Obscene rent increase

[ShushAndLetMummySpeak]

Landlord has served Form 4a increasing my rent by £205 a month from October. This is a 46% increase.

The accompanying letter states

“After careful consideration, we have made the decision to implement an increase in the rent. This reflects the continued rise in property maintenance and operating costs, aligns the rent more closely with current market values, and will help support planned maintenance and improvement works to ensure the property is kept up as best as possible with future regulatory changes to the private rent sector”.

I understand that maintenance costs and improvements are the landlords responsibility and shouldn’t be a reason for a rent increase. And it is the landlords responsibility to ensure property meets the forthcoming EPC standards coming into force for private rented accommodation.

My wages haven’t increased by 46% a month.

I’ve lived here for 20 years. And the property only has one door. No fire doors, only 1 double glazed window that has blown, and does not meet fire escape route standards If there was a fire downstairs I have no other means of exit?

What can I do please

Nope- you are clearly paying hugely below market rates

Also out of over 110,000 rentals available on right move in the uk, there are only 6 flats of 2 bedrooms or more (excluding shares and retirement/student) that are 450 a month…half are in the worst estates in Teesside

How do you expect the landlord to fund the EPC demands? Of course rents are going up.

Have you had regular rent rises in the past? If youv'e been there 20 years and the property has not been upgraded it must have deteriorated considerably since you moved in. The tribunal does not just look at market rate for the area. Market rate would be for a modernised updated property. They also look at the current state of your property in comparison. You say it has not been upgraded for the 20 years you have lived there. So the property would be regarded as unmodernised in tribunal terms.

You lose nothing by going to a tribunal because the tribunal cannot make the new rent higher than the LL has proposed. Plus there is a 6-8 month delay for a hearing so you are buying yourself some time. During that time you can look around in your area in case you wish to move. Your LL probably will not want to go to a tribunal because it imposes a bureaucratic burden upon both parties.

I would write back saying you cannot afford the new rent.Remind him that you have been a good tenant, paid the rent regularly, and would prefer to remain. You realise you have the right to escalate to the tribunal. However you would prefer to negotiate a reasonable settlement of £££ per month. You can also remind the LL that these increased costs which he is citing are tax deductible business expenses which he can and should pass back to the tax man. Whereas you have no way to pass them on to a third party.

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If you apply to the tribunal the rent remains the same until the tribunal reaches a decision so you lose nothing. It costs £47 and there will be details on the form telling you what to do.