Advice please.

matt360

Hi,
I been living in a, owner occupied, house for the past six months. I've been paying €400 per month for a double room, shared bathroom and my own private sitting room. That is all bills included. There is one other person, as well as owner, in the house.
Yesterday I received a text from landlord saying my rent was going up to €520 per month. A jump of €120 per month!! The reasons for this were, €355 electric bill for the two month Xmas period. She said that last years bill was €230. She thinks this is very unacceptable even though there were 3 extra people living in the house this year. (There was also a third person here but has since moved out) The water charge, broadband increase and the fact that rents have gone up all around the country were some of the reasons used.I don't even use the broadband as I have 4g mobile broadband myself. We've also been banned from using the tumble dryer. I've only used it twice in six months so that doesn't bother me at all, only in that it is annoying that she thinks I use it. She also thinks Ive been taking her beer, which is absolutely not true!!
She has said to take it or leave it as there are plenty of people willing to pay that much for it. I've offered to pay €115 per week as this is all I can afford. I haven't got a reply yet.
Also, we're living in a village 12km from Galway and another 1km from the village. Its not exactly Manhattan.
Also the other guys rent has only gone up to €110 per week. She says that this is because he never uses the sitting room or cooks at the house.
Just wondering how to approach this as I love living here but i get the feeling she justs want me out.

snubbleste

Just move immediately.
Life's too short for that crap.

ABajaninCork

You're a licencee not a tenant. Unfortunately, the LL can do as she likes - She can put you out tomorrow if she wants. You have no rights and no comeback.

On the upside - You don't have to give notice if you're moving! So - I'd get busy looking for somewhere else to live...

chickenlicken2

Google rent a room relief. The owner can earn 12k per year letting out a room/rooms in her ppr without paying income tax. The proposed increase may be pushing her over the 12k threshold meaning full amount is liable to tax.
Just approach her about this she might not be aware of the situation.

*edited forgot amount increased this year

snubbleste

chickenlicken2 wrote: »

Google rent a room relief. The owner can earn 10k€12k per year letting out a room/rooms in her ppr without paying income tax. The proposed increase is pushing her over the 10k €12k threshold meaning full amount is liable to tax.
Just approach her about this she might not be aware of the situation.

Did you not read the OP? She's completely unreasonable. Would you live in a house like that?

matt360

chickenlicken2 wrote: »

Google rent a room relief. The owner can earn 10k per year letting out a room/rooms in her ppr without paying income tax. The proposed increase is pushing her over the 10k threshold meaning full amount is liable to tax.
Just approach her about this she might not be aware of the situation.

Would that not come across as a bit of a threat? "If you put up my rent ill tell the tax man"....

chickenlicken2

matt360 wrote: »

Would that not come across as a bit of a threat? "If you put up my rent ill tell the tax man"....

I wouldn't do it in that manner at all. Just work out the amounts if it is over the annual threshold. (Apologies I hadn't updated to the 2015 amount.)
Then if discussing the increase just say oh I don't know if you are aware but this actually pushes the rent over the limit etc etc.

chickenlicken2

snubbleste wrote: »

Did you not read the OP? She's completely unreasonable. Would you live in a house like that?

Absolutely but he did say he loves the house.
To be honest I'd be like see ya thanks and it's precisely why I wouldn't live owner occupied but it's just giving him an option if he wants to stay.

hfallada

OP move out! She sounds like there will be never ending issues with her. Get somewhere cheaper and closer to Galway.

snubbleste

landlord says my rent was going up from €400 to €520 per month.
The reasons for this were a high electricity bill, the water charge, broadband increase and the fact that rents have gone up all around the country.
I don't even use the broadband.
We've also been banned from using the tumble dryer.
She also thinks Ive been taking her beer, which is absolutely not true!!
She has said to take it or leave it.
:eek:

wyndham

matt360 wrote: »

Also, we're living in a village 12km from Galway and another 1km from the village. Its not exactly Manhattan.

Seems overpriced even at €400 per month for the location. The owner wants the guts of €1k for 2 rooms in this location while continuing to live there herself seems off the wall.

matt360

wyndham wrote: »

Seems overpriced even at €400 per month for the location. The owner wants the guts of €1k for 2 rooms in this location while continuing to live there herself seems off the wall.

Also her friend stays over 4-5 nights per week. Wonder how much they are paying?

matt360

Cheers for the replies!
I think Ill start looking for new accommodation tbh.

The_Morrigan

In fairness if that €400 is inclusive of bills and there is an increase over the past year there is logic behind it. I've also told my lodger to stop using the dryer because she puts one item in at a time and leaves it on until that item is dry...and she repeats that until everything she has damp is dry.

I can't be paying for that kind of usage. She got a choice - increase or cut out the stupid usage.

matt360

The_Morrigan wrote: »

In fairness if that €400 is inclusive of bills and there is an increase over the past year there is logic behind it. I've also told my lodger to stop using the dryer because she puts one item in at a time and leaves it on until that item is dry...and she repeats that until everything she has damp is dry.

