Unable to pay rent increase

[GoAgainstNicki]

I wonder if anyone is able to give some advice on what the next steps will be?

I had an email from the estate agents a couple of weeks ago to say that the Landlord is requesting a rent increase from 1180 to 1500 a month. He wanted this done effective immediately but as my tenancy doesn’t say anything about allowing rent increases, he’ll have to wait until my tenancy is finished this summer.

If I’m unable to pay the rent increase which I totally can’t, what happens next? I already bid for council properties and I know the council won’t help me at all unless I’ve been served with a section 21 notice. Do I just ask the Landlord to start the eviction process and still pay 1180 every month?

The Landlord isn’t open to negotiation at all which is quite silly because it’s probably not worth going to court over just to get an eviction notice but hey, ho! Thanks for any advice given:)

OP

I have read this thread and I am speechless.

Word of caution on homelessness- please be aware that if you let yourself be taken to court to be evicted when you 'can afford the rent increase' but choose not to pay it as you 'will struggle': a) the courts expects you to prioritise your rent above all else; b) the COUNCIL can use the evidence that 'you chose not to pay' as you having made yourself homeless. Yes, someone will be going through your expenditures with a real calculator and some things you might spend your money on, might be classed as unnecessary expenditures.

Correct advice for all in all circumstances is to keep paying the increase in as much as you can while you are looking at alternatives which in your case seem to be 'while speaking to the Council.'

Further, any unpaid rent arrears will follow you at the time of eviction and this may impact your situation with the LL at next placement as by law, rent arrears must be clawed back each month.

Homelessness is a specialist area of law and therefore not straightforward. Best to follow common sense like: pay until you really cannot pay any more.

may impact your situation with the COUNCIL* ( who might end up being your LL at some point given you are bidding)...

Based on what the OP has said her LHA is she will be in one of the most expensive areas in the country. Probably zone 1 london. I totally understand that’s where her support system is but it has been astronomically expensive for decades.

There’s thousands of people who would love to live there and can’t afford it so the best option would probably be to move a little further out. Even just going to zone 3 or 4 the rents would likely be a lot cheaper.

is it right that zone 1 is solely for students and the mega rich? No of course not but it’s the reality the OP has to work with.

No I think your completely wrong. The op made it clear she was willing to accept an increase and wanted to negotiate what was affordable. She tried to open a channel to do this. The landlord refused to negotiate at first. The court are likley to favour her in this situation - the calculator you mention would also be used to access why the landlord was increasing the rent so dramatically and how much of the extra mortgage costs he was willing to absorb personally.
As a side note I believe rent controls are now being seriously considered to prevent unfair increases. This case is a perfect example of why it may become necessary.

From what I read, a poster quoted another thread started by OP to say she could afford the rent but won't pay because she just wants to be evicted to give that info the COUNCIL- I obv never seen what OP wrote. Then further down this thread, OP updated a reduction in the increase which she was happy with. So I was responding to the former, if indeed OP was quoted correctly.

Never seen a LL being asked by anyone to justify why they are increasing the rent. As in this case, LL already let it at a discount (again, if that's correct). There are huge amounts of costs (as most posters have pointed out) associated with owning a home, mortgage costs aren't the only ones- not saying they should all be covered by tenants, but which court is going to say which LL costs are for tenants which aren't? It doesn't happen and this is a capitalist country after all.

Move to a cheaper area and set about the motion to transfer the physio and other medical care to the local NHS team.

Yes this is inconvenient but the simple fact of the matter is that you cannot afford to live there any more.

it’s funny you say that because when the EA initially contacted me to let me know about the rent increase. They said that there’s a cost of living crisis for everyone including the LL and my rent amount is only covering his interest rates. Like ok??? How the hell is that my problem, I didn’t tell him to take out whatever mortgage he has

Good lord. You wonder why you are getting flamed when you come out with comments like this.

I guess it is not your problem. It is the problem of all the working tax payers paying for it though.

OP - Clarion Housing Association have properties through London, and the country, and for take self referrals for social homes:

https://www.myclarionhousing.com/find-a-home/rent-a-home/social-housing-explained