Guide To Increasing Your Tenants Rent The Right Way

Guide To Increasing Your Tenants Rent The Right Way

Increasing rent can be a difficult issue, especially when you’re looking to hike up rates for existing tenants. However, often landlords need to increase rent over time, to keep up with the level of inflation / cost of living and of course, good ol’ greed.

From my experience, it’s usually more palatable to gradually increase rent rather than holding back for prolonged periods and then increasing it by a significant amount; for obvious reasons, that’s often more difficult for tenants to accept. So generally speaking, regular rent increases are pretty normal and healthy (as long as they’re reasonable, of course).

So let’s take a look at what, when, where, how, if, and but….

Page contents

Potential problems with increasing rent

Before taking the plunge, let’s quickly mull over the potential downfalls, and maybe even reasons to think again.

Here are the common problems that a landlord faces when considering the subject of an increase in rent:

  • Fear of confrontation- this shouldn’t really be a deterrent, but understandably, not everyone takes to confrontation like a duck does to water.
  • The suggestion may force the tenant to vacate (which could potentially cost more than increasing the rent).
  • May cause future tension in the tenant/landlord relationship.

Is the increase necessary?

Before making any quick decisions, ask yourself if the actual increase is needed. Don’t increase rates out of greed, because you could do more damage than good, especially financially. A landlord should always make a distinct clarification between necessity and greed.

From my experience, if you treat a good tenant (i.e. one that pays rent on time and takes care of your property) fairly, that usually equates to the most profitable experience- even without increasing rent.

Good reasons for increasing rent

  • To keep up with interest rates on mortgage payments
  • The changing condition of the rental market
  • Rising taxes
  • Escalating cost of living
  • High property maintenance costs

Bad reasons for increasing rent

  • Greed
  • You THINK your property is worth more
  • For no reason whatsoever

How to increase your tenant’s rent

It is important for landlords to follow the correct procedure when increasing the rent because otherwise the tenant can continue paying the set amount of rent.

Option 1: sign a new tenancy agreement
Normally, rent is increased at the end of a fixed term of a tenancy. This is done by signing a new Tenancy Agreement with the new rates. This is definitely the easiest and the most common method of increasing rent.

Option 2: document the increase during the fixed term
If you want to increase the rent during the fixed term (assuming you’re permitted to i.e. there’s a clause in the contract that allows for mid-tenancy rent increases), you should notify your tenant by a written notice with the new amount and when the increase will begin (I recommend providing 2 months notice).

The letter should be returned to you with their name, date and signature to prove that they have acknowledged and accepted the increase. They should also keep a copy. This is often called a Rent Increase Agreement.

Option 3: mutual agreement
If there is no mention of a rent increase in the tenancy agreement and you don’t wish to serve any notices, you can still talk to the tenant and see if they will mutually agree to an increase. If they do, it is important to do the same as in option 3- create a documented Rent Increase Agreement.

Option 4: serve a Section 13, notice of rent increase during a periodic tenancy
If you don’t start a new tenancy agreement after the tenancy fixed dates expires, and you subsequently wish for the tenancy to roll into a periodic tenancy, it is best to create a Rent Increase Agreement.

However, if the tenant disputes the increase, then you can serve a Section 13(2) Notice of the Housing Act 1988, proposing an increase in rent, at the end of the fixed term.

Can I increase my tenants rent?

It depends.

If you’re in the middle of a fixed term, you can’t unless there is a clause in the tenancy agreement that says the landlord can review the rent during the fixed term (this is relevant for option 3) or it is stated what the rent will increase to X amount after 6 months.

For example, if the tenancy agreement is 12 months long, there might be a clause that says rent can be reviewed after 6 months. In that case, you can increase the rent. But be careful, the clause must be fair and comply with the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999.

One way to make a rent review clause fair is to specify what the new figure will actually be (e.g. say that it will increase to £X month after 6 months). This will be deemed fair as the tenant will have approved the actual amount when signing the agreement.

BUT don’t increase the rent too much

Referring to the previous point, even if stated in the Tenancy Agreement that the landlord is entitled to increase the rent by £X amount, it still has to be a fair and realistic increase.

