Agency proposing rent increase of £10 a month

ColdAsIce

ColdAsIce

ColdAsIce

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Just recieved a letter from the agency dealing with the flat I am renting, informing me that the contract has now moved onto a rolling contract and that they propose to increase the rent by £10 a month, which they will take automatically from our direct debit in August.

What if I don't agree with this rent increase? Is my only course of action putting in my 2 month notice? Seems a bit cheeky really :S
 
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Scotland

It makes sense they are sending the letter now as in August it will have been 1 year since we have been at the flat. That is when they will be increasing the direct debit.
 
Not really. You can terminate your contract with notice if you don't like how it's going, and they can do the same. They apparently don't like that you're paying them £10 less than they want... So your choices are to pay it, or they'll terminate the contract and find someone who will pay it.

You can try arguing it, but if they think they can get that extra £10 from someone else then they'll just ask you to leave and there isn't much you can do about that as far as I'm aware.
 
How long is your contract? Surely they cant just change it on the spot if its a 12 month contract?

ask them to justify the increase, research local rent prices
 
This is pretty much par for the course with renting... my letter at the end of the initial 6 month period and going onto rolling monthly said something like:

"We've looked at the average rent in the area and feel an increase of £xx is inline with the going rate in the area" and put my rent up by ~£70 a month so only a £10 increase is pretty good.
 
Rroff said:
This is pretty much par for the course with renting... my letter at the end of the initial 6 month period and going onto rolling monthly said something like:

"We've looked at the average rent in the area and feel an increase of £xx is inline with the going rate in the area" and put my rent up by ~£70 a month so only a £10 increase is pretty good.
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Part of me thinks that also. Is it worth the hassle for £10 but that is still £120 a year :/ Just seems a bit cheeky considering they have never viewed the flat since we moved in. They were supposed to before xmas but the guy took ill and they have never arranged another time.

Sick of paying these Agency clowns more money for doing nothing :(
 
Are you happy accepting a rolling contract? basically they can roger you over with prices whenever they like.

One month you can pay 600 say for a nice 1 bedroom flat.

Next month could be £650.

I would want a fixed term contract at least, 6 months or 12
 
I had this happen to me when I was renting, I just wrote to the agency informing them I didn't wish to proceed at the increased rate and would leave when my existing agreement ended, they called me back and told me I was a good tenant and the landlord had agreed to continue at the existing rate.
 
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shine said:
I had this happen to me when I was renting, I just wrote to the agency informing them I didn't wish to proceed at the increased rate and would leave when my existing agreement ended, the called me back and told me I was a good tenant the landlord had agreed to continue at the existing rate.
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Yea do this, call their bluff. Is renting popular in the area? Odds are a landlord doesn't want to lose a reliable tennant for the sake of £10, and face potential months worth of missing rent.
 
Brookert said:
Are you happy accepting a rolling contract? basically they can roger you over with prices whenever they like.

One month you can pay 600 say for a nice 1 bedroom flat.

Next month could be £650.

I would want a fixed term contract at least, 6 months or 12
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Maybe I've been lucky,but I have ever had an increase. I love rolling months, means I can move whenever I want. If they up the price you can move.
 
AcidHell2 said:
Maybe I've been lucky,but I have ever had an increase. I love rolling months, means I can move whenever I want. If they up the price you can move.
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If your happy with moving quickly then its fine i suppose.

Me personally, I have so much crap, furniture etc that it involves renting a van etc. So I want the security of a set prices and 12 month contract.

ofc I would be a bit angry if the housing market collapsed and I was paying well over the odds for my flat for months, but I think the housing market is steady at the mo.
 
I had the same letter this week from my landlord saying mine is going up £35 a month from £545 to £580. I'm not happy about this as I don't have much disposable income as it is. I have looked around and the properties in my area are either rubbish in comparision, or are more expensive anyway in my area.!

It's rubbish, but I have been in my property for 2.5 years and not had a single increase yet. (6month contract initially)
 
Ace Modder said:
I had the same letter this week from my landlord saying mine is going up £35 a month from £545 to £580. I'm not happy about this as I don't have much disposable income as it is. I have looked around and the properties in my area are either rubbish in comparision, or are more expensive anyway in my area.!

It's rubbish, but I have been in my property for 2.5 years and not had a single increase yet. (6month contract initially)
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just out of interest. The 2.5yrs youve been in your flat, have your yearly earnings increased at all?

I've noticed lots of peoples costs shooting up and their wages aren't increasing with them. Seems to be a real problem at the moment.
 
We have just negotiated a £25 a month increase, the landlords initially went for the big dog and asked for a £55 pm increase.

Fortunately i had done my research on rightmove etc and came back at them with similar priced properties and the fact that maintain the property to a good level and dont ring them out for any little reason.

So ours went up from £550pm to £575pm for a 4 bedroom end terrace, that price is now stuck for 2 years. :cool:
 
My lanlord has been very good to me,lived in my apartment for 6 years and still paying the same amount i do now since the day i moved in;),i guess it depends where you live with supply and demand on what they can get away with.
 
Brookert said:
How long is your contract? Surely they cant just change it on the spot if its a 12 month contract?

ask them to justify the increase, research local rent prices
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They usually have tenants sign the termination notice before they have even moved in nowadays, so rather than 6 months notice they can give it to you straight away and you have to move out in 1-3 months depending on your agreement.

If i were you i would find out the demand in your local area (rightmove as someone previously stated and the website for the agency) and what the rent is then negotiate.
Calling their bluff is a dangerous game as they may well have someone lined up already
 
Chronictank said:
They usually have tenants sign the termination notice before they have even moved in nowadays, so rather than 6 months notice they can give it to you straight away and you have to move out in 1-3 months depending on your agreement.

If i were you i would find out the demand in your local area (rightmove as someone previously stated and the website for the agency) and what the rent is then negotiate.
Calling their bluff is a dangerous game as they may well have someone lined up already
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That isn't allowed anymore and would not stand up if you took them to court.
 
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