To ask what landlords plans are long term...

[Oopsusernamealreadytaken]

Bit of background, we’ve lived in our current rental property for over 6 years. Our landlady is lovely and has improved the property by putting in a new bathroom (4 years ago) and also is up to date on checks. She rarely bothers us for an inspection - maybe once a year or so and always gives notice if she needs to pop in for whatever reason.

A few weeks ago we had a letter about a rent increase. There wasn’t really an update given as to why other than she hadn’t given us one yet and she felt it was fair. Which I guess is fair, although we couldn’t contest it either way.

In the property we have made a lot of upgrades to decor (I know, fancy wanting to make it a home) and have done a lot of minor repairs (fixing a broken pipe, resetting fence posts, fixing small leaks) everything we’ve done has improved the property and subsequent value if she wanted to sell. We have done all of this with her permission, and she’s never offered to pay/pary pay.

I feel a bit sad that she’s decided to up the rent, it’s going to push us into the bracket of coasting week to week with no luxuries to having to cut other areas such as food etc. We already work all the hours we can due to having a Sen child.

So anyway enough of life story, would it be unreasonable to ask her what her plans our for the house? I know she’s well within her rights to not tell us, but equally we don’t want to pay out of our own pocket to improve a house that is going to be sold within a year. (I know that it can happen regardless)

I know we are lucky to have a roof over our heads, I know we are lucky to have a well maintained home to live in, I know we shouldn’t have probably done those repairs, but I fear if we start bugging her for every small repair now she will want to sell up and as a tenant that’s probably your worst fear come true.

What should we say? We have a meeting in a few weeks.

That is stupidly ignorant explaination of how the council works

I am currently supporting someone in this exact situation, and my prior post is exactly how the council works. Yes, I do know what I am talking about

Not being able to pay your rent, puts you 'at risk of homelessness'

@EvePolastriSorryBaby- WITHOUT luxuries.

We both work, OH is self employed and I am part time. Both on average and minimum wage. Both children school age, but family can only do one pick up over the 3 days I work, and 1 half day of help during holidays. Due to SEN child who CANNOT access holiday clubs, I simply cannot up my hours due to school holidays.

Rents are only £1000 upwards in the South west where the wages match. This is about average for this area.

scaryteacher, hopefully you are up to date with legal stuff in uk. it took us 7 momths to evict non rent paying tenant who was out of contract for all that time. so make sure you serve the section 21 notice early

The poster on about council housing has no idea

Bugsymalonemumof2 - You aimed this comment at me.

I am a support worker for people in this and similar situations...and spend several hours each week in the council in meetings per week

I have been doing this for years - do some research before jumping down pples throats and giving them mis information

WITHOUT luxuries

Oh I see this now OP.... In this instance you would not be able to apply to council as you are factoring in luxuries

Your rent increase is fairly normal, and if all you need to do is cut out luxuries in order to afford it - then that is pretty standard way to live for many

I know this is not the greatest way to live, without luxuries, but is how many do live

I should check your tenancy agreement regarding repairs, who is responsible for what kind of repairs, etc

there wasn’t really an update given as to why other than she hadn’t given us one yet

Huh? Do you have to give rent increases to a tenant just because you haven't before? Is that just how it works

I suppose it seems worse because it is a sudden increase but in reality she was treating you well.
If you can try and keep the working relationship going well that would be great. Good luck.

We just about survive with no luxuries. Which is how I worded the original post.

cucciolo - arent you familiar with inflation....that your shopping bill/gas electric/council bill all goes up? I find it surprising that some people on here think there accommodation bills are excluded from inflation

Penny
As a ll your posts are illuminating. I increased my tenants rent by £50 after 4 years because the rent was £125 below market rate. The tenant balked and the agent told them to look at the current market, which they did. Realising they’d have to pay £125 pcm for the equivalent property they quietle agreed to the rise. A ll doesn’t owe you the property for the initial rental figure just because you choose to stay a long time. And they don’t have to justify their decision.

If you are employed, i I imagine your income will have increased over the past 6 years so why shouldn’t theirs?

Oops
By all means ask her plans. It sounds as if she had no intention of selling.