If the increase is too great, the tenant could successfully appeal, regardless of whether the tenant signed the agreement.

Rent increase notice period

A landlord must provide the tenant sufficient notice before a rent increase is to take effect.

For a monthly, weekly or fortnightly tenancy, the landlord should provide at least one month’s notice. For a yearly tenancy, six month’s notice is required before the increase can be put into effect.

The rent increase must begin on the same day of the month that the tenancy started. For example, if the rent for the tenancy is due on the 1st of every month then the new increased rent should also be due on the 1st of the month.

If the tenant doesn’t accept the increase

Assuming the rent increase is fair and the tenant still refuses to accept it, the landlord can serve a Section 21- Notice of Possession Order Form. This is the legal way for a landlord to gain possession of the property after the fixed term has expired; effectively the tenant is told to vacate. However, in these circumstances, where neither can agree on rent, it might be possible to mutually terminate the tenancy. More details on how to end a tenancy agreement legally.

Points to remember

  • Tenants can dispute the increase
    If the tenant thinks that the rent increase during an agreement is excessive, the tenant can dispute the increase. The tenant should discuss the reasons for the increase with the landlord first. However, if an agreement cannot be made, the tenant can apply to the first-tier tribunal property chamber to challenge the rent increase. More details here
  • Value good tenants
    Good tenants are extremely difficult to find. If you have a good tenant that pays rent on time and takes good care of your property, it’s probably worth showing your tenant some appreciation by keeping the rates the same. Take into consideration how much time and money it would cost you to find a new tenant, you’ll probably end up losing more money by replacing your old tenant even if you do increase rent. As they say, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”
  • Be generous with your notice period
    If you plan on increasing rates, I recommend giving your tenant 2 months notice. That way if your tenant decides the new rate is too expensive and consequently would prefer vacating after the expiration, it gives you 2 months to find a new tenant. That should be an ample amount of time for you to get someone new lined up.
  • Market condition
    Be aware of what the current rental market is like.

    If you know the rental market is booming in your area, then it may be a sensible time to increase rates, because even if your current tenant’s reject the increase, you should be able to find replacements relatively easily. You can ask your local letting agents what condition the market is in.

  • Monitor current rental rates
    Find out current local rates for similar properties in the same area. If you’re undercharging, you can use that as a bargaining token with your tenant. Respectfully explain that you need to be keeping up with the economic change in the rental market, and currently the rent you’re charging isn’t up with the local market.

    That will make your tenant think twice about vacating, because if they decide to vacate they’ll only move into another property, paying the same amount that you initially wanted.

    To find your local rates for similar properties, you can ask your local letting agent or look on websites like Rightmove and Zoopla.

  • Be respectful and tactful
    Approach your tenant with tact.

    Remember, your tenant hasn’t done anything wrong, and they have every right to refuse the increased rate. Be understanding and supportive of your tenant. A tenant needs a good landlord just as much as a landlord needs a good tenant.

46 Join the Conversation...

Guest Avatar
JOHN BARKER 20th May, 2010 @ 19:10

Enjoyed reading some of the input.
keep at it

1
Guest Avatar
Tim 2nd September, 2010 @ 17:08

You wrote:

"Some reasons why you SHOULD think about increasing rates:

* Want to make your tenant leave property"

So you'd give a BAD tenant a VALID reason to drag you through the courts as the bad guy? I'm glad you thought this one through...

2
Guest Avatar
Jools 2nd September, 2010 @ 17:29

Sorry Tim, don't understand your reasoning?

Jools

3
Guest Avatar
Tim 2nd September, 2010 @ 17:54

OK, dragging through the courts is a bit of an overstatement, but sending and unwinnable case to a rent assessment committee, thus providing documentary evidence of your own unreasonable behaviour in case of future proceedings, seems like a strange way of getting rid of a bad tenant. They give you enough hassle, surely, without you creating some more for yourself?

4
The Landlord Avatar
The Landlord 3rd September, 2010 @ 11:43

@Tim
A tenant can't legally dispute unless the rent increase is extremely excessive/unfair.

5
Guest Avatar
Jeff 14th September, 2010 @ 18:23

@Tim,

Also, maybe they accept the higher rent, which makes their assholeness more tolerable.

