Comparable Properties

jay1988

So I've just received notice of a rent increase from my letting agent.

The major problem I have with it is the comparable properties we have been given to justify the increase.

At the moment I am living in a two bedroom apartment in a fairly rough part of my area, the properties provided to compare the prices with were two 3 bed houses with a front and back garden in a different ( much nicer) estate and a 3 bed apartment which is in a gated complex.

When I challenged the LA about this I was basically told that the increase was valid with these comparisons and if I didn't like it I could always move out.

Am I missing something here or is my LA trying to pull a fast one hoping I wouldn't complain?

Fol20

jay1988 wrote: »

So I've just received notice of a rent increase from my letting agent.

The major problem I have with it is the comparable properties we have been given to justify the increase.

At the moment I am living in a two bedroom apartment in a fairly rough part of my area, the properties provided to compare the prices with were two 3 bed houses with a front and back garden in a different ( much nicer) estate and a 3 bed apartment which is in a gated complex.

When I challenged the LA about this I was basically told that the increase was valid with these comparisons and if I didn't like it I could always move out.

Am I missing something here or is my LA trying to pull a fast one hoping I wouldn't complain?

Have you tried disputing these with your own examples of what it should be? This would help if you ever needed to go to RTB plus depending on ll. They may back down id you give proper examples yourself.

If you take a look at daft. Could you get it at the price you think is fair or are all of them higher or lower.

jay1988

Fol20 wrote: »

Have you tried disputing these with your own examples of what it should be? This would help if you ever needed to go to RTB plus depending on ll. They may back down id you give proper examples yourself.

If you take a look at daft. Could you get it at the price you think is fair or are all of them higher or lower.

There's one 2 bed house with front and back garden in the same estate which is going for the same price as my place is now and two 2 bed apts in a much much nicer estate about ten minutes away, one is 50 euro lower and one is 50 euro higher l, but the increase is 120 p/m so would make my place way more expensive rhan all of them.

The letting agent dismissed these as she the properties she has used are all being let by her company so that's what they want to use.

dudara

Their examples do not sound very like for like. Challenge them with your examples in written form. If they do not accept, then you can go the RTB to dispute the rent increase.

Fol20

Is there any in your area at the price they are looking for? If there is, they can dispute this is Market rate while others that are 50 above and below are lower due to RPZ. If none are at amount your ll wants, then as Dudara pointed out, make sure everything you say to them is in writing and your only avenue is RTB. You may need to pay the increased amount until your case is won/lost.

holystungun9

The thing is that the landlord may not have enough identical current examples on the market to reference.

The LL can only use reference properties within the previous four weeks of the notice. I don't know your location but where I am, it is very possible that they only 'matches' you could find for a two bedroom central apartment (for example) would be one other one and quite possibly three bed semi-ds on the outskirts of a town. That's by keeping it within the county/general geographical area which seems the most fair.

I don't think putting down an identical property from three other counties would be acceptable either.

If you want to challenge, I would go onto Daft or whatever and find what in your opinion are closer examples to your own.