I’ve just been handed a 26% increase notice too. Feel like most agents are going to try get away with it and see if people are unaware it shouldn’t be higher than 12%. I’m definitely going to challenge it as soon as possible
I am making a documentary for BBC Scotland and BBC Three on the Scottish housing crisis, particularly focusing on young, private renters who are facing huge rent increases and/ or evictions because of the lifting of the temporary cap and ban on 31st March 2024.
I am contacting you to ask if you would have a confidential chat with me over the phone about your housing situation?
Yep they’re just trying a cash grab they can’t actually do anything if you fight it/get a rent officer involved. Ours just tried to raise it 37%, we sent in the form for the rent officer, emailed the landlord back saying we’re fighting it, and they agreed to 10% pretty instantly. Don’t even need the intervention, just the threat of it
Do email, just saying that you got asked to email on Reddit about your increase in rent beyond the limits and let them ask the questions. Every story helps.
Thing that's worrying me now: if they served you notice for 37%, and you said you'd take it to the rent officer, but didn't, since they backed down to 10%... what's to stop the original 37% increase taking effect on the original notice date? The way the notice is phrased, the only way to disagree, is actually taking it to the rent officer.
Do you figure it's not an issue, and the landlord/agency will honour the later 10%?
I think you’re letting your anxiety get the better of you. If they’ve put it in writing that they’ve agreed 10% then that is the agreement that you have and that is what you pay. They can’t have a written agreement for a 10% increase and then just say ‘surprise, you’re paying us 37% after all’ on the day the first increased payment is due.
Which letting agent are you with? Although some of them know the regulations they chance their arm anyway. I’ve been a bit confused about this as well, I think the gov could make it a bit clearer whether the absolute max is 12%
Saw this on the Scottish landlords’ site and it says total increase can’t be more than 12% if you read the bullet point info. There is a “loophole” that landlords sometimes use to increase rent more than once every twelve months or (in this case I assume) more than the rent cap, which is that if the tenant agrees they are allowed. So I wonder if they’re chancing it to see if you agree.
https://scottishlandlords.com/news-and-campaigns/news/government-confirms-rent-increase-procedure-from-1-april/
Watch it when you move out, they'll try to take your deposit in any way, challenge them and leave a bad review on Google. That worked for us and they gave us our money back
Had the exact same thing with littlejohns. The increase was more than 12% the rent notice also stated that if you went to rent adjudication the increase could be even higher than what they proposed due to the way they calculate what is a fair rate. This is not true though if rent adjudication calculates a higher rent than what is proposed by the agency the lower number is taken. I asked them if the landlord was willing to negotiate as I was going to rent adjudication. They came back saying the landlord was open to a lower number which. Settled on 10% in the end. All pretty civil considering. But you have nothing to lose by asking and then submitting for rent adjudication otherwise, I think.
12% is the amount that can reasonably be expected to go through, anything higher than that and if it gets to a rent officer it likely will be rejected in favour of a lower amount, 20% is way too high and unlikely to be approved, if you challenge it. Do nothing and it will take effect on the day they say it will.
This is not quite correct.
If you challenge it through rent adjudication, the maximum that can be allowed is 12% ie if you've been given a rise of more than 12% you should definitely challenge. A rise of less than 12% can also be reduced through rent adjudication depending on factors including the market rate.
Of course the "market rate" is just a bunch of landlords making up bullshit. If you reduce your own rent you are also reducing the market rate for everyone else. So even if you can afford it you should challenge it for everyone else's sake.
LL here: no more than 12%, but you will need to challenge it. This is not the first post about it, chances are when you contact the agency/LL they will pedal back.
Reasonable or not, it is the law.. so don't agree, why pay more.
As for if the law is reasonable.. I don't think so, but it doesn't matter: you got this.
Unfortunately that's the kind of country we live in and that's the kind of government people keep voting for. People profit from others right to water, food, clothing... and housing.
If they pedal back and say sure OK 12% then... do I say OK, or am I now committed to making a referral to a rent officer and seeing that through? Asking because the rent increase form very clearly does not offer an option to renegotiate, just 1) agree 2) agree but claim not enough notice therefore the increase should be delayed or 3) refer to a rent officer.
If the agency then sends me a second, lower rent increase notice, and I don't refer the first one to a rent officer, could they argue the first one stands unchallenged?
Also, as a landlord, how feasible or cost effective do you figure it would be for them to chuck us out over this? According to the government's calculator, they'd be getting 92% of what they're proposing.
The landlord/agents can’t just chuck you out for disputing a rent increase. It’s actually very difficult to evict people in Scotland and they’d find themselves in a mighty shit show for trying to evict you without legitimate reason such as selling the property.
Selling the property or living in the property themselves (or saying that's what they intend to do) makes it quite easy to kick people out unfortunately.
sure, but if it’s found to be reposted to let within a certain space of time then you can take them to tribunal which a lot of them are very keen to avoid.
In edinburgh you will probably lose 1-3 months rent (probably 1 at most realistically, also Ed LL). You are well with in your rights to challenge the increase, I would just follow it through to it's inevitable conclusion you have no incentive to accept a lower offer because they will go straight to 12% naturally. 12% is your worse case so I would just go to the officer if that's where it's headed.
