Section 13

[Droxi]

Hello. Can please somebody help me with an answer?
My Landlord wants to increase rent by £200. I am challanging the rent increase. I sent the documents to the Tribunal. The Landlord sent his statement after mine, and in it he just responded to the points from my statement. Now he wants to inspect the house (first time in 6 years) maybe to do some improvements, but this will be new evidence and will destroy my statement. My question is : he can carry out improvements before the Tribunal will want to view the house? I made a case with proofs that the rent increase is too much. He didn't had to think about improving the house before asking for this rent increase? Thank you .

[AndrewDod]

The amount of the increase is not important only whether it is within the broad range of market rate rents for this type of property. Not sure why you started a new thread.

Rents are going up a lot however because of legislation - some of my rents have gone up by £200 in just the last two years -- when was the last increase?

[Hudson01]

Is that an increase of £200 per ...... ???? And what does your AST say about the % of increase which can be made every year (i know some do not have this clause).

[Droxi]

I am sorry I opened a new thread...I had difficulties with the site.

It's an increase of £200/month. There is no clause in the AST to say something about any increase, there is no clause.

[jase222]

To be honest most of mine have gone up by that much and when you consider, agent fees have gone north along with gas electric plus all the anti landlord legislation, I try to explain to tenants that I run a business after all, and the problem tenants will face is landlords especially in Bristol are selling up in droves.

[Section20z]

First increase in 6 years then £200 might be fair, depending on what percentage that is, and the Landlord is certainly entitled to carry out maintenance but you can always take pictures before and after.
But is seems all you will succeed in doing is antagonising your landlord when it might be more productive in the long term to write to your MP / Councillor about all the legislation that is forcing rents up and reducing housing stock in the PRS.

[Droxi]

Thank you for your response.
It's my mistake that I opened this new thread. I had another one, in which I explained that in october I got a Section 21 Notice, then in November a section 13 of a rent increase. Pressure from the Landlord to leave the house sooner than the Section 21 stated were made from the first day of receiving the notice. He didn't carry any inspection in 5 years, and now after I made the statement for the Rent Assesment Tribunal wants to come and remedy the situation (and in February the Tribunal will conduct a viewing), I have my evidence that the rent increase is too much, I have found comparables to prove this. He made a statement to the tribunal based on my statement.

[jpkeates]

On a practical level, you don't have to allow the landlord access to make improvements.

[Droxi]

The percentage in increase is 26%.

[Section20z]

The percentage in increase is 26%.

Going from £800 to £1000 after 6 years hardly seems excessive ? What are comparable rents in the locality ?

[Droxi]

The increase is from £750 to £950. I found many properties in the range of £750-£900. But all are in new or very good condition. The landlord overlooked the condition and state of the proerty, never made any atempt to do any improvements and any inspections (I installed a new boiler and cavity wall insulation). In addition he didn't protected the deposit in 5 years and didn't have a License (he obtained it after serving Section 21). The Tribunal will make a decision and I will obey to the law.
My problem is that after they read my statement they want to improve things before the viewings from the Tribunal and after they issued Section 13 of the rent increase. They shouldn't have done this before asking for more rent?
Thank you

[theartfullodger]

Landlord can ask, formally (s13) or informally for more rent at any time. You don't have to agree to either.

Nothing stopping you asking for a rent reduction also, but as with tenant, again landlord doesn;t have to agree.

As pointed out above you don;t have to agree to or permit improvements (although you might want to), but do have to permit (covid restrictions, quiet enjoyment etc still applying) to essential repairs.

See what tribunal state. Nothing stopping you moving out any time.

Good luck, best wishes

[Hudson01]

I can see that a £200 increase over 6 years is not excessive but to have that increase in one go may be a bit to take, if the LL has chosen not to increase the rent over that period then suddenly increases it right up to market rate in one go that is harsh.

[DPT57]

Unless the proposed rent is well in excess of local market rents then I can't see the tribunal being terribly sympathetic. There are processes to deal with disrepair. Did you make him aware formally of any issues at the property?

[kelbol]

Rents are going up a lot however because of legislation - some of my rents have gone up by £200 in just the last two years -- when was the last increase?

I don't understand that bit. Does that mean rents were below what LLs could charge?
A rent increase would be well justified in the current climate, but equally, in the current and future climate, tenants will struggle to pay higher rent.
So even if landlords across the country all increase their rent, that doesn't mean tenants will be able to pay.