Obscene rent increase

[user97213982742]

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

You don't know where the OP lives, the size and condition of the property and what the local market is like so you have no idea if the rent is 'hugely below market rates'...

How on earth do you work out the idea that your taxes are used to pay off private landlord's mortgages?

Why do landlords never expect to pay for anything and make only profits?

Being a landlord is just like any business: you have to plan for regular running costs, maintenance and paying any tax due and take that out of your profits.

A lot of the new tighter rules on renting that so many people are complaining about on this thread had to brought in because so many landlords have this odd sense of entitlement, did not maintain their properties (often causing harm to tenants' health and safety) to avoid having to spend any money and preferred instead to randomly evict tenants who complained.

I would love to know where the property is. I've just done a Rightmove search for a 10 mile radius of where I live, which encompasses Bristol and Bath, and the average rent for a flat is around £1500 pcm (with better areas coming in closer to £2000 pcm).
Maybe help your landlord out by seeing if you or he qualify for any grants. Or suggest a phased increase and see if you qualify for any housing benefit.

All you can do it move

I think decent landlord should slowly increase their rent if needed rather than leave it the same for years and then hit the tenant with a huge increase in one go. That's poor practice.

I agree. It's a huge increase in one hit, although that's still cheap compared to a lot of the country. I'm in the SE, but 50 miles from London, and you'd be lucky to find a two-bed property here for less than £1,200 a month.

You had a very low rent, it sounds like they plan to do improvements over time. Even in cheap places rents are usually higher. Shop around see what else you can find - but i suspect your landlord isn’t a bad one, they kept you rent very low for as long as they could

Quite easily - housing benefit which is funded by taxes.

Why do people like you expect that, unlike other businesses, landlords should not put up their prices when running costs go up?

Landlords are required to ensure that all properties have an EPC rating of at least C by October 1st 2030. Those rented properties that currently have a rating of D or E will have to be upgraded. That is not a regular running cost, maintenance, etc. It is an increase in costs being imposed by the government. Improving energy efficiency of properties is a good thing, but expecting landlords with non-compliant properties to magic up the money required without any rent increase is unrealistic.

If landlords are under "unbearable pressure", they can always sell up and live off the interest on the proceeds of sale.

So they are increasing it to the same as a new place? I would just reply and say that as the price reflects a modern flat in the same area that meets safety standards you will not be paying the increase until the flat meets those requirements.

The Renters Rights Act 2025 is largely based on the bill the Conservatives were planning to implement but ran out of time to do.

So what are you saying? That landlords should reduce the rent charged to tenants on HB so that they can't pay off any of their mortgage? Perhaps you object to landlords with HB tenants maintaining their properties - after all, that comes out of your taxes in the same way.

That’s very likely the market rate or close to it (and the landlord is still doing you a favour). There are very few areas of the UK where it wouldn’t be either. Only thing you can do now is move. Landlord will likely get someone else quickly.

Legally your landlord can ask for an increase in rent so long as they haven’t increased the rent already in the last year and as long as this is in line with market rate. They must give at least 2 months notice.

If you feel like the rent increase is above market rate then you can dispute this.

If the property doesn’t meet the safety requirements then this is a separate issue you should contact your landlord about as legally he does need to ensure the property is safe to live in.

I would contact Shelter if you need further advice around this.

and yet who's comment has been deleted?

You can refuse the increase and go to a rent tribunal. They will consider other properties and what is reasonable. It costs £47, assuming you are in England. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/housing/paying-rent/challenging-a-rent-increase/

It's likely that the tribunal will increase your rent, but it may not be by that amount. You should present evidence of the state of disrepair.

Your landlord may want you out and be hoping you'll find a cheaper property to go to. Be careful what you say as I doubt you want your home declared unfit for human habitation, although courts may award compensation ranging from a percentage of the rent (25% to 50% for partial loss of use) up to 100% of the rent if the home was truly uninhabitable and could only be endured, not enjoyed.

Your best option is likely to be negotiating that you will pay a higher rent once there is an escape route in case of fire and other repairs are done. Talk to Shelter or CAB.

What was housing benefit, which has escalated massively over the years, now rolled in to Universal credit. Most of it paid to private landlords, the rest into social landlords.

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?

But it seems these issues haven’t been a problem for 20 years whilst you were likely paying well below the market rent. I guess now though, due to wording of his letter, that you can raise these matters with the landlord, but don’t start complaining after 20 years as if these issues have been a huge worry to you. Absolutely agree generally that rents are crazy high though.

A friend was thinking of renting out her house, as she spends a lot of time staying at her elderly mother's to care for her.

She got quotes to see what it would cost to bring it up to EPC C standards, and the cost was staggering; well into 5 figures. The house is in a conservation area (which is effectively the whole of the town centre), so the outside has to look exactly the same as it does now. Just replacing the sash windows with ones that would be acceptable to the council was going to be £18k. It's a tiny Victorian cottage and there are only 4 of them!

Point that out to the landlord and if he won't do the necessary improvements move to one of those properties or a cheaper one in better condition than yours.

Why do landlords never expect to pay for anything and make only profits?

erm, because they’re running a business, not a charity. What would be the point in renting out a property either making no profit, or making a loss. Obviously the landlord has to pay for repairs, but it’s a bit silly to question why they have to make a profit……some are accidental landlords, but most run property lets/rentals as a business.

You could contact "Shelter"to ask if the raise is too much.

Just move to.one with all the mid cons then ... no brainer

Love all the posters blithely saying “move elsewhere if you can get better” while being blissfully unaware of factors like deposits, removals etc,

🙄