50 percent rent increase - can landlord do this?

[mancmummy1414]

Posting on behalf of a friend.

Her landlord informed her today that the rent of her flat is going up by a 50 percent increase in two months time.
She has 2 young DC and they can’t afford any more, therefore she will have to move out of the area where they live (other properties in the area are few and far between and a lot more expensive), where her husband works and where her kids go to school.
Is this just something she will have to suck up or is there anything she can do?

If the ast is being renewed and the notice period is as per agreed then in theory yes the ll can. They could speak to CAB or Shelter for advice.

She can try to negotiate. Is it the end of her contract?

They're effectively evicting her. Landlords do this in my area to get rid of tenants without having to go through the long process of eviction... People just give their notice and leave.

Then pop it back on Rightmove at market rate.

Yes, the ll can do this. Since houses in the area are even more expensive I presume it's a fair increase and her rent was very low.

Depends on the type of tenancy she has and whether he’s bringing the rent up to market value (has she been paying below market value?) it’s a bizarrely huge jump so I’m first thought is that it’s currently not in line with the going rate. I don’t think even fully renovating it would get him 50% increase in rent unless it was already at lower than market rate.

From gov website...

hen your landlord can increase rent
For a periodic tenancy (rolling on a week-by-week or month-by-month basis) your landlord can’t normally increase the rent more than once a year without your agreement.

For a fixed-term tenancy (running for a set period) your landlord can only increase the rent if you agree. If you don’t agree, the rent can only be increased when the fixed term ends.

General rules around rent increases
For any tenancy:

your landlord must get your permission if they want to increase the rent by more than previously agreed
the rent increase must be fair and realistic, ie in line with average local rents
How your landlord must propose a rent increase
If the tenancy agreement lays down a procedure for increasing rent, your landlord must stick to this. Otherwise, your landlord can:

renew your tenancy agreement at the end of the fixed term, but with an increased rent
agree a rent increase with you and produce a written record of the agreement that you both sign
use a ‘Landlord’s notice proposing a new rent’ form, which increases the rent after the fixed term has ended
Your landlord must give you a minimum of one month’s notice (if you pay rent weekly or monthly). If you have a yearly tenancy, they must give you 6 months’ notice

She can appeal this as it's unreasonable increase. Shelter can advise on the procedure as I'm not certain myself. Sounds like the landlord just wants to end the tenancy though.

How long does her contract have left on it?

Can she register with a social housing/council provider and start bidding in the meantime?

Thanks guys really helpful. She was paying below market rate yes but the place where they live is falling to bits, needs loads of work doing to it. It’s a block of flats and they are all going up, I just feel awful for her and her mainly elderly neighbours who won’t be able to afford it either.

Oh and it’s a rolling contract month by month they’ve lived there ages!

Excellent advice re council and appealing, I will show her this thread tomorrow!

Sounds like he hasn’t increased the rent in a year, has given her twice the notice time he needs to and can justify the increase. sucks.

If it is really way above market rate currently it isn't that unfair, annoying though. Could she negotiate for the increase to happen overtime, like 10% every 2-3 months instead of all at once? At least it gives her some time to find somewhere else.