Rent increase - fuck fuckity fuck!!!

[BlondeWaves]

Moved into my house 2.5 months ago and now having to move as had a letter from the landlord to say rent is going up by 150 a month. I KNOW I am being unreasonable but I am sat here sobbing because I've just settled here with my young child and the thought of having to go through all that upheaval again is so stressful. I can't afford the extra 150, I'm already stretched with the way everything has increased. This could happen again and again and I just hate our government and the way things are at the moment. I have no resentment towards my landlord as I know his mortgage has realistically gone up by more than 150 a month, but fuck, I'm so stressed. Don't even know what I want from this thread, maybe a handhold, maybe to be told I need to suck it up (weirdly I respond well to tough love) but I need something. Anyone there? 😭

Thoughts from a landlord… I am so sorry that this has happened to you. Your home should feel safe and it’s not OK that 10 weeks after you move it’s precarious. When we set rent we do think about the direction of travel and we do that so this situation shouldn’t arise. He will almost certainly have an interest only mortgage, so pays very little each month. For him to need 1000 a month he would need to be borrowing getting on for a million. Bare in mind that he would likely need a 20% deposit when buying, So if where you are living isn’t with 1.2m then he is being unreasonable. Speak to him. Tell him you intend to stay but that you will keep the rent the same. He won’t want the house to have any vacant periods, he won’t want to pay for cleaning etc between tenancies, so he will likely just agree. If he refuses, stick to your guns- he will need to take you to court. Get properly legal advice on this (CAB helpful). But broadly he won’t win at court if your paying your rent, keeping the place tidy, and being polite. Also having a small child will mean the court will consider your position more favourably. Also the courts are a disaster- it took me 9 months to remove tenants who totally trashed my house (there was a birds next with eggs in in the property when I got it back!) and paid no rent! This isn’t just any business- landlords provide homes. I wish you the very best of luck.

Go to your local MP, and bless it’s the bozo then go to the press. This has to stop! They need to regulate the market!

I'm a landlord and I fully agree with this
Mortgage rates started going up a year ago. There then followed several increases during the first 6 months this year. Everyone with a mortgage fixed deal ending would have looked for a new rate 6 months before expiry - certainly a professional landlord would have. And a large number actually paid a penalty to come out of a fix rate and remortgage.
So your landlord knew what was coming 2.5 months ago.

Nope. She's only been in the property for 2.5 months. There is no such thing as a legal "month to month" rental contract for the first 6 months. She's de facto in a 6 month AST and as such protected against rent increases and no fault eviction.

Only if he's put her deposit in an official scheme and gave her the required information within 30 days of moving in. Otherwise he can't give her notice at all.

Can you ask your council for help from the household support fund I think its called? The government has provided councils with extra money to help in situations like this and they can help with the extra each month. Each council has different criteria and if you are on the housing list and can prove you are trying to get into cheaper social housing they should be able to help?

Apologies if this has already been mentioned, I havent read through all the posts.

I hope you manage to get something sorted.

No. Very likely she cannot. We have scores of families in my area who have been in b&bs since the start of covid. Two and a half YEARS. I know this for definite as I deliver hot food to them in the evenings from the soup kitchen, as they have no cooking facilities whatsoever. Yes the council do have a responsibility to them. No they cannot afford to honour it. They have nowhere to put these guys. Yes our conservative mp does know but seems quite happy with the situation.

ToInfinityAgain taking a right old beating for earning a legal living and managing their own best way through this imposed crisis which also handily helps to alleviate landlords of their properties so waiting conglomerates can snap them all up. I see this all the time. 'How dare you make a living ordinary tax paying citizen when others are struggling.' The people they should be angry at (and not just by tapping on social networks) get a wiiiiiide pass.

I think it’s seriously shitty of you landlord to do this—and I’m a landlord myself so I know about increased mortgage costs etc. All my properties are on ASTs so I couldn’t raise the rent like this if I wanted to but it seems hugely shitty to let a mum and child move in and start building a life only to do this to them. And 150 is a steep rise on and £850 rent. I think the OPs being far too understanding about this shitty behaviour. My advice would be, stay in the property and make the landlord evict you. That way at least the council has to do something to rehouse you.

