Can a landlord increase private sector rent by 75%?

Been living at same rented house for 13 years & have good relationship with landlord who has only increased rent twice over the years, by small amounts, now her money grabbing son has decided that it should increase by a whopping 75% which he claims is a fair rent!!
Nearly had heart attack when he told me this & I told him I thought this was disgusting as the property is damp & has many other problems which I have reported many times, but nothing has ever been done to fix them! Finally he is coming to look at damp etc to see what he can do, but knowing him anything that costs money will be avoided at length.
Wondered if anyone has any advice they could give on this??

I suggest you contact CAB I think there is some law that states that if you live somewhere at a certain rent for a set period of time then you can continue paying that rent for as long as you are a tenant. Also as you have been a tenant for so long, it would be difficult for your landlords son to evict you as a way round it.

Good luck

xx

You asked this in the UK section so I assume you want a reponse from UK users.

When can my rent be increased?
Some private tenants live in their homes for years without the rent being increased. However your rent can be increased at any time if you agree to it. Even if you don't agree to it, most tenants will find it difficult to argue against rent increases. Some tenants, such as those with regulated (protected) and assured tenancies, will have more rights, however.

If you don't agree to a rent increase, your landlord may only be able to increase the rent at certain times. There may be a limit on how often your landlord can increase the rent. Your landlord may also have to follow a specific procedure for the increase to be legal. The rules depend on the type of tenancy you have.

If your tenancy is for a fixed period of time (known as 'fixed term'), such as six months or a year, your landlord cannot increase the rent until the fixed term ends. The only exceptions to this are if you agree to the increase (using a special form if you are a regulated tenant) or there is a clause in your agreement saying that the rent will be increased.

How much can it be increased by?
There is a limit to the amount that some rents can be increased by. This depends on the type of tenancy you have. Most private tenants have assured shorthold tenancies, but check here if you are unsure. Sometimes tenancy agreements contain information about rent increases, itemising when the rent will be increased and by how much.

Assured shorthold tenants
If you are an assured shorthold tenant your landlord will be charging you a 'market rent'. Market rents are affected by the availability and cost of other similar accommodation in the area, but, in reality, if your landlord wants to increase your rent, you don't have very much power to stop them.

If you think your rent increase is too high, as an assured shorthold tenant you have the right to apply to the Rent Assessment Committee (RAC) during the fixed term of your tenancy. However, since assured shorthold tenants don't have very strong rights, your landlord may prefer to evict you rather than reduce the amount of rent they want to charge.

It may be worth negotiating with your landlord to try to agree a lower rent increase in return for not having to re-let the property. Alternatively, your landlord may agree to increase the rent in stages over a period of time.

If the rent increase is too high and you cannot get your landlord to agree to a cheaper rent, you may have to look for alternative accommodation.

Assured tenants
Assured tenants pay 'market rents'. Market rents are affected by the availability and cost of other similar accommodation in the area. Assured tenancies provide a high level of security and your landlord has to follow certain procedures for increasing your rent (see the next section).

Regulated (or protected) tenants
If your tenancy started before 15 January 1989 you may have a 'regulated' or 'protected' tenancy. Regulated or protected tenants have a high level of security and are entitled to 'fair rents'. A fair rent is an amount of rent that a rent officer or Rent Assessment Committee sets as the maximum that your landlord can charge.

Fair rents can normally be increased once every two years. They can usually only be increased by a certain amount that is calculated using a formula. If your landlord has made substantial improvements to your home, the rent increase may be higher.

There are no rules regulating the value of rents unless you happen to be in one of the few 'rent control' areas in the nation. At this time, you seem to be making numerous complaints about the house ONLY because the rent is going up. Apparently these were not issues when the rent was lower, since you stayed 13 years.

To determine rent values, shop around to see what other similar units are bringing on the market. My guess is that you will discover that you've been getting a very good deal for the last 13 years.

He can't put it up during the lease period (assuming your lease have a rent amount on it) but he can put it up afterwards to what ever he wants. Best option is to move out unless the 75% increase is still better than elsewhere in the area. If you want to know the rental value of similar properties in the area go and look at the local rental agents on the internet (there will be loads of them) or have a look in a local paper. Maybe the mother was undercharging you all these years.

Yes, unless you live in a city with rent control - which is unlikely. I think NYC has that.
If not, they can do whatever they feel like. And if over 13 years you only had two small increases then you are probably paying well below fair value because rents have definitely increased over that time...so what the son is charging may very well be a fair rent. Look for comparable housing to see.

move...he can do this...and you can vote with your feet...best of luck...

Hi Ice
I think that being in a house for 13yrs with only 2 small increases is very lucky.
But we do not know the location and the rents spoken about. I think firstly you need to go onto www.rightmove.co.uk and search for similar properties in your area and see what rents they command. If you still think you are being asked to pay too much, speak to the landlord, not his son. Maybe tell him that you will be happy with an increased rent, when all the problems have been sorted.

Sounds indefensible.

Read this -

http://www.rpts.gov.uk/our_services/rd.htm

IT's the fair rent tribunal.

It depends in where in the world you live. If it is in the UK then the answer is no. He can increase it but only by a small percentage each year, and even then it has to be fair. If you left and he got other tennants in he could then put the rent up by 75% but can not do that to you unless you agree to it.

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