They're raising my rent anyway :(

[moss]

I recently posted here wondering if I should tell my landlord about the baby because I wanted to get permission to redecorate but I was worried they would raise the rent to try to push me out. Well... I got a letter the next day informing me that they are raising the rent in August (by £15 a month) and my choices are to stay on for another year, give them 2 month's notice to move out (meaning basically deciding NOW), or to enter into a different kind of contract with more flexible terms. They didn't really explain this, just saying "i.e. having a 2 month's notice period at any time instead of after another year."

What terrible timing! My lease expires on 8 August and my baby is due 12 August. It isn't the time to move and we don't have a deposit anyway! I'm hesitant to sign a different type of contract in case I lose some of my rights, but I really don't know if I can stay on for another year. £15 isn't much, but it might feel like a lot when we have the baby, and we've only been there a year so this seems to set a precedent that they will be doing this every year, even though they know we had hoped to stay for at least five years. The rent will now be £690, which isn't competetive for Dundee but I love my flat!

The reason I am hesitant to say yes definitely to another year is that there are some practicalities that mean I'm unsure of having a baby there. Overall I think it's a good, baby friendly flat but those few things are worrying me. I don't know what to do! This is the last stress I needed right now, and giving two month's notice would mean I have just over a week to decide. Properties (especially unfurnished) are hard to come by here. I'm really upset!

Sorry this is so long, I just needed to vent about it.

 

[*Star*]

wow i rent a 4 bedroom 3 story townhouse for 675 a month...

i would pay the extra 15 a month to avoid the hassle of having to move so close to the baby being born

 

[dannii87]

Oh hun I haven't been in this situation but I don't know how some people can sleep at night doing this to a new family I know I couldn't.

If it was me, personally I'd probably do it for another year. If you work it out, £15 a month is about £3.75 a week extra (going by 4 weeks per month) so it's not TOO bad - On the other hand, it's the principal! Whether it's £15 or £50 a month extra, it's terrible that they've done this.

Is there anyway your OH could try to wangle a pay rise at work or something? xx

 

[sarafet]

this is the thing i hate about renting

are you on good terms with the landlord or is it an agency? you could try speaking to them and telling them your position?

i moved house when i was around 34 weeks, it went well and it's made the last month FLY by but if you decide to move, as you said, you would need to find somewhere asap. the rent you're paying a month sounds a fortune as well

we're renting a 2 bedroom mid terrace, with garden and driveway, just outside glasgow, for £450 p/m, it's in a fantastic area as well

best of luck hun and keep us updated xxx

 

[abcd1234]

You dont need extra costs when you've already got to finance a baby!!

Is your landlord aware of your pregnancy?

I'm lucky, i dont pay rent living with rents cos they'd rather my money went towards Tally and in to a savings account for her.

If i did move out it'd be with Dave and his mum owns the house he lives in, so definately i nice landlady there!!

 

[moss]

Okay I have written a letter to the agency and I would appreciate people's opinions as to whether I should send it. Sorry it's long... I am taking some parts out but it's still long! As for the rent, it is high, but it's a brand new, beautiful flat with a view more beautiful then I could possibly get anywhere else... so it was worth it. Now I don't know what to do!

We have recently received the notification of a rent increase as of the last day of our current contract. The day we received it we were planning on writing to inform you that we are expecting a baby on 12 August. We were planning on staying in the property and had hoped to be able to do so for the next few years (at least until the end of our courses in 2012). It is obviously a bad time for us to think about moving, so we would not have an intention to do so immediately, but because of our impending arrival, there are some practicalities that we are somewhat worried about. With the addition of a rental increase, it seems an appropriate time to address these issues in order to help us make our decision in regards to renewing our contract.

The rental increase this year is not dramatic, but it seems to set a precedent for further increases every year we stay in the property. We are working students and don’t expect our income to change for better or worse whilst we are studying, so this could possibly cause some problems.

Additionally, whilst the flat is new and much different to most properties in Dundee, the price is not very competitive when compared to other properties here. We realise we are paying extra for the views and the modern finish, but there are problems with the area being isolated from amenities such as convenience stores, doctors, etc; and the finish of the property itself which leave us concerned about how we will cope with having a baby in the flat.

Our main concerns are:
 The lift breaks regularly (perhaps five times or more since we moved in). It is currently out of order again after having been repaired just a few days before. This already makes it difficult to come home because Brooke is pregnant and has some serious back problems at the moment, but will be worsened when the baby is here.
 The doors to the bedrooms and main living area are fitted with a chain that causes them to slam shut if there is not a weight in place. We have been hit by the doors after the weights have slid in the past, and this is of particular concern to us for when the baby becomes mobile.
 The front door is not fitted with a Yale lock, which means we have to lock ourselves into the flat. If there was a fire or other emergency we would have to first locate keys then struggle to open the door in order to evacuate the flat. This seems extremely dangerous to us and we wonder if it complies with fire codes. Also, we were told by a locksmith in Edinburgh that the type of lock on our current door in Dundee is not enough for most property insurers. If this is true, this may also be of concern to the landlord.

We have one or two more minor concerns, but these are the real deciding factors for us when it comes to the type of contract we enter into in August. Please note that we enjoy living in the flat very much and do not want to move unless we absolutely must. We would appreciate it if you could respond to these concerns as soon as possible because we don’t have a lot of time before you will require a definite decision from us.


Does this seem okay? Thanks for reading this loooooong post!

 

[Suzie and Faith]

I don't have any practical suggestions, except have a look round at what else is available and then think about how it compares to what you are going to be paying. If you are getting a good deal for your money (for your area) then it might be worth paying it. And maybe seeing what flexible terms they can offer you.