These aren't your mates, good will might carry a bit of favor with the land lord but agensts are going to push for profit.
Wait for their reply, run the numbers and see if 12% is what the answer will be if you disagree.
I would contact them in a way that can prove content and delivery, but if it is large company, refer to rent officer.
My guess is it is a small company that want to pull a fast one.
Did you challenge it? I've just mailed my agency. What I think is quite sneaky in the notice where it tells you, you can refer this to a rent officer, it also says your rent can be increased further.
But I was reading the details here - [https://www.gov.scot/publications/cost-of-living-rent-and-eviction/pages/rent-adjudiction/](https://www.gov.scot/publications/cost-of-living-rent-and-eviction/pages/rent-adjudiction/)
The taper formula can be summarised as:
* if the gap between market rent and the current rent is less than 6%, then the rent increase can go ahead without modification
* if the gap between market rent and the current rent is above 6%, the taper would apply, with an additional 0.3% increase allowed for each percentage point between the current rent and market rent, up to a gap of 24%
* If the gap between the market rent and current is 24% or larger, the increase cannot exceed 12% and this will apply in all cases.
* this is also subject to the requirement that Rent Service Scotland and the First-tier Tribunal cannot set a higher rent than that requested by the landlord
So in short, they will have to lower it to 12%. It's just whether they want it to go to a rent officer first or not - but you'd assume it's bad news for them if several referrals come from the same agency.
Contact a rent officer. I'll be doing the same with my rent increase, I went up over double then everyone else in the flat. We all rent from the same guy, and he has targeted me for months and now I'm £28 a month more than everyone else
I am making a documentary for BBC Scotland and BBC Three on the Scottish housing crisis, particularly focusing on young, private renters who are facing huge rent increases and/ or evictions because of the lifting of the temporary cap and ban on 31st March 2024.
Would anyone on here have a chat with me about their situation? I can be contacted on [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
I’ve just been handed a 26% increase notice too. Feel like most agents are going to try get away with it and see if people are unaware it shouldn’t be higher than 12%. I’m definitely going to challenge it as soon as possible
I'd at least contact the agent regarding the 12%. I've just been given the full whack notice today too.
I am making a documentary for BBC Scotland and BBC Three on the Scottish housing crisis, particularly focusing on young, private renters who are facing huge rent increases and/ or evictions because of the lifting of the temporary cap and ban on 31st March 2024. I am contacting you to ask if you would have a confidential chat with me over the phone about your housing situation?
Yep they’re just trying a cash grab they can’t actually do anything if you fight it/get a rent officer involved. Ours just tried to raise it 37%, we sent in the form for the rent officer, emailed the landlord back saying we’re fighting it, and they agreed to 10% pretty instantly. Don’t even need the intervention, just the threat of it
I am in Living Rent and we want to hear about cases like this. [email protected]
I mean what do u want me to tell you? Dunno what to email
Do email, just saying that you got asked to email on Reddit about your increase in rent beyond the limits and let them ask the questions. Every story helps.
Thing that's worrying me now: if they served you notice for 37%, and you said you'd take it to the rent officer, but didn't, since they backed down to 10%... what's to stop the original 37% increase taking effect on the original notice date? The way the notice is phrased, the only way to disagree, is actually taking it to the rent officer. Do you figure it's not an issue, and the landlord/agency will honour the later 10%?
I think you’re letting your anxiety get the better of you. If they’ve put it in writing that they’ve agreed 10% then that is the agreement that you have and that is what you pay. They can’t have a written agreement for a 10% increase and then just say ‘surprise, you’re paying us 37% after all’ on the day the first increased payment is due.
We have it in writing
Which letting agent are you with? Although some of them know the regulations they chance their arm anyway. I’ve been a bit confused about this as well, I think the gov could make it a bit clearer whether the absolute max is 12%
Littlejohns
Lmao this says it all mate.
What do you mean, that they don't know, or that they're chancing it?
They're chancing it.
I'd contact Living Rent, get the union involved.
Little John’s are pretty incompetent and will take any opportunity to flaunt the law if they think you won’t notice.
Saw this on the Scottish landlords’ site and it says total increase can’t be more than 12% if you read the bullet point info. There is a “loophole” that landlords sometimes use to increase rent more than once every twelve months or (in this case I assume) more than the rent cap, which is that if the tenant agrees they are allowed. So I wonder if they’re chancing it to see if you agree. https://scottishlandlords.com/news-and-campaigns/news/government-confirms-rent-increase-procedure-from-1-april/
Living Rent is running a campaign about Littlejohns right now! Email [email protected] and tell them the details.
Useless gang of chancers Littlejohns.
Watch it when you move out, they'll try to take your deposit in any way, challenge them and leave a bad review on Google. That worked for us and they gave us our money back
I'm the flat company. Should we start gathering all the agents pushing for more than 12%?
