Rent increase - just venting really

[Pepperoniextracheese]

First of all, this isn't a begging post. Or even a can I challenge this post. I'm just venting because this couldn't have come at a worse time.

I've just seen an email from the letting agents. My rent is going up by nearly 20%. I've lived here 9 years and it's never gone up, so it is a reasonable amount considering how much rents have changed. I've emailed back asking to meet in the middle, but I don't hold out much hope there.

If i was working right now it wouldn't be so bad. However my fixed term contract ended a month ago and I've barely had a call back since. I'm a single parent to two small kids. One in nursery, the other in primary. Eldest has ASD & ADHD, I'm very doubtful he'd cope in after school club (I'm not even sure they'd take him, given his needs). Because of this I need either part time or very flexible hours. It's so hard. If i didn't have the kids I'd get another job so easily, but I'm so restricted.

They're with their dad 50/50, so no maintenance and he gets the CB for one of them. This isn't a complaint, he's a great dad. It's just for context. Now that I'm on universal credit only one child is included on the claim. How anyone lives off that money long term I've no idea. I'm already dipping into my savings much more than i thought I would.

I've got just over 5 grand, so I'm in a better position than many. It took so long to save that, I always thought if it as the beginning of my deposit fund, for when the kids are bigger and i can work more hours. Get a mortgage, own my own home. That feels further than ever now.

Just....fuck. Fucking fuck. I'm going to have to find the money. Anywhere else would cost at least as much, and who wants to rent to a single parent on benefits?

You never think lifes going to be like this do you?

I'm so sorry you are in this position. Just wanted to say... it's not forever. You are in the toughest time right now with young children especially one with extra needs. You will find work and as you say very luckily you have a cushion in the meantime.
I have no advice as it's a shit time for some many people but it's important not to stop hoping and planning for the future.

do you get universal credit?

Can you go onto Turn2Us and input your details and finances etc? You may be entitled to some housing benefit. It's certainly worth checking particularly if you are not working or have low income.

According to BBC cost of renting within last 12 months alone have gone up 12%
You are very lucky with no rent increase for 9 years and now only 20% since 2015. It’s quite hard to believe that actually.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66824019.amp

That is shit, OP. You have my sympathy.

You will find a way through it though, and sooner or later things will get better.

Not an immediate solution but have you applied for DLA for you child with ASD/ ADHD? I have a child with the same and cannot work full time due to his needs and after school clubs won't take him due to him needing 1:1 care. He's been awarded DLA and as a result I have access to other benefits (extra UC child element and carers element) that help me cope with the loss of income from work

Housing benefit is no longer available to new claimants under pension age; it's been subsumed into Universal Credit.

@Pepperoniextracheese I know it's obvious but make sure Universal Credit know about the rent increase. The iniquity of Local Housing Alowance is such that you may not get it in full but it might help.

Also make sure you're getting all the help you should with Council Tax and also any Social Tariff for Water or Broadband

20% is completely unreasonable. Are landlords even allowed to do that?

It's really not unreasonable when there has been no increase for 9 years.

They can do what they like (more or less).

OP says it's not changed in 9 years so 20% isn't as bad as it looks other than given OP's current employment situation.

Would your universal credit not cover some of the rent increase ?

Could you work as a TA ?

Teaching personnel agency are uk wide

Short term..
Theres tax free income from bank switches.175 gbp
Offered from barclays for example

Look up you switch ( u switch )

Do you utilise LinkedIn for job searching ?

Is your cv on cv library ?

Have you applied for school hours care work ?

Maybe you could switch your way of thinking and be grateful it didn't go up for nine years. Did you think it would stay the same rate forever? I do t think 20% is unreasonable at all and if it's comparable to other properties of similair size then it sounds fair. Sounds like you've had a good deal really.

I would try to look at it a bit differently and focus on the job stuff now. Are there any ways of cutting outgoings?

Vinted is good for selling things ( no fees )

Do you get on really well with the DCs father and does he get UC?
Because if your UC would increase substantially by adding another child to the claim would he agree to that and you just give him the CB money?

It is possible that you are still owed some CMS even though you have the kids 50/50. If the dad is a high-ish earner he would still need to pay you. You can do the calculations here and see if you are owed anything, even if you only know roughly how much he earns it would be good to know if there is at least a chance: https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=www.gov.uk/calculate-child-maintenance&ved=2ahUKEwjHzdCJ9JKIAxWIRvEDHZ3JE1MQFnoECBcQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2sPMgFdKp-a8atWTrHzpq_

I can see that the increase is a blow, and it’s little consolation that you have been paying below market rent previously.

The rate of inflation over the past 9 years is probably much more than 20%.
If you let Universal Credit know of the increase you may well be able to get some more help. Your old rent might have been below the LHA rates after all of this while.

I doubt that your landlord will accept meeting in the middle if that means you have asked for the increase to be limited to 10%. Another approach might be to ask for the increase to be phased, maybe 10% this year and another 10% next year. That way the landlord knows they will get the full amount, but not for another year. That would give you some breathing space.

I think suggesting they meet in the middle is not a bad idea. What's the worse they can say. I'd even suggest a 5% reduction if you don't have any luck. I'd highlight how much you love the place etc etc

It looks like a very high number but you have been extremely lucky not to have a rent increase in 9 years.

During that period cpi has increased by over 30% so I don't think you will have any luck negotiating from 20% as in the market that is still quite a generous offer.

I hope you do have some luck though and maybe the landlord will want to keep you on as a reliable good Tennant rather than increase the rent more.

Speak to Shelter and try to fight the rent increase.

Can your 50/50 be adjusted at all to enable you to work more hours? E.g. my friend splits hers with her ExP so he has the kids from Sunday morning until Wednesday evening so that she can work Sunday/Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday without having to worry about afters school club on those three days.

https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/private_renting/rent_increases#:~:text=Your%20landlord%20can%20suggest%20any,rent%20can%20go%20up%20by.

If you get Universal credit then maybe the rent element will cover more of the rent, especially if your rent was perhaps less than market rent is.
You need to report the increased rent to UC and look up the local housing allowance for the number of bedrooms you are eligible for. It may be that you will still need to top up some of the rent depending o the LHA but you may find some of the increase is covered.

Hopefully your child with ASD is on your claim. If they are awarded DLA then you will get an additional disabled child element and a carer element added to your UC claim. Having the carers element turns off work commitments, so if you can only find part time hours you won’t be forced into looking for more hours. Having the disabled child element also means that you won’t be benefit capped.

Hopefully you’ll find a new job that works around your care responsibilities soon and fingers crossed the landlord will meet you half way this year and agree when the next increase will be.