Still a bit deraily though

Probably little comfort but I think the housing market will change as rentees won't be able to afford massive rents and house prices will stabilise or fall at some point as people can't pay mortgage and fuel costs. I would attempt negotiation with landlord on those grounds. Other options might be to find another person to share with (maybe in a different dwelling) or ask a rellie (not always possible i know) to loan you the cost of rent increase until you are able to earn a bit more, tuis might get you through this crisis.

imo best to not take out any payday loans etc to cover the extra. I think I'd sob in your position, it's sh#@#=y renting situation. Fingers crossed it gets sorted.

I think this is a pretty shitty thing to do after 2.5 months. 6 months maybe but that amount of time is not acceptable IMO and I think the law should be changed to reflect this.

I am also a landlord btw and would never treat my tenants like this.

If the landlord has a mortgage on the house and his mortgage payments have gone up, then of course he is going to put the rent up to cover those costs. If you were the landlord then you would do the same.

It's not legal to not offer a Short Term Assured Lease, so you have at least the first 12 months fixed. If your landlord did not offer this, he committed a criminal act in taking a deposit from you, and he will have broken the requirements for securing a buy to let mortgage. So while it will be likely that thete is an increase after 12 months, that slso has to be reasonable- above inflation is not reasonable. Stand your ground, tell him he is committing a crime but raising your rent before 12 months, and refuse a rent increase that is unreasonable. Offer 75 pounds increase after 12 months as your last word. He will accept, it costs money to throw out tenants (there are solicitor fees for a notice) and to readvertise. Did you speak to the estate agents?

Your landlord now can't evict you because any contract you have with your landlord is illegal, so your landlord gave up all his rights by not offering the Assured Short Term Lease. Your landlord now also invalidated his building insurance etc. He also won't have been able to pay your deposit into the official deposit holding scheme, which he is required to use, for your protection, so again he committed a crime. He has to get out of the illegal mess he did by offering you a proper Asdured Short Term Tenancy - but this is to protect his ass, so you now can dictate the terms! Go to the Citizen Advice Office, please. And always remember, courts are having years waiting lists at the moment. Don't let yourself be bullied or put under pressure by a landlord who doesn't understand the obligations he is under and tenant rights.

@BlondeWaves All these posts must be overwhelming when you have so much on your plate, especially when there'a bit of bickering going on. Do you have someone/friends to offload to? What area do you live in? I'm happy to provide a listening ear if you want someone to talk to. You are not alone, and there is a way through and out the other end of this in tact (I promise), if you can get some peace and quiet and mental space in which to form a plan. Sending you a huge hug. x

OP is a rolling monthly contract, unfortunately, you're partly to blame for not chasing this with the landlord.

From a landlord's perspective, the cost of living and inflation has gone up, and mortgage rates are crazy high, so £150 isn't too bad.

Perhaps, like me, the OP had no choice but to sign a monthly rolling contract given how difficult it is to get any rented property atm. I knew it gave me fewer rights but was in no position to argue.

I’m sorry OP and others who have this constant horribly scary worry.

In UK this is fuelled by LLs using rentals to pay their mortgages and wanting an unreasonable profit margin. The example of the person renting out a 1.2 mill flat and unable to afford it is ridiculous. Policy needs to change fast.

I currently live in Belgium where rental contracts protect tenants and are for are 3,6,9 years.

ASTs are 6 month by default regardless what the contract says. Get some advice from Shelter, NHAS or your local council.

Landlords often assume that people just go to the government to get more benefits.

Landlord will still make the profit though. Many are greedy grasping and have sub standard housing. Not all but lots of new landlords haven't got a clue but just want to make lots of money for doing little

Let's hope property prices collapse and some landlords struggle and sell properties so people can own their own homes.

Already noticed some properties have had reductions in price for quick sale so hopefully a housing price correction.....

@MXVIT... I don't know all the laws regarding the legality of raising the rent 2 months after the tenant moves in... but your assertion that an increase in the owner's mortgage should not affect the tenant's rent is nonsensical!

Of course it would! The entire reason people own properties and rent them out to others is that the rent they pay would cover the mortgage they owe on the house!

Like I said, there would be specific laws about how often you can do that, or what the maximum increase can be... but the idea that it is not fair or not how the world works is just not true.

Not saying that it shouldnt affect the rent, what I'm saying is 100% of the burden shouldnt be passed onto the renter so the LL's profits remain untouched.

Not one retail business has had their margins untouched throughout this in spite of CoL increases, LLs should be the same