Bats in the belfry, windows are jammed - London flat renting, deposits & landlords

Also, Tower Hamlets is planning on charging me £500 for the priviledge of letting out my own property, meaning I might have to start charging for reference checks. Or pass the cost on to my tenants.

(I won't - I'll probaby just sell the place and let a more douchy land-lord take my place)

Last week the letting agent we used when we moved emailed us out of the blue asking if we were considering moving, or even buying. Sure enough my landlady called last night to say she is looking to take vacant possession of our flat in June when our tenancy expires. As we were underpaying on the rental value (flat next door was on for £400pcm more last year) there's no chance we can afford to live in Dartmouth Park again as rental market seems to have definitely moved on and gf took a big wage hit last year which also killed off our hopes of buying. Might have to consider flat sharing again, which will definitely be weird after having our own place for last four years. In that time we haven't exactly had much luck renting together. Our first flat was also sold by landlord and our second landlord threatened to stab me, so needless to say that tenancy didn't last long.

Hmmmm- similar situation here. Have taken a fair old pay cut in order to sort out future career, seriously wondering now if I need to move flats- the rents killing me, and we're underpaying for what/where it is. Really not happy at all. May well leave this city- just doesn't seem worth it atm.

My landlord mentioned a rent rise last year having not increased the rent in four years. I told them that I was struggling to pay the amount that I was paying and managed to stall for almost a year. Now after having varying amounts thrown at me they've had an estate agent come round to check the market rate for the size and location and the very next day I get an email saying that they want to increase the rent by 500 a month! And could I pay that when my next rent was due.

Talk about putting profit before people. I was straight onto CAB who pointed me to Shelter which has detailed info on all the questions that I had. Labour say that if they get in they will put a cap on the amount of rent increases on privately let properties.

I've taken a lodger on the advice of the landlord in order generate some extra income basically to cover the rent increase. Of course now the landlord says that I'm making a "profit" when ultimately they will be reaping the said profits in the long term but in the short term they can't touch it until they have formally issued me with a rent rise and I have signed a new contract to accept and agree to the amount. Going to attempt further haggling as I'm fairly settled even though the place could do with some work (couldn't every place) but if all they want is to maximise their profits rather than keep a long standing trusted tenant with no agency fees then reluctantly I'll just have to move out.

I wonder if this talk of capping rises has meant that loads of rents will go up in the next week (or few weeks if labour get in).

the very next day I get an email saying that they want to increase the rent by 500 a month

£500 a month is big money, to both you and the landlord. Their thought process will probably be similar to yours - that you've been a good tenant and they don't want to lose you, but in their eyes they are currently subsiding your housing by £6,000 a year and that's a lot to give to anyone.

So long as you're a calm character, invite the landlord round, show them how much you love living there, how well you keep the place and appeal to their humanity. If you can negotiate a smaller rise - half way maybe - you'll still be getting 'good' value and the lodger should cover the extra rent.

loads of rents will go up in the next week (or few weeks if labour get in).

AIUI Labour's plan is that rents can be set to anything at the start of a tenancy, then rent increases will be controlled for 3 years, after which the tenancy and rent is renegotiated again from scratch, without control.

Seems to me it will just lead to big rises every three years rather than smaller ones every year and averaged over the three years nothing will change.

As with most policies, if you want actual, considered, significant change you'll need to look somewhere other than the mainstream, majority-approval-seeking parties.

Some voters are landlords, see? And you can't alienate voters.

how well you keep the place and appeal to their humanity.

Good advice. @arup also, assuming you've been a low maintenance tenant, and fixed minor issues when they've popped up yourself, make sure you make the most of this. They could get someone new in, but then end up having to fix everything up and tend to the property more than they are now: appeal to their need for an easy life.

Spiv Britain.

Leave and set it on fire. By accident.

Thanks for all the advice guys. I've drafted a proposal and will send it to them very soon. I feel a lot more empowered having read through the pages on the Shelter site.

