Rent increases: by how much can your landlord raise your rent

This is probably our most common tenant question. So let's have a frank conversion about rent increases. We'll discuss when they can happen, for how much and what you can do to challenge them. So if you are renting your home privately read on!

Can my landlord increase my rent?

Let's tackle the big question first. Short answer: Yes. Although this might be difficult to hear, your rental home is someone's business. Not all landlords are generous or can afford to be. In fact half of UK landlords own just one property that they rely on for part of their family income. But all isn't lost there are rules in place to protect you from rent increases.

When can my rent be increased?

Your landlord can increase your rent anytime you are out of a fixed tenancy period aka your rent contract has expired. So if your landlord tries to change your rent during your fixed term then you can politely decline the increase until your contract is over.

If you signed a tenancy agreement it might state when your rent will be reviewed so check there for more information. However, if you do not have a tenancy agreement or it doesn't have a rent review clause or you are on a rolling monthly agreement (even if you pay rent weekly), your landlord can change your rent at any time after giving you a month's notice.

By how much can my rent increase?

A landlord may increase the rent by whatever amount they please but it will be unwise for them to increase the rent more than that of similar homes. Here is where you have power. A landlord must strike a balance between the rent increase and the costs they will incur if you decide to move away. Finding a new tenant takes time and money; letting agents typically charge between 6-15% of the annual rent. Even if your landlord doesn't use an agent it will take some costs and a lot of effort to find someone new.

Head over to your local or online property listing place and check out similar homes to see if the rent increase is fair.

Should I stay or should I go

To recap, you have a choice and options. The main questions to ask yourself is... Do you want to stay? And can you afford to move?

Stay tuned for our next post on how to negotiate rent increases with your landlord