Please stop spending money or sorting repairs out. As long as you haven’t been negligent it is up to your ll to sort out all repairs. She sounds really decent so I imagine you wouldn’t have wait long. If for example you change a leaky tap for a new one and it causes a leak and even electrical problems you could effectively be liable for this.

We just about survive with no luxuries. Which is how I worded the original post

OK well if at the moment, you are only barely surviving (with no luxuries), an extra £50 per month, will that push you into poverty?

If so, then my previous advice stands - if you genuinely cannot afford it, you are at risk of homelessness - and the local authority will have to, by law, treat you as such

I would genuinely love to visit this wonderland place some folks seem to live, where a £50 monthly rental increase has zero adverse effects on your finances and where everybody seems to magically be getting pay rises. Think I'll go saddle up my unicorn and fly right there ...

A £50 monthly rent increase would strip a lot of families right down to the bone in the current financial cesspit we're wading through. The cost of living is absolutely mental! A lot of people simply don't have £50 spare to top up already extortionate rents. And your rent being more expensive than the OP's doesn't make the OP's rent any more affordable for her family, so that's a moot point.

OP, if you're on good terms with your LL could you get in contact and speak to her about this - see if there's a possible middle ground to be found? There may not be, but it never hurts to ask. People often talk about good LL's being like gold dust, but equally, so are good tenants. If you've been a good tenant she may be willing to negotiate somehow IF she can.

AiryFairy, no, it isn’t.

OP CAN pay her bills. She’d have to cut back on luxurious.

The council would not say ‘alright love, we’ll cover the increase, here’s an extra ££ a month, we appreciate its your home so go on living there!’

No. They’d say right, move somewhere cheaper or rent somewhere smaller or see if a family member would have you.

You don’t know what you’re talking about.

Would you have complained if it had gone up £10 a year? I think you’re pretty lucky with that LL.

If OP is just about surviving with NO luxuries (which is not how it originally came across) and can’t find another £50 a month without being in poverty, then they can’t afford to rent a three bed house. If things are that tight you need to be downsizing to somewhere cheaper- and the council will tell you so.

OP CAN pay her bills. She’d have to cut back on luxurious

I do not think that is what the Op is saying at all

If you read the OP having to cut other areas such as food etc is POVERTY

POVERTY

POVERTY

POVERTY

Read the OP and get off your high horse before you make yourself look any more of a dick

then they can’t afford to rent a three bed house

Slow hand clap

Finally.....

The council, by law, cannot force you to downsize if you need that amount of bedrooms

Overcrowding, intentionally..is illegal

I’m not being a dick, I’m tryibg to highlight the fact that you are ignorant.

You CANNOT rely on your rent NEVER increasing if you don’t have it within budget to accommodate that. I rent. It’s shit but you have to roll with the increases. If you can’t deal with a reasonable, market rate increase after six years, you may well be living beyond your means.

OP: Can you speak to the LL and offer a longer fixed term if she would keep the rent down ?

As a former LL, I certainly would have given a good reduction if a tenant signed a fixed 3-year contract

Obviously, that is a risk for you, if your income is not secure, but it's something to consider

The council would say that children ‘need’ their own bedrooms, would they?

I don’t think so. Plenty of people live in small houses due to what they can afford. That is not overcrowding.

You CANNOT rely on your rent NEVER increasing if you don’t have it within budget to accommodate that

That is a different point / thread

OP read what I have put, and get some proper advice, from Shelter, and from your local authority. 14 years of advocating for pple in similar situations does give me some insight and I believe what I have stated earlier to be correct.

Good luck

The rent increase after 6 years is really modest, tbh

However, some people haven't had pay increases for many years, or have even had wages cut,
while the cost of essentials - food, utilities etc - keeps rising every year
Also, as DC get older, they often cost more to keep

So it's easy to realise that someone might not be able to cope with a rent rise on a property that was originally well within their means

personally i wouldnt sign a 3 year contract as it makes it harder to remove a nonpaying tenant. its hard enough to get rid of a tenant when they are outside their contract. so dont be surprised if she wont agree to that and dont take it personally - she has probably experienced bad tenants before you