I can't be paying for that kind of usage. She got a choice - increase or cut out the stupid usage.

I don't use the dryer! The bill for the two months before the Xmas period bill was €150.
After the third tenant moved in and she bought the oil filled electric heater the bill went up. After.

Arbiter of Good Taste

matt360 wrote: »

I don't use the dryer! The bill for the two months before the Xmas period bill was €150.
After the third tenant moved in and she bought the oil filled electric heater the bill went up. After.

It sounds like the two smaller bills may have been estimated and the big one was a reading.

The_Morrigan

matt360 wrote: »

I don't use the dryer! The bill for the two months before the Xmas period bill was €150.
After the third tenant moved in and she bought the oil filled electric heater the bill went up. After.

Do you want her to do unit by unit breakdown for you? The bills have increased therefore the cost to everyone will. If you were in a regular house share where the bills were split bimonthly would you be looking for a reduction because you didn't watch telly or use the dryer during that billing period?

matt360

The_Morrigan wrote: »

Do you want her to do unit by unit breakdown for you? The bills have increased therefore the cost to everyone will. If you were in a regular house share where the bills were split bimonthly would you be looking for a reduction because you didn't watch telly or use the dryer during that billing period?

Her Xmas bill last year was €230. This year was €355. That's an increase of €125. She doesn't seem to be able to grasp that there was 3 extra people in her house this Xmas paying rent. She was getting €1200 per month from the three of us.
Also her sister was here for two weeks as well.
Do you honestly think that justifies putting up my rent by €120 per month?

The_Morrigan

matt360 wrote: »

Her Xmas bill last year was €230. This year was €355. That's an increase of €125. She doesn't seem to be able to grasp that there was 3 extra people in her house this Xmas paying rent. She was getting €1200 per month from the three of us.
Also her sister was here for two weeks as well.
Do you honestly think that justifies putting up my rent by €120 per month?

She has given you the reasons...rents in general have increased, watercharges are additional utilities to be factored in, the upc/sky has increased, the existing utilities are increasing.
If you don't like the new rate, move.

matt360

The_Morrigan wrote: »

She has given you the reasons...rents in general have increased, watercharges are additional utilities to be factored in, the upc/sky has increased, the existing utilities are increasing.
If you don't like the new rate, move.

Have rents increased 30%? Water charges are capped at €160, of which you'll receive a €100 grant. There is no upc/sky.
You're obviously as greedy as my landlord!!

The_Morrigan

matt360 wrote: »

Have rents increased 30%? Water charges are capped at €160, of which you'll receive a €100 grant. There is no upc/sky.
You're obviously as greedy as my landlord!!

Your charge is not rent...it's rent plus bills.

Leave out the personal insults please.

matt360

The_Morrigan wrote: »

Your charge is not rent...it's rent plus bills.

Leave out the personal insults please.

You're right. I'm sorry.
The €400 per month I pay, is inclusive of bills. I know utilities have gone up but nothing has increased that dramatically.

the_syco

matt360 wrote: »

Yesterday I received a text from landlord saying my rent was going up to €520 per month.

Do you have a job nearby, or would moving be an option?

The_Conductor

matt360 wrote: »

Have rents increased 30%? Water charges are capped at €160, of which you'll receive a €100 grant. There is no upc/sky.
You're obviously as greedy as my landlord!!

Some rents have indeed increased 30%.
It all depends on what the rent was at the outset, whether this was the prevailing market rate, how long ago this was- and what increases have there been in the intervening period of time.........
So yes, a 30% increase- could very well be fully justifiable- or perhaps not. It all depends.

The situation is not a regular rent-a-room situation- I've never heard of a lodger on the rent-a-room scheme having their own private living room- the rent-a-room scheme is private bedroom, shared access to the facilities in the house (including the living room, bathroom and kitchen). You've managed to wrangle a second private room into the equation. Virtually unheard of...... So- I'd hazard that the rise is quite possibly or even probably, justified.

Outgoings in the property may be up 30%- utilities have all increased- and if its part of a managed complex- there may also have been a shock increase in management fees. I'm very familiar with management fees almost quadrupling from one year to the next- from just over 1000, to well over 3k- on foot of work that needs to be done- even routine work- that has been put off over the last decade (such as painting the exterior of the buildings, maintenance of equipment that hasn't occured in years etc etc.

Yes- its possibly- costs could also be up 30%+

Its also unfair to go around calling people greedy- you have no idea of what their circumstances are- they could potentially be far worse that you are on a NET cash-flow basis- despite the fact that you and others might consider them relatively wealthy. You don't know their circumstances- so don't go there.

Balmed Out

Up to you whether to accept or not. Looking at places like Spiddal or Moycullen there seems to be other options that depending on bills could work out cheaper....

matt360

Thanks for all the replies, even if I may not agree with all of them.
Maybe I am being unreasonable, just annoyed at the price hike.
Anyway, onwards and upwards!
Cheers.