Maybe this is the time to mention the baby? So that you can see for definite how they react and whether that changes anything,

But have some it is awkward coming at this time xxx

 

[abcd1234]

Not a clue about what to say etc but the letter is well written and very polite which is what you'd want. However, having never had a landlord i'm clueless as to whether it'll help or even what your rights are.

Hopefully if your landlord has even the slightest bit or morality in him he'll understand the situation with the baby.

 

[dannii87]

That letter is brilliant! They can't possibly increase the rent with the lifts out of order etc surely?!! That's terrible!

I definitely think you've raised some good points there and I hope you receive the reply you're looking for xx

 

[Suzie and Faith]

The letter is really good
I think you should agree to pay the rent increase providing they address the issues you have raised and that way it's a lot fairer. Good luck keep us updated!

 

[moss]

Thanks everyone! I feel better about sending this.

I love writing letters, being the dork I am. Maybe I should start a business...

 

[dannii87]

LOL I do too! Whenever there is a complaint at work about a hotel/conference, I love writing a right old stroppy letter to the hotel manager!! I guess that is my stress release! xx

 

[BeckyJ]

i really hope u work something out, its another stress you dont need esp when pregnant

 

[Quill]

Oh wow, really sorry to hear this. One thing they may argue is that the £15 increase is in line with inflation. Possibly the landlord may have been hit by the credit crunch/mortgage rate increase. Not trying to excuse the landlord, though... if the rent you're paying is high for the area, and if there are problems with the place, I think it's out of order for an increase!

I think the letter is great. The landlord will have to decide whether it is worth the hassle of trying to find someone else to move in and possibly losing a month's income on the place.

We'll have been in our own place a year next month... still holding onto hope that he doesn't raise our rent. We pay almost twice what your rent is, but I guess that's London for you Best of luck with the situation... let us know how it goes.

 

[bowmanzoo]

Hi

Well not sure what to say really. The place we got through the emergency housing team is a 2 bedroom nothing special terrace and it' s just under £800 per month but at the moment i'm not too concerned because my husband is on long term sick so most of the rent gets covered. I'd speak to your local council and see where you stand if you say no to the rent increase, explain to the council you can not afford the increase and you cannot afford a deposit on a new place which in turn if the landlord refuses to extend your contract you will become homeless menaing the council will have to home you but this isnt always great because you may well get put into bed and breakfast or somewhere shabby for a while where at least with pvt renting you can choose where to live. We were really lucky we got a decent 2 bed property with no too bad neighbours, it's not often like that and most people esp 1st time mums without partners will find themselves in bed and brekfast or hostel and then a flat. hope that info helps.

 

[moss]

Thanks, bowmanzoo... I don't have experience with it since this is a pretty new city to me, but I have heard it is nearly impossible to get coucil housing here in Dundee. Someone in my office was talking about her mother being on a waiting list for years (she is now in sheltered housing) and a classmate of my husband's is 17 with a baby and unable to get a place. She's staying with her boyfriend and his four brothers in a tiny place... Hardly suitable for a young girl and a baby, but I don't know if the coucil just see her as having somewhere and being low priority.

 

[Geordie&Bairn]

Just seen this im so sorry they our doing this to you and i hope the letter you have wrote to them helps you to sort out a compromise

 

[*Star*]

just a note with the doors. are they the ones that are designed to be shut all the time, and they have a chain in the middle of the door that shuts it after you've opened it?

if they are then they are fire doors. we have them here because it's a 3 story townhouse almost a terraced form.

basically, there is a law that these doors need to be in place and they need to be automatically shutting to make sure it contains any fire that would break out in the room.

we asked about this when we moved into our house as we have to prop open the doors if we want to keep them open, but LEGALLY if we had a fire in the living room (fire doors hold a fire for 30 mins) and it spread in that time (which it would with a fire door propped open) then we would be liable.

i would def look into that before you send that letter, because if that is the case you could be setting yourself up for problems. as far as i am aware, it is actually illegal to prop open a fire door. and because of the type of house/flat you/we have thats why they are automatically closing doors.

sorry that was a bit long winded, but i wanted to get out what i meant!!!! i dont want you to send it and potentially get yourself into a bit of trouble! becase i guess if the landlord finds you doing that, he may have issues cause at the end of the day - it's his flat!

 

[moss]

About the doors... They are those kind, but the weights were here when we moved in. The landlord put them there! Ha. This is the first place I have lived that has them.

 

[michaels]

First, I didn't catch the original thread but they can't throw you out for being pregnant. In some ways you should hope they do because that would pay for rent for a few years

Second, a £15 a month increase is not out of the ordinary and probably fair considering inflationary rises and the fact that interest rates have increased. Landlords need to cover costs too.

However, if they are going to raise the price then you need to make sure you get what you pay for. In the letter you pointed out a few issues which is good but personally I wouldn't send that letter. I'd change it a little so that it has some focus.

I think you should find all the things that are wrong with the flat, be it flaking paint, dodgy windows or marks on carpets and ask them, in return for a rental increase to fix those things. When is the last time the landlord came in and painted the place or carried out other redecoration works?

So maybe you should wear the increase but get a few things in return? You might even find that the landlord thinks again and realises that just getting someone to paint one room will exceed the excess he'll be getting from rent and might let you off. You might also like to point out that putting it back on the market is going to cost a fair amount, it's better to stay with you, you're good tenants, take care of the place and are the ideal customer.

P.s, don't ever worry about telling someone you're expecting a baby. It's not like you're buying a new pet that will annoy people or ruin a house. It's a child and if people don't like it then sod em. In any case, they can't do anything about it anyway.