Should I increase the rent? What would you do in this case?

wyndham · 22-11-2014 5:39pm

Give them notice to vacate on the pretext that you want to sell/use the apartment for a family member. Then relet at market rate.

The_Morrigan · 22-11-2014 5:45pm

wyndham wrote: »

Give them notice to vacate on the pretext that you want to sell/use the apartment for a family member. Then relet at market rate.

yeah don't do that.

And please don't come in here and give legally dubious advice that may get the OP in trouble down the line. The RTA allows for damages in the case of abuse of the section 34 terminations (ie for use of a family member)

/Mod.

BorneTobyWilde · 22-11-2014 5:45pm

Tell her that if they expect you to be on call to fix every little thing
ie My tea needs an extra spoon of sugar, be a dear and come around and add another spoon'' then the rent is going up to 1000 a month.

Rubberchikken · 22-11-2014 5:48pm

if she's been a good tenant al along, could you speak with her?
is the new bf on the lease?

i agree, that most of the things listed are silly things that can be fixed very simply. the fact that these are suddently an issue with new bf on the scene, makes me think he's either a lazy sod or one of life's major whiners.

Arbiter of Good Taste · 22-11-2014 5:53pm

quadrifoglio verde wrote: »

If it's a 50% increase or 100% it doesn't matter, once it's in line with what the op would get from another tenant, I.e the market rate

I thing the point Lemming is making is that even if it's well within market rates, there's a risk the tenants will go to the PRTB - Christ, they are already threatening to do it if he doesn't come over and wipe their ar$es! This way, the OP is not much worse off and hopefully will avoid the hassle of a PRTB case.

Supercell · 22-11-2014 5:56pm

Op you need to think about this as a business decision, you are in this as a business man not a charity.
The only reason landlords usually allow tenants to stay at below market rents is because it benefits both parties. Good tenants that pay on time, don't call to call for squeaky doors and blocked vacuum cleaners (WTF??!!) etc are good business.
This girl is taking the piss and yet you are effectively gifting her about €300 a month, tell you what, if you are so loaded, I'v a few windows that could use a clean and you only have to give me €150 euro a month, sounds like a bargain!!, let me know if interested and I'll pm you my bank details...

In the market at the moment there are plenty of good people that would love to have a nice place at a decent price, up the rent and be rid of her in all likelihood and with more money and less hassle long term, no brainer.

handlemaster · 22-11-2014 6:00pm

Up to market rate. Shes not the tenant that she was. Is new guy on contract ? Were u informed ? Threating to withold rent etc...not on. Up rent your doing yourself no favours

gubbie · 22-11-2014 6:06pm

superg wrote: »

I'd be re writing your contract when you up the rent and let it again too. Since when are dirty windows and shower head the responsibility of the landlord? Those are tenant issues, standard upkeep of the property and it's furnishings.

It was written in my old contract that the insides of the windows were my responsibility, but the outsides were the landlords

I'd up the rent too, giving the reasons that it's market rate and there are now two people living their, so twice the wear and tear.

kandoola · 22-11-2014 6:27pm

Yeah, im going to up the rent to the max and they can go to the PRTB if they want. PRTB is every second word out of their mouth these days anyway.

Im going to put in a new up and get an agent to run the place.

Ie She used to be a model tenant. ie kept the place very clean and i never heard from her. So I was only to happy to return the favour.

She still keeps it clean, but a month never goes by without multiple calls about minor insignificant stuff.
If they move out fine. If they stay fine because an extra €4000 a year helps with the hassle.

I just feel guilty now about what was once a nice relationship turning sour. But there you have it.

I guess the bottom line is that their efforts to get me to do stuff they didnt actually have to annoy me about at all has cost them €4000 a year. And my once peaceful, effortless rental has become one of effort.

firestarter51 · 22-11-2014 6:29pm

if its only one name on the lease is the contact not being broken
i know someone who moved her fella in but contact was only for her so he had to provide references and get his name on the lease
landlord had previously had a drug dealer in one house, turned his attic into a grow house
cant blame him for being cautious

if contact is broken, say it to her and ask why all the petty things are cropping up
put it to her about a rent increase, she will more than likely stop the silly requests
a new doormat lol

anncoates · 22-11-2014 6:33pm

We let out a house and I'm flabbergasted that a tenant would complain about dirty windows to the landlord and that you would clean them.

Our tenant is on a low rent too but she's a dream tenant to be fair.

She's taking advantage of you and I wouldn't be inclined to be giving her any breaks on the rent.

mikemac1 · 22-11-2014 6:34pm

Maybe you don't need an agent

You only have one property, you're an amateur landlord and if your next tenants work out well then an agent is pocketing money for doing not much at all

kandoola · 22-11-2014 9:08pm

mikemac1 wrote: »

Maybe you don't need an agent

You only have one property, you're an amateur landlord and if your next tenants work out well then an agent is pocketing money for doing not much at all

True but its only 4% after tax and the rent is going up by 50% so ill still be better off.
I'll gladly pay that rather than have to field so many calls again.
Have to find a good one first though.

