A Guide To Renting

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COSTS

Residential rental costs increased at the fastest annual rate since records began seven years ago, while house prices stagnated, laying bare the impact of high mortgage rates on the property market.
Private rents rose 5.7 per cent year on year in September, up from 5.6 per cent in July, and the largest annual percentage increase since the Office for National Statistics data series began in January 2016.
Annual private rental prices increased by 5.6 per cent in England, 6.9 per cent in Wales, and 6 per cent in Scotland last month. London’s annual percentage change in private rental prices was at its highest annual rate since the London data series began in January 2006.

AFFORDABILITY

Rising Rental Problems 43% of respondents find it difficult to afford rent or mortgages, up from 30% last year(ONS) Rents are rising in part due to a rise in demand as a jump in mortgage costs has made buying a property unaffordable & Landlords passing on higher borrowing costs. “The UK is facing an accommodation affordability crisis, particularly in London,” said Victoria Scholar, head of investment at Interactive Investor, an online investment service.

RENTERS' RIGHTS

The Renters Reform Bill received its second reading in the Commons, The bill will face further scrutiny at a later stage. It includes a ban on no-fault evictions. But the government said implementation of the ban would wait until changes to speed up the courts system, such as digitising processes, were complete.

Marcus Fysh, the Conservative MP for Yeovil, said the bill would “drive private landlords out of the market” Labour has previously calculated that since the idea of no-fault evictions was first announced in April 2019, more than 70,000 households have left their homes because landlords have required them to leave.

Angela Rayner, the shadow levelling up secretary, said: “The government has betrayed renters with this grubby deal with the Tory backbenches. The Conservatives’ long-promised ban on no-fault evictions has majority and cross-party support across the house, but this flip-flop kicks it into the long grass."

WHAT CAN LANDLORDS DO?

Section 21 evictions allow landlords to give householders two months’ notice to leave without needing to give a reason, something the Conservatives promised to end in their 2019 manifesto as part of wider reforms to tenants’ and leaseholders’ rights.
The tenant cannot be required to leave before any fixed period of the tenancy has come to end.
A landlord can withhold part of their deposit to compensate for any damage caused to their property or furnishing or cleaning required, or for unpaid rent, but not for reasonable wear and tear.
For a periodic tenancy (rolling on a week-by-week or month-by-month basis) your landlord cannot normally increase the rent more than once a year without your agreement.
For a fixed-term tenancy (running for a set period) your landlord can only increase the rent if you agree. If you do not agree, the rent can only be increased when the fixed term ends.

WHAT ARE YOUR RIGHTS AS A TENANT?

You have the right to quiet enjoyment of your home. This means your right to make use of your home without disturbance from the landlord or anyone acting on their behalf. It could breach your right to quiet enjoyment if your landlord:

• comes into your home without permission

• refuses to carry out repairs or safety checks

If your landlord wants to evict you, they need to give you written notice. You might get either a:

• section 8 notice - your landlord has to give you a reason for giving you a section 8 notice - for example, if you have rent arrears

• section 21 notice - your landlord doesn’t need to give you a reason for giving you a section 21 notice - for example, they might just want to move back into the property

If your landlord gives you a notice, they can’t force you to leave on the day your fixed-term tenancy ends or on the day the notice ends. Your landlord will have to go to court to get a court order.

Missed Rent Payments

If you have missed rent payment the landlord must not pressure you with threats of illegal eviction. They should not regularly turn up at your home demanding money, especially if you've made it clear that you cannot pay at the moment.

Getting Repairs Done

If your landlord is responsible for repairs, they should do them in a ‘reasonable’ amount of time.

The law says your landlord has to:

• make sure your home meets electrical and gas safety standards

• give you copies of electrical and gas safety check reports

HOW CAN YOU FIND AN AFFORDABLE RENT?

Shop around is the first bit of advice.

Some useful sources of rentable rooms are:

Gumtree https://www.gumtree.com

Spare Room https://www.spareroom.co.uk

RoomGo https://www.roomgo.co.uk

IdealFlatmate https://www.idealflatmate.co.uk

OpenRent https://www.openrent.co.uk

FindAHood https://www.findahood.com

Or the regular RightMove and Zoopla property sites

Council Housing

If you are still finding it hard - you can apply to the council for social housing. Although this is likely to be a difficult and long-winded process.

You can ask the council to consider you homeless and help you to find suitable, affordable housing. You do not always need an eviction notice from your landlord to get this help. But if you have an eviction notice - make sure to include that in any application.

The housing charity Shelter has a template letter you can use to write to your council asking to be placed on the housing waiting list. Find it HERE

Councils use bands or points-based systems to decide who gets priority for a home.

The council tells you what priority you have if they accept you onto the register.

If you ask for this information, the council must tell you about your chances of getting a home and how long it's likely to take.

Waiting times depend on:

· Your priority band or points

· How many homes are available

· The number of people on the waiting list with higher priority than you

· How flexible you can be about the type of property and areas you will live in

If your application is accepted, you’ll go on to a waiting list of people who need a council home. Your council will then prioritise applications based on who needs a home most urgently. The council’s allocations scheme will give details of who gets priority for homes in the area.

Even if you get on the waiting list there’s no guarantee you’ll get a home.

If your council has a long waiting list, they might ask if you want to apply for homes in other areas as well. You can be on several waiting lists at the same time and this might increase your chances of getting a home.

You’ll probably need to:

• be on a low income or not have a large amount of savings

• have lived in the area for a number of years, or have a job or family there - this is called a ‘local connection’

Not all councils need you to have a local connection. If you’re thinking about moving to a different area, it’s worth checking the council’s website to see if you can apply.

WHAT CONDITION DOES YOUR PROPERTY HAVE TO BE IN?

If you live in a rented house or flat, then this guide will help you understand your rights under the new Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act.

On 20 March 2019 a new law came into force to make sure that rented houses and flats are ‘fit for human habitation’, which means that they are safe, healthy and free from things that could cause serious harm.

Most landlords make sure that the houses and flats they rent out are safe and secure, warm and dry. But some landlords do not, and this means that some tenants live in dangerous or unhealthy conditions. This new law, the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018, will help these tenants and make sure irresponsible landlords improve their properties or leave the business.

If rented houses and flats are not ‘fit for human habitation’, tenants can take their landlords to court. The court can make the landlord carry out repairs or put right health and safety problems. The court can also make the landlord pay compensation to the tenant.