6
Guest Avatar
elizabeth webber 9th November, 2010 @ 15:48

it is very difficult to make a decision to raise the rent on a property when you have a good tenant and I appreciate all the comments on this forum about good tentant/landlord relationships but in our case the tenant had already previously rented it and had to move out when the other tenant went to university. She was and still is a good tenant and we came to an agreement about the reduced rent (bearing in mind all your comments)but whilst negotiating this reduced rent (400 for a two bedroomed newly furnished flat on the edge of the beach with parking, no poll tax or water rates! compared to 650.00 for very similar accommodation and what she jointly paid previously ie 325 per month, she had always insisted she couldn't afford the original 500 we asked for as a sole tenant. She was totally unprepared to share with anyone but now we need to put the rent up, despite your comments you shouldn't put the rent up because you could get more, we are falling short of nearly 250. 00 per month and in this economic climate and when there are a lot of people looking for accommodation in our area, we cannot keep the rent so low any more. We are between the devil and the deep blue sea because she is a good tenant but we have a valuable commodity here that in essence someone else is enjoying and we are paying for it. Awkward situation

7
Guest Avatar
Dan 25th February, 2011 @ 00:37

Interesting comments from all...I'd be interested to see what you think of our situation.

We're renting a 2 bedroom detached bungalow with an annexe which is rented separately by the landlord. Our landlord has all bills in his name and so instead of renting at £750-800 the rent is £1100 inclusive of gas/elec/phone line (not calls) and council tax. This seemed to be average when we moved in two years ago but now he wants to increase the rent from £1100 to £1450! The letter said that he would be delighted to keep us on as tenants...I bet.

I should add that the tenancy is for my wife and myself only, no pets, no kids and we don't smoke. We've never paid late and have effected many repairs at our own expense as we got tired of waiting for the landlord, who lives abroad, to get them seen to. We were originally told that the property was agent managed but when we received the contract this was not the case but by then we'd handed in our notice on our previous property.

The property shares the hot water with the annexe and the girl there likes her baths menaing there is frequently no hot water. Also the fuse box is in the annexe and we don't have access to it. As there are lots of halogen bulbs they seem to blow frequently which trips the fuse (partially but not completely resolved by the LL putting much heavier fuses in... is this safe?). If the girl in the annexe is out we are without electricity for hours, or sometimes days if she's away, in part of our house...not great! We feel we should have been advised about this prior to renting but we weren't. By the way, the property was empty for over 6 months before we rented it and most of that time it was on the market. Now we know why.

Ok, first port of call...speak to local letting agents to see how much rental prices have climbed since we moved in as although everyone hates a rental increase we want to be fair. I was advised that 3-5% should be expected. Next I checked with the utilities company's and they've also increased by 5% (He's not with British Gas who's went up 7%). Incidentally, the gas and elec for both properties is around £140-150 pm. I know as I have to open this envelope, with the LL's permission, to know how much to pay for the calls. Then it was back to letting agents for their advice on what they would value the property at. We had various answers from £1100pm - £1200pm inclusive but they all said that £1450 was far too much considering the property condition and the shared resources with the annexe of hot water and fuse box. On top of this the unpaved, unadopted highway, road to the property has some severe potholes and my car (sensible saloon, NOT a sporty number) bottoms out every day and it's getting worse.

So, what are we to do? The obvious answer is to seek another property and part ways with our not terribly responsive landlord. Would that be the best course? We can easily get 2/3 bedroom houses or bungalows for £800-900 locally. Just looking for advice as I don't want to over react and I hate moving.

Thanks!

8
Guest Avatar
Carol 14th July, 2011 @ 18:22

I am approaching the end of my second year in my rented house. When i first moved in i paid £800pcm. At the end of the year the landlord increased it to £825pcm, now he wants to increase it to £850pcm. Every year i have been asked to pay an extra £300. Am i being petty and should accept the increase?
i have been a good tenant who always pays on time, never hassles him. i treat the house as my own. i painted the whole house when i initially moved in as it was tired and dirty, fixed the kitchen cupboards and weeded the the whole garden. what thanks do i get??? a rental increae. I think its unfair considering the about of work i have put into the property. i have always been under the impression that good tenants were hard to come by. what should i do??