Qualitymark · 23-11-2014 10:15am

OP, you sound like you're doing a better job than an agent would.
I'd be inclined to say to your tenant, "OK, if you'd like, we can go to the PRTB together. We used to have a good arrangement, but in the last year something seems to have gone very wrong. I'm renting you this flat below market rates, and you're asking me to do far more than is normal for a landlord. With any luck, the PRTB will assess the rent as too low, and allow me to raise it, and require you to pay me back for all the things I've bought and mended that are normally a tenant's responsibility."

jc84 · 23-11-2014 10:27am

Shocked at the tenants requests, up her rent to the max, you'd think she'd be trying to stay on your good side when getting the rent so cheap compared to other places!

kandoola · 23-11-2014 10:42am

Qualitymark wrote: »

OP, you sound like you're doing a better job than an agent would.
I'd be inclined to say to your tenant, "OK, if you'd like, we can go to the PRTB together. We used to have a good arrangement, but in the last year something seems to have gone very wrong. I'm renting you this flat below market rates, and you're asking me to do far more than is normal for a landlord. With any luck, the PRTB will assess the rent as too low, and allow me to raise it, and require you to pay me back for all the things I've bought and mended that are normally a tenant's responsibility."

Im past caring now.
The less I have to do with her the better.
And I used to think she was great, but now I see that anyone can turn into a pain if they are easily influenced.

Reminds me of when my brother got rear ended in his car last year with me in the passenger seat. Little scratch on the bumper, the other guy agreed to pay and all was sorted.
My brother comes home from work the next day and all of a sudden he has whiplash and is going through yer mans insurance and telling me what to say and that i should say i have whiplash and am in shock.
I put that down to he was fine until the people in work started on him to follow it up and get a few quid. Told him if to get lost and have a think about what he was doing. He couldnt go ahead without me in on it so he dropped it.

Some people are easily led, but thats their own faults.

kandoola · 23-11-2014 10:44am

jc84 wrote: »

Shocked at the tenants requests, up her rent to the max, you'd think she'd be trying to stay on your good side when getting the rent so cheap compared to other places!

Dont think she even realizes what a good deal she has. Hell i didnt even realize it til she made me look at getting agents and look around to see what i could get if she did move out because of her whining.

UCDVet · 23-11-2014 6:05pm

kandoola wrote: »

Dont think she even realizes what a good deal she has. Hell i didnt even realize it til she made me look at getting agents and look around to see what i could get if she did move out because of her whining.

There is a lot of truth to this. As a tenant, if I'm not looking to move, I don't know what the market-rates are.

I was at my last place for a few years and the landlord didn't increase rent. I didn't think much of it; until I tried to move. Then I saw what the landlord could have been charging and I was, suddenly, very grateful.

SteelyDanJalapeno · 24-11-2014 2:57am

Something with a similar but different perspective here,

I live in a house with 2 others for 2 years paying a market average rent and we've only ever asked the landlord to fix the toilet plumbing as it wasn't flushing properly, other than that we look after the house ourselves.

LL came to me last month informing of a rental increase of 8%, do you think its now fair that we have him work a bit for the rental increase we'll be paying, and let him know it was a mistake.

There's plenty things that we'd have covered like boiler servicing mattress changes due, wear and tear around building, replacing dodgy washing machine etc, it will some cost him more than what he's expecting with the increae

biketard · 24-11-2014 3:42am

Just to add, OP, the fact that her boyfriend has moved in is more significant than just "more hassle". More tenants means more wear and tear. It means higher humidity levels, increasing the risk of damp. It means the microwave oven and the hobs are getting a lot more use, etc. Additionally, if you have landlord's insurance, it could affect your rates too. It's completely fair for you to expect a higher rent because of this.

handlemaster · 24-11-2014 9:03am

TiltedBrain wrote: »

Something with a similar but different perspective here,

I live in a house with 2 others for 2 years paying a market average rent and we've only ever asked the landlord to fix the toilet plumbing as it wasn't flushing properly, other than that we look after the house ourselves.

LL came to me last month informing of a rental increase of 8%, do you think its now fair that we have him work a bit for the rental increase we'll be paying, and let him know it was a mistake.

There's plenty things that we'd have covered like boiler servicing mattress changes due, wear and tear around building, replacing dodgy washing machine etc, it will some cost him more than what he's expecting with the increae

If you didnt inform landlord of issues he couldnt resolve them going forward if its a LL issue just ask LL to sort

whomitconcerns · 24-11-2014 9:35am

TiltedBrain wrote: »

boiler servicing mattress changes due, wear and tear around building, replacing dodgy washing machine etc,e

Erm..as a tenant..all of the above are landlords reasponsibility afaik. But certainly I wouldnt have touched any of them without prior advice to him. You shouldnt have done any of them so would not be a reason for him not to increase rent.

