock and is completely unaffordable from my point of view as I am unable to work due to severe mental health issues and rely on limited benefits which are already stretched (I get £265pcm towards my housing benefit and other benefits that barely cover basic living costs).
Given the poor state of the building both inside and out and the long list of recommendations noted by the Council’s Selective Licencing Representative last month I find this appalling; (such as double glazed windows, front door replacement, kitchen and living room improvements, roofing work and more). This is especially so as this accommodation is vastly inferior to comparable properties in the area that have been available recently for much less than the £365pcm that is being proposed. For instance, one on my street was let last month at my current rent of £295pcm and is in far better condition than mine at present.
I have been a good tenant for 4 years and I would prefer not to have the emotional disturbance to my mental well-being that a stressful move would cause, however, I simply cannot afford anywhere near what was proposed today. Ideally I would move to somewhere nicer but money is a problem as even if I got one of the comparably priced properties (of which none are available right now, the cheapest currently is around £350pcm) there is still the added costs of moving such as referencing fees, admin charges, van hire etc which again I would struggle to afford. If the improvements suggested by the council were made then perhaps they could justify increasing the rent to this amount in the future but as things stand this is far too much in line with other properties and they claim to have no knowledge of this work report so that is not a factor in this increase according to them.
I am just very troubled and have had a sleepless night with worry and this is not helping my mental health condition. If you can help in any way or point me in the direction of someone who can offer some advice in this matter it would be greatly appreciated as I do not know how I am going to cope with this situation.
Thanks and Regards
I have a huge dilemma that is causing massive strain and hope you can help fill me in on what my rights are and how I can proceed. I have looked at some very useful articles on the forum and site as well as others but as far as I can see most are not applicable to my situation.
My rented property house has just been sold with me as a sitting tenant and this went through last week. I met with representatives of the new landlord yesterday who tried to get me to sign up to a new tenancy agreement with an increase in rent from £295pcm to £368pcm. This proposed increase of 24.75% comes as quite a shock and is completely unaffordable from my point of view as I am unable to work due to severe mental health issues and rely on limited benefits which are already stretched (I get £265pcm towards my housing benefit and other benefits that barely cover basic living costs).
Given the poor state of the building both inside and out and the long list of recommendations noted by the Council’s Selective Licencing Representative last month I find this appalling; (such as double glazed windows, front door replacement, kitchen and living room improvements, roofing work and more). This is especially so as this accommodation is vastly inferior to comparable properties in the area that have been available recently for much less than the £365pcm that is being proposed. For instance, one on my street was let last month at my current rent of £295pcm and is in far better condition than mine at present.
I have been a good tenant for 4 years and I would prefer not to have the emotional disturbance to my mental well-being that a stressful move would cause, however, I simply cannot afford anywhere near what was proposed today. Ideally I would move to somewhere nicer but money is a problem as even if I got one of the comparably priced properties (of which none are available right now, the cheapest currently is around £350pcm) there is still the added costs of moving such as referencing fees, admin charges, van hire etc which again I would struggle to afford. If the improvements suggested by the council were made then perhaps they could justify increasing the rent to this amount in the future but as things stand this is far too much in line with other properties and they claim to have no knowledge of this work report so that is not a factor in this increase according to them.
I am just very troubled and have had a sleepless night with worry and this is not helping my mental health condition. If you can help in any way or point me in the direction of someone who can offer some advice in this matter it would be greatly appreciated as I do not know how I am going to cope with this situation.
Thanks and Regards
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Comments
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If you are on a rolling contract there is'nt much you can do other than to find somewhere else to live. Is your deposit protected? Gas inspections up to date?
If there are better properties around, then suggest you move anyway.0 -
It does sound like for every other reason than finances, you should be looking to move anyway.
Phone Shelter, see if they can find any sources of financial help and to offer suggestions re the repairs. I moved out of a similar situation, and although the stress had me pulling out my hair, I cheered when I closed the door to the old place.0 -
It seems he!!!8217;s just matching market rent- you!!!8217;ve had it cheap.0
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deannatrois wrote: »It does sound like for every other reason than finances, you should be looking to move anyway.
Phone Shelter, see if they can find any sources of financial help and to offer suggestions re the repairs. I moved out of a similar situation, and although the stress had me pulling out my hair, I cheered when I closed the door to the old place.
Thanks,
Yeah I am pretty sure I will have to move, I'm mainly concerned about what my rights will be short term. As there is nowhere currently available within my budget can they kick me out for example after the 1 month notice if I have nowhere to go?
I have also read about the Section 13 rent increase notice and 'notice to quit!!!8217; for evictions but given I do not have a tenancy agreement with the new incoming landlord I am wondering how this will affect me and my rights until I can find somewhere.
My feeling is that they are intentionally forcing me out, will do the work the Council have advised and then try and get someone in with a high rent. I have been wanting to move for a long time as the house is in a very poor condition through no fault of my own but it was all I could afford at the time and I've been struggling to afford the deposits etc to move to other affordable properties that came up since - I will definitely cheer to get out of there it's just going to be tricky getting something sorted and worried about being turfed out before I can arrange something.0 -
No you cannot be kicked out after a month.
Read both G_M's 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? and Rent Increases: when & how can rent be increased?0 -
We were in a similar situation years ago. We'd been living in the house for 4 years and weren't aware the house was even up for sale until it appeared on an agency advert as sold. The agent for the new owner came to see us with a new contract he wanted us to sign with a higher rent. We asked if they would be doing the work the house needed but he wasn't very forthcoming.
We immediately found somewhere else and moved out.0 -
Indeed.No you cannot be kicked out after a month.
Read both G_M's 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? and Rent Increases: when & how can rent be increased?
You have a perfectly valid tenancy agreement with the new landlord at present.
However, as it is periodic, it provides you with minimal security, as described in the link above.
The LL can either evict you (following the correct process), or increase the rent (again, by following the process described in the 2nd link)0 -
It seems he!!!8217;s just matching market rent- you!!!8217;ve had it cheap.
It's not matching market rent, the price they are now asking is way above comparable properties in the area, especially considering the condition it is in.
I'm not sure where you are from but this is a small Lancashire town where rent is a LOT cheaper and the house was only bought for £30,000 last week, a 2 bedroom terrace.0 -
It's not matching market rent, the price they are now asking is way above comparable properties in the area, especially considering the condition it is in.
I'm not sure where you are from but this is a small Lancashire town where rent is a LOT cheaper and the house was only bought for £30,000 last week, a 2 bedroom terrace.
<--- small Lancashire city
I'm only making my point based upon your opening statement:
Ideally I would move to somewhere nicer but money is a problem as even if I got one of the comparably priced properties (of which none are available right now, the cheapest currently is around £350pcm)0 -
When was the rent last increased, over your 4 years as a tenant?No free lunch, and no free laptop
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