New renting laws

Mantis Toboggan

Do you have to have a lease agreement in order to be covered by these renting laws?

Our rent went up last year and the landlord is now looking to put it up again. We don't have a lease.

We we use the new renting laws?

dori_dormer

Once you have lived in a place more than 6 months you automatically obtaine part 4 rights. The new laws apply to all renters, with or without a lease

Baby01032012

Tyson Fury wrote: »

Do you have to have a lease agreement in order to be covered by these renting laws?

Our rent went up last year and the landlord is now looking to put it up again. We don't have a lease.

We we use the new renting laws?

Lease can give you extra protection, however as previous poster has said you are protected as under part iv of residential tenancies act 2004.

Did you ever have a lease - to note you don't need to have a lease. Normally once first lease expires you default to a part iv tenancy no documented lease is necessary unless one is agreed upon between landlord and tenant.

In terms of the rent increase - if you had increase last year you may want to gently remind landlord that they can't increase for 2 yrs since last increase under new laws. They may not be aware, law is relatively new and some of landlords unfortunately aren't up to speed on laws that affect their business.

Mantis Toboggan

Thanks,

Think I know the answer I'll get but I'll say it to him anyway!

Mantis Toboggan

So the landlord went ballistic when I mentioned the new renting laws. Rent is going up regardless, if we don't want to pay it we know where the door is. His words.

Now if we were to fight this which seems unlikely what is our best method?

Sarn

I wouldn't let it go. You can raise a dispute with the PRTB. I imagine the LL will try and pull the 'selling trick' to get you out unaware that the law has changed requiring proof.

It could work out very costly for him.

Mantis Toboggan

Sarn wrote: »

I wouldn't let it go. You can raise a dispute with the PRTB. I imagine the LL will try and pull the 'selling trick' to get you out unaware that the law has changed requiring proof.

It could work out very costly for him.

OK, unfortunately none of us want to leave the house. What powers have the prtb and is it likely that we could be evicted 6 or 12 months before any of this gets sorted?

TheChizler

Tyson Fury wrote: »

OK, unfortunately none of us want to leave the house. What powers have the prtb and is it likely that we could be evicted 6 or 12 months before any of this gets sorted?

As long as you don't do anything wrong you can't be evicted, unless the landlord genuinely needs the house which they now have to prove. If it's less than 2 years since your last rent increase and he tries to raise it by at date within this period raise a dispute with the PRTB. He can't kick you out for being behind on payments (according to him) while a case is open.

Graham

Assuming you do not live with the landlord, raise a dispute with the PRTB and opt for the fast-track telephone mediation service initially. A phonecall from the PRTB may be enough to give your landlord a quick dose of cop on.