9
Guest Avatar
bunnyjean 16th August, 2013 @ 17:26

Hi
I have been renting my unfurnised one bedroomed flat in Shirley Southampton since Aug 2005 for a monthly rent of £510 which I have always paid on time and in full.
When I moved into the flat it was dirty and tired and over the past eight years I have keep it up improving it i.e. decorating, loft ladder etc all at my own expense.
I have had ongoing trouble with my water heater and I requested a professional, instead my landlord tried to do the job and left me overnight with bare wires in my airing cupboard. I have up until now had a very good relationship with my landlord.
On Wednesday afternoon he just turned up and informed me that he was increasing my rent to £560 per month which is nearly a 10% increase. I am not happy as I am a pensioner. The going rater for these flats if between £500 AND £530 per month. I would like to hear if any of you landlord think this fair?

10
Guest Avatar
Helen 23rd September, 2013 @ 20:51

Some landlords are just getting greedier & greedier. I rented my flat 3 years ago for £800 pcm (the going rate for a 1 bed) and he has recently upped it to...£950! After a lot of argument, I got it down to £920. He says at the 'going rate' he could get between £1200 - £1500 pcm for it. This is because he's now calling it a 3 bed flat; one 'bedroom' is so tiny you could hardly get a single bed in it, and certainly nothing else! The third 'bedroom' is an add-on to the flat with windows & a door that do not fit properly & the cold wind sends the curtains blowing up in the air! In the winter it's impossible to be in this room even with the radiator going full blast, the floor is concrete with a 1cm thick old carpet on it. I'm too old to move (nearly 70) so will just have to put up with it. Outrageous.

11
Guest Avatar
Helen 25th May, 2014 @ 20:31

Hi. My tenant has been living in my propety for the last 6 years. İ had 12 months contract which expired and i never renewed the contract. What type of tenancy do i have and what kind of notice do i need to serve to my tenant as i would like her to leave. Many thanks.

12
Guest Avatar
Helen 26th May, 2014 @ 00:47

@Helen 25th May
If you don't know the answer to that simple question, you really have no business being a landlady!

And why do you want to get rid of her? She will now have settled in & become part of the community in that area - have you any idea of the disruption to life that will cause her? Or you just don't care?

Just up her rent by £150 a month - that'll do the trick!!

13
Guest Avatar
Mark 17th July, 2014 @ 14:28

To rent the house to the tenants was always a problem. Being a landlord I found it difficult to deal with reckless tenants & complicated situations. It was kind of head-ache to deal with. But today when I see the dss accepted companies which are not only supporting both tenants and landlords both but also offer best of their services to overcome the disputes and perfect solutions to deal with any situation. I really thank www.dss-accepted.co.uk for their total support.

14
Guest Avatar
Oliver 30th September, 2014 @ 08:10

A lot of anti landlord sentiment, but I have been landlord for 40 years providing good accommodation, but I rarely get tenants who have any intention of keeping to the terms of their agreement with me.

They all say they will move out if given notice, without going through the courts. None do, although most of my tenants stay with me for years and have never been asked to move out.

They all sign the dotted line to keep gardens tidy windows cleaned. None do.

Cleaning windows seems to be beneath many, as are many of the terms that relate to responsibilities of the tenant.

Most of mine are on periodic tenancies, as in many cases £300 for a new agreement is in my opinion usery, buts its often not the owner who has a say in this, or benefits by it.

I let a property some time ago to a young mum in difficult family circumstances and where it endangered her kids when the property was up for sale. Pulled the property off, but again it was supposed to be temporary to help her out with her agreeing she would move out whatever the circumstances, as she knew I had the property up for sale when she moved in. Recent circumstances force me to have to sell...but what happened to the agreement.....you guessed.

So much for helping tenants obtain property who would otherwise not be able to get it.

