Received rent increase letter, can't afford it

Ms Doubtfire1

Axl Substantial Shower wrote: »

The op has already stated its a high demand area and only one property has come up for rent recently. How is a LL supposed to come up with 3 in the last few weeks. I would having one would be enough if it came down to it.

As an aside am in the only one who thinks 100 euro each a month while annoying is not an increase that should be unaffordable. I'd worry about how you would afford a big unexpected expense if 100 euro extra a month puts you in such a tight situation, maybe the rent is already out of your budget? I'm not saying it's not a pain in the ass having to pay more rent by the way.

Not the tenant's problem.It's the law.3 are required.
and you know, 2,400 euro per annum is a months salary for many people.Might not be much for you, but if thats the case, why increase at all?

steddyeddy

steddyeddy wrote: »

100 a month extra is 1200 a year which is a big deal.

It's a big deal if you are already stretched a lot in the amount you are paying in rent. I'm not saying its not an issue for the op, I'm just saying it would be an increase most people could handle without a major problem. I know people paying up to 300 euro more a month now than in previous years after rent increases in the last while.

Ms Doubtfire1 wrote: »

Not the tenant's problem.It's the law.3 are required.
and you know, 2,400 euro per annum is a months salary for many people.Might not be much for you, but if thats the case, why increase at all?

I'd like to see how many rent increases are actually backing it up with 3 similar properties, very few I'd imagine.

2400 is between two people, so its 1200 each. Why increase it at all? well because the point of renting out a property is to make money from it and if there is more money to be made a LL is entitled to ask for it it doesn't matter how much or little it is to them. You have no idea either how the LL's finances are.

Again I'm not saying its a small increase but its not an outlandish one either. All this sort of crap is the very reason I rent a room rather than a full house and will go straight to buying rather than renting a full house/apartment.

Ms Doubtfire1

as long as LL adheres to the law he can ask whatever he wants. Will he get it? well, thats up to the tenants and PTRSB.I for one run everything by the PTRSB. Not that my LL likes it- but nothing he can do about it.It's my right.I exercise it.

intheclouds

Ms Doubtfire1 wrote: »

as long as LL adheres to the law he can ask whatever he wants. Will he get it? well, thats up to the tenants and PTRSB.I for one run everything by the PTRSB. Not that my LL likes it- but nothing he can do about it.It's my right.I exercise it.

That seems like a needlessly confrontational way of conducting the LL-tenant relationship?

Can you not speak to him yourself directly and only escalate if necessary?

Ms Doubtfire1

I've tried that for 2 years in the past. Didn't work. any repair in the house was disputed by him. He event tried to blame me when last years storm took a few tiles of the roof. :eek:

hdowney

Axl Substantial Shower wrote: »

The op has already stated its a high demand area and only one property has come up for rent recently. How is a LL supposed to come up with 3 in the last few weeks. I would having one would be enough if it came down to it.

As an aside am in the only one who thinks 100 euro each a month while not a small increase shouldn't be an unaffordable one for a couple renting? I'd worry about how you would afford a big unexpected expense if 100 euro extra a month puts you in such a tight situation, maybe the rent is already out of your budget? I'm not saying it's not a pain in the ass having to pay more rent by the way but a LL is entitled to maximise his income from a rental property.

The OP said they'd accept a 100 euro increase, the landlord is looking for 200

intheclouds

Ms Doubtfire1 wrote: »

I've tried that for 2 years in the past. Didn't work. any repair in the house was disputed by him. He event tried to blame me when last years storm took a few tiles of the roof. :eek:

Why do you stay in the property if the LL is so unreasonable and you are forced to behave in a confrontational manner over every little thing? One would think itd be a less stressful life to live somewhere else.

Ms Doubtfire1

It comes with land for my 2 horses. That's hard to come by and he knows that.

Ms Doubtfire1

Ms Doubtfire1 wrote: »

as long as LL adheres to the law he can ask whatever he wants. Will he get it? well, thats up to the tenants and PTRSB.I for one run everything by the PTRSB. Not that my LL likes it- but nothing he can do about it.It's my right.I exercise it.

Its a dangerous game though for someone who want's to stay living in the property. Once your part4 ends then there is nothing stopping the LL issuing you a termination notice and the RTB or anyone else can't help you then.

Ms Doubtfire1

I have something lined up for that, but it will be another year or so before the building is ready.:-)

Ms Doubtfire1

Axl Substantial Shower wrote: »

Its a dangerous game though for someone who want's to stay living in the property. Once your part4 ends then there is nothing stopping the LL issuing you a termination notice and the RTB or anyone else can't help you then.