Mrs OBumble · 24-11-2014 9:39am

TiltedBrain wrote: »

Something with a similar but different perspective here,

I live in a house with 2 others for 2 years paying a market average rent and we've only ever asked the landlord to fix the toilet plumbing as it wasn't flushing properly, other than that we look after the house ourselves.

LL came to me last month informing of a rental increase of 8%, do you think its now fair that we have him work a bit for the rental increase we'll be paying, and let him know it was a mistake.

There's plenty things that we'd have covered like boiler servicing mattress changes due, wear and tear around building, replacing dodgy washing machine etc, it will some cost him more than what he's expecting with the increae

Yes.

You cannot bring up things you have already covered. But from now on, now you know that he's keeping rent at market rates, you should make sure he picks up all LL responsibilities.

Graces7 · 24-11-2014 10:32am

Glad some landlords deal with problems... been waiting a year for four tiles to be replaced on the roof after the gales last year but that is up to him.

Wonder why changing light bulbs often gets brought up as it the tenant must always do this. In this rental the downstairs are an easy matter but upstairs the ceilings and thus the lights are very high and would need a stepladder and at my age I don't do stepladders.. no I haven't asked him. Torches are great. In the last rental i had a bad fall trying to change a lightbulb.

Similarly could not wash upstairs windows but the rain helps.;)

Can you not write a letter advising that they are to deal with minor issues themselves?

Gatling · 24-11-2014 10:42am

biketard wrote: »

Just to add, OP, the fact that her boyfriend has moved in is more significant than just "more hassle". More tenants means more wear and tear. It means higher humidity levels, increasing the risk of damp. It means the microwave oven and the hobs are getting a lot more use, etc. Additionally, if you have landlord's insurance, it could affect your rates too. It's completely fair for you to expect a higher rent because of this.

None of that is necessarily true though .

biketard · 24-11-2014 11:02am

Gatling wrote: »

None of that is necessarily true though .

I'd say it's more likely true than not.

allibastor · 24-11-2014 11:31am

I don't think upp-ing the rent to the max is the answer OP, As then you will have everyone giving out about landlords charging too much to you.

I would ask to have a sit down with both tenants and explain the situation to them. Let them know that the day to day cleaning and small issues are the responsibility of the tenant, and so is the onus to minimise any issues which can have a negative financial impact on the landlord.

I have tenants who are similar, they ring me all the time about a septic tank blockage, due to flushing of kitchen towels and babywipes etc. The first time I fixed it, the second time the bill was left with them. There wasnt a third time.

RoboRat · 24-11-2014 11:45am

I am a both a landlord and a tenant and as a landlord, I have always fixed anything that needed to be fixed but some of that is ridiculous and they should look after it themselves. As a tenant, I would never expect my landlord to do some of what they have requested.

If they had just requested I would give them the benefit of the doubt and had a meeting with them, but the threats of the PTRB and buying stuff and taking from the rent is unacceptable. I would just up the rent and be done with it as they don't sound like the reasonable sort.

I have a lovely family living in my house (the last family thrashed the place) and I have kept the rent low, even though I am having to supplement it and I could easily get €200 more per month. I had a contract put in place that stipulated certain things such as basic maintenance, tending the gardens, washing the windows and general upkeep as part of the contract. Perhaps look into getting a contract drawn up before you rent it out again?

RoboRat · 24-11-2014 11:52am

There's plenty things that we'd have covered like boiler servicing mattress changes due, wear and tear around building, replacing dodgy washing machine etc, it will some cost him more than what he's expecting with the increase

All of the above are the landlords issues and you should have contacted them prior to doing it as unfortunately when you move out, they could ask where the old washing machine/mattress are.

As already stated, you cant ask for this to be taken into account as its already done but I would bring it up and explain that you are obviously good tenants and a good tenant is worth their weight in gold... I say this from experience.

SteelyDanJalapeno · 24-11-2014 2:47pm

handlemaster wrote: »

If you didnt inform landlord of issues he couldnt resolve them going forward if its a LL issue just ask LL to sort

I didnt inform them as I'm well able to look after my own home, regardless of wether it's his responsibility to change my mattress or not, I'm the one who knows when and I'll be sleeping on it, so I'm old enough to sort it myself.

But now I think he's taking the Pi$$ with the rent so he will have a few responsibilities coming back out of his pocket.

whomitconcerns wrote: »

Erm..as a tenant..all of the above are landlords reasponsibility afaik. But certainly I wouldnt have touched any of them without prior advice to him. You shouldnt have done any of them so would not be a reason for him not to increase rent.

Yeah understood, but the increase is coming in at about 1 months rent over the year, do landlords with no hassle tenants rent on time every month, not do a few calculations and assess wether its worth the risk of losing good tenants and having to re decorate and re list the place for the sake of a months rent?

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Yes.

You cannot bring up things you have already covered. But from now on, now you know that he's keeping rent at market rates, you should make sure he picks up all LL responsibilities.

Yeah I dont intend to get petty by bringing previous stuff, but from here on I will.

Should I increase the rent? What would you do in this case?

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