15
Guest Avatar
De Silva LS 1st November, 2014 @ 21:37

I have rented my furnished luxury house in Nugegoda Sri Lanka to one of my close relations. The current rent is only Rs.25,000.00 but the market rent for a similar house in this area is Rs.55000~70,000.
I want to raise the rent for this property with effect from 01-01-2015. I don't know how to increase the rent for my tenant because he is a close relation of mine. Can someone advice me how to increase the rent to this tenant?

16
Guest Avatar
Eva 19th November, 2014 @ 08:42

Have a question how long notice landlord should give the tenant that the rent will be increased with the new contract?

17
Guest Avatar
Francien 1st December, 2014 @ 21:18

Here another tenant who always paid the rent in time, kept the flat in good condition (and cleaned the windows and cut the grass). Two years in succession, the rent was increased by almost 10% (each year). I could do nothing else than to move out. Now the landlord has problems finding a tenant who wants to pay the rent I did. I very much wished that landlords would read the advice above.

18
Guest Avatar
Amanda 19th January, 2015 @ 11:36

Hi, my niece has been in her current house 3 months out of a 12 month tenancy agreement. Her landlord advised us last week he is going to give her notice to quit, she is up to date with her rent and hasn't broken any of her terms. The landlord has advised us he hasn't any money for repairs so wants to move back in. We've tried to work with him by paying for floor coverings which he was supposed to do at expense to ourselves, as she is on benefits she can get him a new boiler (this request will obviously be cancelled now). He has now e-mailed hinting that if we help out with the repairs then she can stay, we have no objection to doing this as she loves the house but our worry is we could have all the repairs done and he could still give her notice to quit. The repairs are, neither door will lock so new locks and handles are needed, the shower is leaking and the children's bedroom is mouldy due to poor gutters. We are happy to come to some arrangement with him but we would also want my niece protected from 2 months notice. Is there a way a clause could be put in that he has to give her a minimum of 6 or 12 months notice. We don't want to shell out around £800 for the repairs doing for him to then kick her out anyway. Please note he has not used the DPS but we don't want to go down this road yet as we don't want to fall out with him.

19
Guest Avatar
June Gardner 22nd January, 2015 @ 22:58

Can anyone advise. We have wonderful tenants 3years no problems. Recenly the boiler has been continually breaking down, we get it fixed and it breaks down again, so we have been advised to replace it. Do we put up the rent to cover the £2000 bill or do we take it out of the profits ? it will come with a 7 years warranty. We have not put the rent up since they moved in.I notice the council always increase the rents when they make improvements.

20
Guest Avatar
John 17th March, 2015 @ 23:12

I'm just after a little advice, I rent my three bed semi for £675,(nice area with driveway and garden front and back) my tennants have been in the property for five years and I haven't increased the rent yet, the going rate for properties in my area for a similar property is approx £775-£800.
I have been thinking lately that I should increase the rent, although I don't need the money it seems that I deserve to receive more for all the years I went without to pay for this house, I have good tennants who are approx sixty years old, they keep the house tidy and don't ask for much, just the odd job needs doing every six months or so.
so should I increase or not, or by how much is acceptable without being greedy....

21
Guest Avatar
Helen 17th March, 2015 @ 23:24

@John
I agree that you are entitled to raise the rent after 5 years, but please do it gently especially if your tenants are elderly! Perhaps raise it to £725 initially, they should be able to cope with that. Then next year you could raise it again, if you want to.
I speak from experience as I am a pensioner, and at my last flat my landlord suddenly raised my rent by £150 a month, which I couldn't cope with at all in the long run, and had to look for a another home.

22
Guest Avatar
Helen 17th March, 2015 @ 23:28

@June Gardner
As it is a landlord's responsibility to provide hot water, I think it's your 'duty' to replace the boiler - you would have to do it sooner or later as these things all have a shelf life.
How do you know the council always raises rents when improvements are made? The rent rises may be for other reasons.

23
Guest Avatar
John 17th March, 2015 @ 23:33

I did forget to mention Helen that they both work, she is a cleaner but told me when they applied that her husband earns £600 per week, and that was five years ago, twice as much than I have ever had per week, so I really should reap the benefits of my hard work to buy this house, although I am now 49 and semi retired I feel the time has come for me to have more money and improve my lifestyle....