Well, that the nature of open market. Doesn't mean one has to allow one selves to be milked. :mad:

snowgal

intheclouds wrote: »

You must be reading a different thread than me:


Personally speaking I would end the lease in 2 years also if there was this level of kickback over one rent increase in 8 years.

Sorry, just on this post, there is NO level of kickback at all yet! Im simply here asking peoples opinions on whether its the done thing to negotiate an increase and if not what our notice might be? We haven't even decided ourselves yet what we'll do when it comes down to it!!

On other points of the increase, it may not be a big deal to some but a €100 pp increase is alot to for me per month. If it wasn't an issue sure we would just pay it no problem! It is going to stretch us financially otherwise we wouldn't be negotiating.

I dont want to go down any legal routes or PTRSB (I dont even know if they are registered tbh)

Sad Professor

Axl Substantial Shower wrote: »

Its a dangerous game though for someone who want's to stay living in the property. Once your part4 ends then there is nothing stopping the LL issuing you a termination notice and the RTB or anyone else can't help you then.

Which is why starting a dispute with the RTB should be a last resort for tenants. Tenants are in a poor position to enforce what limited regulation and tenant protection exists at the moment. However, I agree with Ms Doubtfire1 that the OP shouldn't just roll over for the landlord in this instance. 2 years is a long time and the market and tenant protections may have improved by then.

Sad Professor

snowgal wrote: »

I dont want to go down any legal routes or PTRSB (I dont even know if they are registered tbh)

Just to point out, they don't have to be. If you need to start a dispute, whether they are registered or not doesn't affect you at all.

intheclouds

snowgal wrote: »

Sorry, just on this post, there is NO level of kickback at all yet! Im simply here asking peoples opinions on whether its the done thing to negotiate an increase and if not what our notice might be? We haven't even decided ourselves yet what we'll do when it comes down to it!!

On other points of the increase, it may not be a big deal to some but a €100 pp increase is alot to for me per month. If it wasn't an issue sure we would just pay it no problem! It is going to stretch us financially otherwise we wouldn't be negotiating.

I dont want to go down any legal routes or PTRSB (I dont even know if they are registered tbh)

Sorry OP - I was actually referring to the level of kickback being suggested in the thread - rather than suggested by you personally.

It still boils down to 1 rent increase in 8 years which is not bad going imo.

To look at it another way, the landlord could have incrementally increased the rent over the past 6 years each year (then every 2nd year when the law changed) and already be at the point where he is trying to get to now.

He didnt - so you have done well.

If you feel you havent done well and that you have been paying over the odds and are about to be milked - then why not look for somewhere else that suits you?

Ms Doubtfire1

snowgal wrote: »

Sorry, just on this post, there is NO level of kickback at all yet! Im simply here asking peoples opinions on whether its the done thing to negotiate an increase and if not what our notice might be? We haven't even decided ourselves yet what we'll do when it comes down to it!!

On other points of the increase, it may not be a big deal to some but a €100 pp increase is alot to for me per month. If it wasn't an issue sure we would just pay it no problem! It is going to stretch us financially otherwise we wouldn't be negotiating.

I dont want to go down any legal routes or PTRSB (I dont even know if they are registered tbh)

Ok- negotiate is obviously the very first thing you do.if that fails, it's really your call if you want to dispute it through the PRTSB or not. You're 2 years into a part 4 tenancy, he cam't terminate your lease until it's up.So you have security regardless the outcome of the rent increase.if you;re planning to terminate at this point if you can't agree, frankly, i wouldn't. I'd stay for the length of the tenancy and leave than.

Ms Doubtfire1

intheclouds wrote: »

If you feel you havent done well and that you have been paying over the odds and are about to be milked - then why not look for somewhere else that suits you?

Because they don't have to. geez it annoys me when people don't exercise their rights and are even advised not to, just to not cause a fuzz. tenancy is under part 4, they don't have to accept an increase if it can't be substantiated as per the law, thats the end to that.

intheclouds

Ms Doubtfire1 wrote: »

Because they don't have to. geez it annoys me when people don't exercise their rights and are even advised not to, just to not cause a fuzz. tenancy is under part 4, they don't have to accept an increase if it can't be substantiated as per the law, thats the end to that.

Im sure common sense applies. If 3 comparable rentals are not available in the area then they are not available.

The OP has identified 1 and the rent is the same as what the landlord wishes to increase to.

