Rent increase

[Clarinet53]

I received a letter yesterday stating my rent was going to increase. It's going from. £680 to £720 a month.

I have been at the property for 6 years and usually the rent increases by £15 pcm biannually.

The property is on a country estate so not mortgaged so the landlord has not had to do payment holidays to catch up on.

Would I be unreasonable to ask for a smaller rent increase??

I should say I'm a single parent household so it feels like a big increase.

How much do you think it’d rent for if it went on the market now? When they wanted to increase my rent I looked around online at similar sized properties and out the point across that they wouldn’t get as much as they were asking for if they rented the place out again.

Just because it's on a country estate doesn't mean it's not mortgaged.

What are other rents for similar properties like?

You can always ask

Rent is based on market value, not on the personal circumstances of the Landlord. Whether or not it has a mortgage, or if they are in arrears (took a payment holiday), is not relevant.

YANBU. I thought that rent can only be increased by a maximum of 4.5% but I can't find the legislation so I might be wrong. There's no harm in asking but near me it would be housing suicide. A friends housemate complained about a small rent increase so the were given notice and the property it was put back on for 25% more. In fact, agents around here were actively encouraging landlords to give tenants notice as they could guarantee tenants who would pay a higher rent.

I would ask, good tenants hold gravitas but have your homework ready- check what locally/ comparable properties are renting for?
If they didn’t agree to the smaller amount would you be prepared to leave? My colleague tried to get the rent increase lowered but because she wasn’t prepared to leave they just called her bluff and said no.

I would check locally for similar properties and if comparable ask for smaller increase. It will cost them a lot more if you move, especially now they have to pay costs.

YANBU to ask. I think it's awful that landlords do this. I lived at my previous property for 6 years and my rent was never raised, it was under the market value for the area too.

I would ask. I'm a landlord and would much rather have a good long-term tenant paying under the market rate rather than the hassle and risk of getting new tenants who might not keep the place so well and only have short time ideas for staying.

The money your landlord has invested in the property is theirs and part of their income. Their personal situation is not relevant. Your situation is relevant and you are absolutely entitled to discuss this rental rise with your landlord. You should know that, do not rely on a parenting forum to inform you.