24
Guest Avatar
fair 4th April, 2015 @ 13:41

I have a property with a great tenant that keeps the property clean and tidy. The problem I face is that they argue with me about a rent increase - last year was 5 years with no increase and we finally agreed on a £20 increase. I argued that this was well below local prices and I would have to review it again this year . Here I am again contemplating my position. The rent is just under £1000 but a local agent just said I could be getting £1400 a month for the property. The question is how far do you go to keep a good tenant happy before they are just abusing your fairness? It seems to me market rates are now considerably higher and whilst I would benefit from the increase I do not feel I am being unreasonable in making the investment work? Comments welcome from all.

25
Guest Avatar
Laura 29th April, 2015 @ 15:56

@fair
I don't think a small increase is out of order, but I would be wary of agents advice, as they tend to estimate higher in the hopes of getting a listing. Your best bet is to survey the rental market in the area for yourself to ascertain what's fair for a property like yours.

26
Guest Avatar
karen 25th August, 2015 @ 12:08

Hi

Ive just received a rent increase that housing act letter hand delivered asking for an increase of £100 per month.

The property is in poor repair and i requested repairs but non done and then i get this. so now yet again im looking for somewhere else to live.

Electric sockets are hanging off the walls. The electric shower unit water floods through the unit itself so cannot be used. the boiler has a leak and the from door is not even double glazed. I only asked about the shower to be repaired but this house is neglected by the landlords to gain maximum rent increasing because i expect the recent budget where they have lost and now passing that down to tenants.
With the current housing crisis they can seem to charge what they like and get away with it because people have no option.

Agencies are charging maximum fees and deductions for cleaning etc, some asking for monthly inspections. life in the private rental worlds is becoming intolerable and far to expensive but those needing a home have no choice. Plenty of flashy websites and info telling us of our rights but actually having them are a different thing. things always turn in favour of the landlords.

27
Guest Avatar
David 21st September, 2015 @ 18:03

The local council has just put the maintenance charge up by £40 a month, a lot of tenants on here seem to be complaining about the rent increase but as landlords what are we supposed to do, I'm going to have to increase my tenants rent to help cover this extra cost, until I had this increase I was going to leave their rent the same, they are good tenants and I don't want to upset them but I have no choice.

28
Guest Avatar
SKETCH3D 25th September, 2015 @ 05:48

I am a landlord with 2 properties, our tenants have been with us for around 3 years each and in that time due to low interest rates I haven't put the rent up.

However I have of late been considering the costs of maintenance which is a few thousand having become more expensive due to the lack of trades available and rising costs of materials. Increase in insurance costs etc a few hundred over the years and new must look at raising rents.

I don't plan to be greedy, but do have to make up some of the short fall in rising costs. With the Tax on Turnover planned by the current government I will have to consider considerable rent increases once we know what final policy has been agreed in parliament just to keep the properties on + maintenance + insurances etc.

Choices are simple, sell a property to reduce mortgage costs thereby not be penalized by George Osborn, putting tenants out on the council house list or put the rents up.

29
Guest Avatar
rob 16th January, 2016 @ 17:44

''It’s also generally better to gradually increase rather than holding back for a couple of years and then increasing it by a significant amount- that will be a lot more difficult for your tenants to accept.''

Try changing ''accept'' to ''afford'' , every time you increase someones rent you decrease someones ability to afford to keep their home.

30
Guest Avatar
rob 16th January, 2016 @ 17:48

Also, maintenance costs should not fall on your tenants, its your house, your responsibility to maintain it, if you cannot afford to do this, don't become a land lord.
For instance, you hire a car for 7 days, after day three it breaks down, the hire company repair it but tell you you now owe them more money because of ''maintenance costs'', you wouldn't be very happy would you?

31
Guest Avatar
Alex 11th April, 2016 @ 11:24

If you decide not to raise a tenant's rent, do you think there is any merit in writing to them to tell them that you have decided NOT to raise it on this occasion?

My tenants are coming to the end of their fixed 12 month tenancy and it will now revert to a rolling one, so this would be the usual point to review the rental price.