Ms Doubtfire1

Ms Doubtfire1 wrote: »

Ok- negotiate is obviously the very first thing you do.if that fails, it's really your call if you want to dispute it through the PRTSB or not. You're 2 years into a part 4 tenancy, he cam't terminate your lease until it's up.So you have security regardless the outcome of the rent increase.if you;re planning to terminate at this point if you can't agree, frankly, i wouldn't. I'd stay for the length of the tenancy and leave than.

He can terminate it if they can't come to an agreement on the rent increase. They can't simply refuse to pay the rent increase and stay where they are. If that was the case no one would accept a rent increase.

Ms Doubtfire1

no he can't if the PTRSB finds against him in a dispute.

Ms Doubtfire1

intheclouds wrote: »

Im sure common sense applies. If 3 comparable rentals are not available in the area then they are not available.

The OP has identified 1 and the rent is the same as what the landlord wishes to increase to.

I think they stated the rent at the advertised property was what they were currently paying, not the increased rate. And I'd be curious to see what the PTRSB would say if Ll comes in with an increase without providing 3 properties...

athtrasna

Mod note As per the charter please no landlord/tenant generalisations. Also please do not not attempt to monopolise the thread, take to and fro to pm. Thanks

intheclouds

Ms Doubtfire1 wrote: »

I think they stated the rent at the advertised property was what they were currently paying, not the increased rate.

No.

snowgal wrote: »

There is only one place for rent on daft and it is priced at what they are asking us to increase to.

Ms Doubtfire1 wrote: »

And I'd be curious to see what the PTRSB would say if Ll comes in with an increase without providing 3 properties...

Im sure theyd say very little if there was simply nothing in the area to compare to. We will see plenty of this in coming years as Ireland has plenty of areas where not much comes up to rent for months on end.

Now Im out as its becoming too tedious to constantly go back and quote what the OP has actually stated to satisfy posters who are not reading the thread correctly.

Elliott S

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

I think you need to reread the OP's subsequent posts.

They were paying over the odds to start with (but did so because they liked the house) and it's only recently that the rents of other houses in the area have come up to the same price - although the OP mentions that there's only one other property listed at the new proposed rent.

So again, the LL has lost nothing, been subsidising no one, and been doing no one a favour as you're suggesting - If anything the OP has been the one subsiding and looking after them.

Yeah, and that other property might not be comparable at all, so just because it has a certain level of rent doesn't mean the OP's place is worth that.

OP, nothing at all to lose in negotiating, the LL can only say no. You can't afford the rent increase so will have to move anyway if the rent increases. Give it a go and if there are any reasons why the other property in the area is a higher rent, mention that too.

Sad Professor

Elliott S wrote: »

Yeah, and that other property might not be comparable at all, so just because it has a certain level of rent doesn't mean the OP's place is worth that.

OP, nothing at all to lose in negotiating, the LL can only say no. You can't afford the rent increase so will have to move anyway if the rent increases. Give it a go and if there are any reasons why the other property in the area is a higher rent, mention that too.

This is a good idea. Raise any (legitimate) issues you currently have with the property that you might have been reluctant to bring up before, OP. At least then if you do have to absorb the rent increase the property will have been brought up to standard. As I said before, a lot of tenants are reluctant to get their landlord to fix or improve things, but a rent review is a good time to raise these matters.

crkball6

First off, don't start throwing around threshold and PRTB and your "rights" to the landlord. It sounds like you have a nice relationship e.g. you both stay out of each others way, don't do anything to put that at risk and nothing will quicker than throwing around the above.

As mentioned all ready this is fairly straight forward, acknowledge receipt of the letter to them. Either use current rent prices on daft to justify why you feel it's too much of an increase or take the route of affordability and propose what you deem to be acceptable or what you can afford.

One of two things happen, they accept or you move out. If they're reasonable and they seem to be they won't put up too much of a fight for good tenants.

bmm

The landlord might get 400/500 more per month if you move out and you lose a place you have been happy in for 6 years. Suck it up and be happy landlord has increased the rent once in 8 years !

mashed13

Please correct me if I'm wrong but why nobody mentioned governments rent freeze for the next 2 years?? OR for some case this does not apply to his property?

crkball6

mashed13 wrote: »

Please correct me if I'm wrong but why nobody mentioned governments rent freeze for the next 2 years?? OR for some case this does not apply to his property?

This is the first increase in 6 years, so does not apply.

Cyrus

the simple thing to do is negotiate,

not sure what your monthly charge is, but take that and if you move out the LL will be out of pocket by that much at least as he will have a vacant period, probably need to paint the place etc

you can easily figure out what the monthly value of that is

if you cant afford the 200 and cant come to an agreement then find somewhere else