Ok this time I am posting in a calm and reasoned manner - what do you think of this rent increase with regards to childminding?

[eenybeeny]

I am training to be a childminder.

My landlady is my next door neighbour and for 4 years has introduced me to friends as her "honourary daughter" etc and as she never had any children I have gone out of my way to be kind and respectful for her in every way including giving her Mother's Day gifts etc. I also look after her house/cat 6 times a year for at least a week each time and it goes without saying I have never asked anything for it. We have never been even a day late on rent and also have looked after the house very well.

Our rent goes up by £25 a month each year, this year by £50.

She informed me Sunday that as I will be "earning a living at her expence" i.e. childminding in this house, then the rent will go up MORE in April when it comes time to renew our lease. She would not say by how much she said I would get a letter in the post saying how much.

Well I got it today.

In addition to the regular annual increase it is being increased EACH MONTH by another £100. Which pretty well take care of a lot of my CM profit thanks very much.

I think this is appalling. Quite apart from the fact that I did not think she would be so mercenary I really can not see why me CM in this house justifies an extra £100 a month. A little, sure, because of wear and tear etc I can sort of see that but £100 A MONTH???????? I am not doing her any harm, she is not having to change the insurance for the house etc. I am stunned.

I am planning on moving in April partly because I do not want to pay this and partly because I want to get away from a person who is becoming increasingly desctructive to me... various things like constantly inspecting our storage space etc to make sure it is "tidy" - we are normal clean people and we pay for that storage space so I resent the intrusion.

Ok. So what is the MN verdict? Is this unreasonable? I am trying not to feel sick because of this, I havent got this sort of money and I cant fathom why £100 extra a month is called for.

Firstly, that is a lovely clear calm and concise summary.

Secondly, she is barking and you need to move.

Very unreasonable. How much notice has she given yo - is it worth going to Citizen Advice bureau?

i would tell her that you are going to get some thing in order but it won't be lond before you hand your notice in.

see what the response is - she might say - fine - whatever

she might bring the price down

either way i would ring

shetler see if she is entitled to just make shit up - in law

and make sure you get everythig in writing

well the increase will begin in April 09 as that is when our lease is up for renewal so she has given me that much notice.

Custardo when you say "you will get something in order but it wont be long before you hand your notice in" what do you mean? Say to her that I am handing my notice in in due course?

thank you Bree for appreciating my calm!

Do you think I can uninvite her to DS's bday party in August I feel sick at even the thought of her right now I dont want her here ruining our day.

i dunno - just mention it like - "ohh am thinking about moving in a couple of months anyway"

see what she says

Does she give you advanced written warning before she comes to inspect your property. She is meant to by law and you can refuse her entry if she asn't followed the correct proceedures (although I recognise this might inflame matters more !).

she has shared access to the barn (outdoor storage space) and also has asked to see the airing cupboard when she came round for a coffee. But she regularly calls me about things in the barn and even at one point took it upum herself to put a bag out for recycling that was actually DS's old baby clothes we were saving.

So... I've never done this before. Can you uninvite to a bday party?

yes she did

She also has said I am not a tidy person

(my friends think I am and I clean non stop)

She also said I am very overweight. (Probably true but it isnt nice to say)

She does stuff like this all the time. I just put it down to her being her and tried to not let it get to me. So you know... turn the other cheek. This has really tipped me over the edge.

Blimey sounds like a nightmare.

I called Shelter and am now calling council & jobcentre to see if they can give us a short term loan (in April) to pay to move somewhere else as I dont have savings for a whole deposit/first months rent etc.

Message withdrawn

Your bank might be willing to give you a massive overdraft for a couple of weeks if you explain the situation and are fairly confident of getting your deposit back (not worth the risk if there's any danger of her being difficult re the deposit though)

I want to run!! However us poor folk have our feet bolted down at times!

I am securing loans etc so we can go in April and have already put myself with a lettings agent to find a new property. I will not stay here and pander to this witch any longer.

I would be inclined to tell her nowt until the last possible moment - how much notice do you have to give? Otherwise I can imagine she will make your lives a misery and it's a long time till April.

Invite her to the party. Ignore her.
Slowly become less involved with her. She sounds like a beyatch.

Can you not save between now and April, for a deposit?

I will be saving between now and then but I am not working at the moment (looking for a part time job to keep us going til the CM starts - which I am thrilled to be doing as its what I have always wanted to do - so not 'just' a money maker!) So basically I wont have much spare to save. But I will do my best and it gives me a lot of time to think outside the box and raise the cash needed. Once I am minding I will be fine money wise so its all temporary.

I really really really dont want her at the party.

I also agree I am doing it all in writing now. I've had enough. Clearly only one of us is playing nice and frankly I am sick of it being me all the time. Also I am planning on telling her nothing til the last moment (or at least January) if I can avoid it.

I am interested that there hasn't been any response about whether she can do this.
I let out a property and when my mortgage increased to the same amount as the rent I was receiving I was guided by Citizens advice that I could not increase the rent by more than a certain paercentage (will find out what that is) per year.

I will try to dig out the information. Tennants have alot of rights.. I know you don't want to be there anymore and go ahead and move, but in the mean time I don't think she is allowed to do this.

which is why she should ring shelter

the landlord cant just make shit up

Message withdrawn

thank you greyskull for your interest. I dont know if she can do it either I am reading the whole lease tonight. But Shelter advised me that she can do what she likes as long as the increase is written in to the new contract I would be signing in April 09.

I just think it is actually jaw droppingly crap to think me CM 4 days a week (4 children) is going to justify an extra £100 A MONTH. Simply not so. She said "It would cost you a lot more to hire premises to look after the children in" Um... thats not the point!!! Its childminding not a bloomin nursery!!!! And it would also cost me a lot more to fly to the moon but how is that relevant??? Do you see what I mean?

no I am sorry I must have not been clear - the rent is going up when the lease gets renewed in April by £125 a month. £25 for normal increase and £100 beause I am CM here.

Eeny - you are paying way over the odds for that house if you pay nearly £1k a month - from your last thread re this - and now she is doing this you need to get out.

I would be straight forward and tell her you are giving notice at the end of your period - do it by letter and also include that she has to give you written notice of any inspections etc. - she is not your friend she is your landlady and you need to go right back to that relationship or the boundaries will get blurred.