It hasn't been increased for 2 years and give the market has risen nearly 4% I could justify a £50/month increase, however I like my tenants and they look after the property brilliantly, so I'm inclined not to raise it.
However I did think I might tell them this - would there be any risks/disadvantages of doing this?

32
Guest Avatar
Giselle Sykes 17th May, 2016 @ 21:26

I rented a property more than 5 years ago via an agent, during the first year the landlord stopped using the agent who we signed a lease agreement, on our renewal date the landlord and I agreed to continue on principle going forward. Its been relatively smooth and working. He also agreed for me to let out to a lodger to make up some income as I seperated from my husband so this could assist with costs. Landlord increased the rent last year April by £100 which I agreed to as he had no increased rent previously. But a year down the line he wants to increase it again by another £100 but this is putting financial strain on me being a single income household. I have never not paid rent and been a model tenant. How do I stand not having a current legal agreement with him and can I negotiate on the increase as it will put strain on me and my family? I have not had any cost of living increase in my income for several years so this is hitting me hard now? any advice whould be great.

33
Guest Avatar
Adam 15th June, 2016 @ 09:59

A question. Me and my partner have been renting from our landlord for 16 months. We received a letter from him on Monday saying that he wants to increase the rent by £30. This in itself is not an issue and at the time we considered fair. The landlord also owns the shop below us, we have just found out that he is increasing their rent by £55 a month just to cover repair works which have been needed. Our flat also needed repair works (not due to us, water coming in from the roof which also went into the shop) so we are wondering if the increase to our rent is to cover the repairs. My question is can a landlord increase rent for the sole purpose of covering repair costs?

34
Guest Avatar
Bob 10th October, 2016 @ 11:05

Before landlord ask tenants to pay higher rent, they should investigate the market. If property owner wants current tents to stay, the decision concerning rent increase should be reasonable. Comparing rental property to others in the area is a good place to start. They can use Craigslist or Rentberry for this purpose. The second one allows to see initial rental price submitted by landlord as well as prices that tenants are willing to pay for property.

35
Guest Avatar
John Brett 17th November, 2016 @ 17:30

Hello, I have rented my flat for almost eight years--never missing a payment.
The rental agent has now sent a letter telling all the tenants in the block that--
"There is a high volume of interest in the property and we are offering current tenants, a protected 6 month contract with a rent increase of £25.00 per month"
Basically they are saying " Pay the increase or we will kick you out and replace you with somebody else who will pay it"
Surely this is not legal?

36
Guest Avatar
Helen 18th November, 2016 @ 08:00

This is a strange one. As you have been there for 8 years, I imagine you should be on a periodic tenancy; or do you sign a new tenancy agreement every 6 months? Actually a £25 pcm rent increase in 8 years is not bad at all! But if you sign a new tenancy agreement for 6 months with the agency, after 4 months they can give you 2 months' notice to leave, thus getting rid of you anyway. I think you need to give us more info about this.

37
Guest Avatar
John 1st December, 2016 @ 04:45

I have a tenant that has been in the property for five years commencing on 21st Feb 2012. They didnt make any payment until the 1st of March 2012. The initial contract expired and went onto a rolling monthly periodic term.

They gave notice they intended to vacate on the 1st of October 2016 in September however they did not vacate and advised at the time they had no leaving date.

They have now given notice (30th November 2016) to vacate the property on the 20th Of December 2016. I have advised they are required to give notice of a full rental period but they are refusing. I have supplied the housing act legislation clearly showing this but they are still refusing and threatening to bring up various things like Gas certificates etc. They have all been done as required.

Now going through the original signed contract I have noticed that I included a clause that stipulated the rent would increase by the Retail Price index plus 2% on the anniversary of the renewal each year. They have never paid any extra since moving in (and regularly late). Doing the maths that makes a shortfall of nearly 4 thousand pounds over 5 years in rent.

what are my rights in this situation? I would not expect the full amount but it far exceeds the 800 pounds they owe for a months rent.

thanks

38
Guest Avatar
John 1st December, 2016 @ 04:47

this is the clause from the signed contract as above ver batem

5.21
If the tenancy extends for longer than 12 months, the rent shall be increased on the
Tenancy anniversary by 2% over the Retail Price Index (RPI), subject to a maximum of
6%

39
Guest Avatar
Simon Pambin 1st December, 2016 @ 13:49

Hi John,

I doubt you can do much with it: if you didn't make any effort to increase the rent at the time or alert the tenants to the fact that they should be paying more (assuming that term was even enforceable outside the fixed period of the contract) then there's not a lot you can do retrospectively. If their deposit is sufficient just deduct the £800 from that and let them argue it out with the dispute resolution service.