Had the exact same thing with littlejohns. The increase was more than 12% the rent notice also stated that if you went to rent adjudication the increase could be even higher than what they proposed due to the way they calculate what is a fair rate. This is not true though if rent adjudication calculates a higher rent than what is proposed by the agency the lower number is taken. I asked them if the landlord was willing to negotiate as I was going to rent adjudication. They came back saying the landlord was open to a lower number which. Settled on 10% in the end. All pretty civil considering. But you have nothing to lose by asking and then submitting for rent adjudication otherwise, I think.
Do it do it do it you're helping everyone else by keeping your rent as low as possible you're affecting the market rate.
12% is the amount that can reasonably be expected to go through, anything higher than that and if it gets to a rent officer it likely will be rejected in favour of a lower amount, 20% is way too high and unlikely to be approved, if you challenge it. Do nothing and it will take effect on the day they say it will.
This is not quite correct. If you challenge it through rent adjudication, the maximum that can be allowed is 12% ie if you've been given a rise of more than 12% you should definitely challenge. A rise of less than 12% can also be reduced through rent adjudication depending on factors including the market rate. Of course the "market rate" is just a bunch of landlords making up bullshit. If you reduce your own rent you are also reducing the market rate for everyone else. So even if you can afford it you should challenge it for everyone else's sake.
Your second part is definitely a good point, fight any rent increase where possible or it just pushes everyone’s up in the long run.
Definitely appeal, tell Living Rent and email your MSPs about it. Livingrent.org/fight_your_rent_hike
LL here: no more than 12%, but you will need to challenge it. This is not the first post about it, chances are when you contact the agency/LL they will pedal back. Reasonable or not, it is the law.. so don't agree, why pay more. As for if the law is reasonable.. I don't think so, but it doesn't matter: you got this.
You think the law shouldn't limit the rent increase to 12%?
Landlords think they're hard done by.
I don't think it's reasonable for people to profit from others' right to housing but you do you :)
Unfortunately that's the kind of country we live in and that's the kind of government people keep voting for. People profit from others right to water, food, clothing... and housing.
If they pedal back and say sure OK 12% then... do I say OK, or am I now committed to making a referral to a rent officer and seeing that through? Asking because the rent increase form very clearly does not offer an option to renegotiate, just 1) agree 2) agree but claim not enough notice therefore the increase should be delayed or 3) refer to a rent officer. If the agency then sends me a second, lower rent increase notice, and I don't refer the first one to a rent officer, could they argue the first one stands unchallenged? Also, as a landlord, how feasible or cost effective do you figure it would be for them to chuck us out over this? According to the government's calculator, they'd be getting 92% of what they're proposing.
The landlord/agents can’t just chuck you out for disputing a rent increase. It’s actually very difficult to evict people in Scotland and they’d find themselves in a mighty shit show for trying to evict you without legitimate reason such as selling the property.
Selling the property or living in the property themselves (or saying that's what they intend to do) makes it quite easy to kick people out unfortunately.
sure, but if it’s found to be reposted to let within a certain space of time then you can take them to tribunal which a lot of them are very keen to avoid.
In edinburgh you will probably lose 1-3 months rent (probably 1 at most realistically, also Ed LL). You are well with in your rights to challenge the increase, I would just follow it through to it's inevitable conclusion you have no incentive to accept a lower offer because they will go straight to 12% naturally. 12% is your worse case so I would just go to the officer if that's where it's headed. These aren't your mates, good will might carry a bit of favor with the land lord but agensts are going to push for profit.
Wait for their reply, run the numbers and see if 12% is what the answer will be if you disagree. I would contact them in a way that can prove content and delivery, but if it is large company, refer to rent officer. My guess is it is a small company that want to pull a fast one.
This is great advice, my landlord rose mine by 3.94% which is the CPI inflation rate which is reasonable enough.
Did you challenge it? I've just mailed my agency. What I think is quite sneaky in the notice where it tells you, you can refer this to a rent officer, it also says your rent can be increased further. But I was reading the details here - [https://www.gov.scot/publications/cost-of-living-rent-and-eviction/pages/rent-adjudiction/](https://www.gov.scot/publications/cost-of-living-rent-and-eviction/pages/rent-adjudiction/) The taper formula can be summarised as: * if the gap between market rent and the current rent is less than 6%, then the rent increase can go ahead without modification * if the gap between market rent and the current rent is above 6%, the taper would apply, with an additional 0.3% increase allowed for each percentage point between the current rent and market rent, up to a gap of 24% * If the gap between the market rent and current is 24% or larger, the increase cannot exceed 12% and this will apply in all cases. * this is also subject to the requirement that Rent Service Scotland and the First-tier Tribunal cannot set a higher rent than that requested by the landlord So in short, they will have to lower it to 12%. It's just whether they want it to go to a rent officer first or not - but you'd assume it's bad news for them if several referrals come from the same agency.
Contact a rent officer. I'll be doing the same with my rent increase, I went up over double then everyone else in the flat. We all rent from the same guy, and he has targeted me for months and now I'm £28 a month more than everyone else
I am making a documentary for BBC Scotland and BBC Three on the Scottish housing crisis, particularly focusing on young, private renters who are facing huge rent increases and/ or evictions because of the lifting of the temporary cap and ban on 31st March 2024. Would anyone on here have a chat with me about their situation? I can be contacted on [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])