Here's a bit of a long winded one:
We rent up here in t'Leeds from a private landlord through a local estate agent and we had a 2 year contract, but the landlord has terminated the contract a year early, saying we had a 'get out clause'.
I can't find any paperwork to say otherwise so I've reluctantly had to agree.
Anyway, they gave us 2 months notice.
Where we live rentals are a red hot commodity, there are very few and the ones that come up are snapped up same day. Prices are high for the area (piddling compared to London!) and we MUST live in a certain area to stay in the school catchment area - it's why we moved here in the first place.
Well, we found a new place. Ace. What's not ace is that our landlord wants us out on 1st July and our new tenancy doesn't start till 1st August.
Not so ace.
We're a family of four, kids are 12 & 10 and I'm fucked if we're living in a tent for 4 weeks.
We've talked to the agents and the place we're moving to is (maybe) allowing us to move in a week early, that leaves us with three weeks.
So I've dug my heels in and said I'm not moving until 21 July.
The question is, where do I stand legally?
She says she needs the house, she's moving back in, so that strengthens her case but is it strong enough to have us lobbed out?
She's single and there's four of us, we've found a house (actively sought alternative accommadation) but we only want three weeks.
You folks seem a savvy lot when it comes to dealing with cunts.
So legally, where do I stand?

Can the estate agent give you a copy of the contract?

I'm waiting for the return of a deposit in excess of £2k for a property which I vacated almost 6 months ago. Can I take legal advice or threaten something to the estate agents? All other paths have failed me so far.

I would direct them to this page.

You (probably) have an AST - the default type of rental contract. It looks like the Landlord must get a court order for you to leave before they can evict you. I expect this would take more than three weeks.

But yeah get a copy of your contract. I am not a lawyer etc. I know someone who is though and can ask for you?

I'll ask for a copy of the contract but I reckon it'll be legit - an optional get out after one year was mentioned before we signed up but I can't remember choosing it or not.
Assuming the paperwork is in order, it's more a question of buying just a bit of time and where we stand. As far as I can tell, @Howard is right inthat getting a hearing for an eviction can take a few weeks and I get two weeks to state my side of the case, then even if it goes to court we can expect a couple of weeks to leave at least.
I wondered if anyone had a similar experience of sitting tight and telling the landlord to go fuck themselves for a few weeks, and what the legal ramifications were.
Cheers for that link!

Dealing with the landlord solely through the agent might buy you some time also?

Check the contract, but if the notice is legit you've got to decide how cunty you are prepared to be.

Howard is right, if you fail to leave on the vacation date the owner has to apply to the courts for possession, that'll probably take enough time for you to be out on its own but if it doesn't you can still refuse to leave and the owner has to go back to get the bailiffs instructed by which time you'll defo be gone.

Bear in mind tho that if you ever get referenced on a future let it's not exactly an ideal tenant history and also that maybe actually the owner does need the house and you could be massively inconveniencing them.

The real question is, what would tynan do?

Send the landlord one of your blood filled poos, if your poo is not already full of blood, get one of the kids (12 year old prolly best) to kick you in the kidneys repeatedly until such time as the poo is bloody. Also, spread the remainder of the bloody poo on to the underside of every carpet in the house.

I'll ask for a copy of the contract but I reckon it'll be legit

Yes - you can serve a section 21 at any time, as a landlord, regardless of break-clauses.

I wondered if anyone had a similar experience of sitting tight and telling the landlord to go fuck themselves for a few weeks, and what the legal ramifications were.

My (basic) understanding is that they have to get a court order. Otherwise they are a breaking the law and open themselves up to court action from you, and a world of hurt. If you don't want to leave at the end of the two months, then just do not, and wait for the court order. I'd get the locks changed, though.

Better, I'd explain the situation to them, i.e. you can't move out earlier due to the situation being out of your control, and that if push came to shove you'd simply wait for a court order, meaning you get what you want. The alternative is for the Landlord to show some sense and grant you the extra three weeks allowing you to depart on amicable terms. Of course, you'll happilly pay the rental for those three weeks to fund thier hotel stay.

Unleash the claw?

My GF is going to move in with me for 3/4 months whilst we wait to buy. She won't be registered at the flat or have a key etc. The landlord wants me to pay an extra £300 per month for this. The apartment is 5 beds but only 4 rooms are let (4 tenants). I know there are restrictions between 4 and 5 bed houses (fire doors etc) but as she will just be living with me, is it not my choice?

maybe @Howard you would know?

Is your landlord chrismgs?

Yeah, that's what we're doing. No direct landlord contact whatsoever. I can see her point (landlord actually a landlady), she wants her home back, but she's been fucking unreasonable. I wouldn't dream about kicking a family onto the streets.
Not sure what it's like in London but up here tenants are treated very much as second class citizens.

Ah, the old 'blood poo' ruse.

I'll keep that one as a last resort, however.