40
Guest Avatar
Sheila 15th December, 2016 @ 21:16

I have been a tenant for 20yrs with the ame landlord . My landlord has put up my rent by a whopping 50% in one swoop .....helpppppppp can he do this is it legal? surely not! . i am a single parent and have been a good tenant obviously otherwise i am sure i would of been out on my ear long time ago ....helpppp ! can anyone help me ?

41
Guest Avatar
Ken 23rd January, 2017 @ 17:07

Can a housing association landlord raise the rent to make improvements with the consent of the tenant ?
I've been informed that they can only lower but not increase the rent.

42
Guest Avatar
Steve 28th February, 2017 @ 23:14

Hi there are lots of comments about how to increase rents, incomes for landlords etc.
But while 'agents' inflate the rental market they ignore the stagnant income of tenants choosing to line their own pockets at the expense of others. For the individual who 'did without' to buy his property his tenants are 'doing without' for the 'privelidge' of living there now.

43
Guest Avatar
Richard Hall 23rd August, 2017 @ 13:02

Hello

We have a three year contract with our landlord via an estate agency
In the contract it states that our rent can increase inline with RPI annually
We paid our rent at normal rate but have been told three days after paying the rent that our rent has increased by £40 as per our contract and that the estate agency wants that £40
There had been no communication from the estate agency advising of the exact figure increase until this day
Is that the norm?

Thanks

44
Guest Avatar
kazzy 23rd August, 2017 @ 21:17

I'm sure they have to give you two months notice to increase any rent. you can dispute it and seek advice from your local council etc

45
Guest Avatar
Rowena Muldal 16th October, 2018 @ 00:31

I have lived in the property I am in since August 2004. When I responded to the newspaper advert, it was listed as a One Bedroomed property, with a dining hall which was an extension of the passage.

When I moved in, I took pictures of the state of the property, the rooms needed painting, the carpets were not new. There was mould on the walls, especially in the dining hall area, which has a lot of leaks from the flat above. I spent over £300.00 having the dining hall painted ... and it has been ruined by the leaks from above. The carpets are frayed out, and are dangerous now, another 15 years older. I keep tripping on the frayed edges. I kept slipping and falling in the high stepped shower, so Occupational Therapy helped me to have it replacedand a wet room was put in. The side of the house has a grass path, which became a complete quagmire, so I ended up having a slab path put in as well. I am disabled, and so the factthereis a placefor me to keep my scooter safely is a godsend.

My landlord died, and the Agency who responsible for the upkeep of said property, sold both my property, and the one above as "tenants iñ sìtu" ... the man who bought it sent out a lease which was incorrect, so I notified him. No further lease has been forthcoming,however he came by, and was insistent that the property is now a two bed property, even though when he asked his surveyor, she said no, at most it was a property with two receptions. I showed him the changes I had made. As well as showing him the issues the property still has, that have not been addressed over the years.

About 5 weeks ago, I received a one line email from the agency he is using, and he is claiming I agreed verbally to a rent increase of £100.00. I never did. My current rent started at £450.00 and over the years, with the various increases of £25.00 a time has risen to £625.00.

I take good care of the garden. The tenant upstairs never touches her section, which is a veritable jungle.

I am really desperate. I am alone, I am now 60 years old, I am disabled, and have no one to help if I am forced to move. I simply cannot afford this astronimical increase that is being proposed.

46
Nobody

Nobody

Landlord

Landlord

Tenant

Tenant

Agent

Agent

Legal

Legal

Buyer

Buyer

Developer

Developer

Enthusiast

Enthusiast

Your personal information will *never* be sold or shared to a 3rd party. By submitting your details, you agree to our Privacy Policy.


I want more info on...

Tweet
Share