My husband and I currently rent a three bed property at �575 pcm. The landlord is talking of putting the rent up again to �595 pcm, we would'nt mind normally but the house has no heating upstairs, it needs rewireing, the back door needs replacing and we cuurently have no parking as our neighbour refuses to share the driveway ( but thats another issue completely). As we don't want to move should we pay the rent increase or ask to be kept the same until some of the work has been done?
What does your tenancy agreement say about rent increases and the landlord's responsibilities to keep the proerty in good repair? First place to go before you take your grievance to Ctizens Advice, I would suggest.
It really depends on what comparative rents are for similar properties. Have a look online or in the local paper - these will tell you what landlords and agents are asking (but not necessarily what they are getting as rent).
If there are faults with the house then list these and ask the landlord to rectify them. Is the wiring unsafe or is it just your opinion that it needs rewiring? Any safety issue should be addressed by the landlord.
The actual percentage increase in rent isn't excessive but it does depends on other rents locally. Most landlords would rather keep a decent tenant who is paying their rent on time etc rather than trying to find new tenants.