To think our landlord should have mentioned ...

[ChunkyMonkeyMother]

...The rent increase when they agreed to let us pay half for the laminate flooring and garden?


Bit of back story;

We've been here for just over 2 years and planned to stay here for the forseeable future (Even with a chance to buy when the time is right)

We have turned down other houses that are nicer but not in the area - we also turned down the neighbouring house about 6 months ago as the rent was £30 more than ours, although they did have a grassed garden, laminate throughout, a new kitchen and bathroom and a conservatory -which our house lacks - But we couldn't afford the extra £30 a month

In the 2 years we have decorated every room except the bathroom and carpeted 2 of the upstairs rooms (With a massive decorating allowance of £200) - We estimate that we have put about £500 of our own money into the property.

So this week we have just come to an agreement with our Landlord to go halves each for new laminate flooring throughout the living room and hall way (About £150 each) and to pay half to have the garden levelled and turfed (Its paved and very steep at present - about £275 each) So all together making a commitment to the property of about £425 - This has all been agreed over the phone via our estate agents, all very pleasant - all very nice.

This morning I have just got a letter that states our rent will be increasing to £600 from £575 come September - This means that our rent will now only be £5 less than the house we turned down next door (which has all of the new stuff in it and is generally a nicer house).

I'm angry because we have agreed to pay half of all the work that needs doing to the property and they are basically using it against us saying that "Due to house improvements the home now meets a higher standard of rent" - YES bloody improvements we are paying for!!!

AIBU to up sticks and move to a different house that already has these things done to it? Or should we suck it up and pay? This is a beautiful house, perfect area - pick of schools for our nearly 2yo DS and generally very safe

Sorry this is so long - I really don't know what to do, my DH is saying we have to move because we can barely afford the current rent never mind this increase and I just feel very hurt by our estate agents and landlord who clearly knew about this when they agreed to let us pay!

[ChunkyMonkeyMother]

Not quite - Our tenancy agreement states that the carpets are their responsibility, we have pretty much paid for the ones upstairs but since they give £200 to decorate we couldn't ask for anything more aparently

I do wonder whether it has got more to do with the estate agents than the LLs tbh -

As for the fees, since we already have the neccesarry paper work most of the local agents don't charge the fees, if we stayed with the same agents it woulnd't cost us anything but we will have to wait and see

[SkelleyBones]

Why would LL's want half of the costs, they are tax deductible it's better for the LL for them to pay and the tenant to pay the rent surely ?

[LemonDifficult]

TAOB - is your mortgage you're only overhead? Don't need to pay tradesmen, or advertising costs, or materials? THESE ARE SUBJECT TO INFLATION.

Sorry to shout but business costs rise as everything else does. This isn't greedy, it is standard.

[sausagesandmarmelade]

Exactly Skelly....Landlord shouldn't have expected tenant to pay half of the costs.

Chunky - sounds as if you are a 'dream' tenant and have been too nice.
The money you've paid for improvements has added value to the property....
LL should have paid the costs and upped your rent (if he wanted to).

I reckon there's still room for negotiation here....it's in LLs interest to have good tenants who pay on time and respect their property. They could do a lot worse.

[TiaMariaandDietCoke]

Chunky, I can understand the initial shock when you got the news about the increase, but glad you've calmed down a bit now.

It actually sounds like you've had a pretty good relationship with the landlord up until now - as an ex-landlord myself, i know how much yours will value having tenants who look after the property and take some pride in it - so if you really cant afford the extra £25 a month, why not either scrap the idea of redoing the garden (your last post seems to suggest you're thinking of that anyway) - and/or explain to the landlord that as much as you love the property, you couldn't afford to pay the extra £25, and would have to move if it went up by that much - so could they live will a smaller increase instead...

[ChunkyMonkeyMother]

Hi guys - Thanks for the help and support here - I have been to the estate agents and explained the problem, they have said they will talk to the LLs and let them know the problem.
I have also had a little drive around our local area and phoned a few other agents - It seems that from when we moved last (2 years ago) property has gone up even more - so a mid terraced 2 up 2 down type house that used to be about £450 is now £550 and all the of the £550 properties are £600 etc - It seems that although we feel badly done to, actually we have got the good end of the stick, also found out that next doors has gone up by at least £35 (maybe more)

We've decided that I will keep my summer job through term time and I will pat the extra money. I love this house (More than I think my DH realises) and I do take a lot of pride in it, we've done everything we can to it recently - Plus I have already chosen a beautiful flooring and booked for the garden to be done

Thanks for the other views guys, you can't imagine how helpful it has been!

[fgaaagh]

Inflation costs the LL more money, therefore "they haven't done anything themselves which warrants it" still means you should expect a small year on year increase.

I suspect you have been viewing this rental property as your home for the long term. It isn't - you're renting it. If you'd bought it with a mortgage, these are the types of improvements that would increase its value. I'm sorry you're feeling hard done by, but I think that agreeing a rental price with the house in a specific condition, then getting your LL to agree to improve its condition by paying 50% of the costs, is more than I'd ever expect to get.

You're clearly very attached to this property, but I think you need a small wakeup call that ANY significant improvements you do to the house means that the rentability of it increases, and the rental price is justifiably higher if the LL wants to move new people in.

It's a shockingly depressing state of affairs to rent in this country, you have my sympathies for being at the cruddy end of it, just like so many other low income families these days.

[MrsSchadenfreude]

What fgaaagh says. Plus, your LL can just say, oh thank you very much, give you two months notice and that's that. I've never understood anyone who puts in a lot of work and money on a rented property, when they could be hoofed out with so little notice.