Rent increase response
Your landlord has proposed a rent rise and you are replying.
A landlord's proposed rent increase deserves a written reply, whether you accept it, counter it, or ask for justification. Putting it in writing keeps a record and often opens a negotiation a phone call closes.
State the current rent, the proposed rent, and your position plainly. A reply that is specific about numbers is one that gets a considered answer.
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I hope we can find something that works for us both, and I look forward to hearing from you.
Still to fill in: your full name, the rented address, your current rent, the proposed new rent, your response.
A finished example
The same template with every field filled in. The names and details are invented.
Thank you for your letter proposing to raise the rent from £1,100 a month to £1,300 a month. Would you consider £1,180 a month instead? I would happily agree to that.
I have paid on time for four years and kept the flat in good order, and comparable flats on the street are advertised at around this figure.
I hope we can find something that works for us both, and I look forward to hearing from you.
Proposed rent increase, Flat 4, 20 Rosebery Avenue Dear Mr Adeyemi, Thank you for your letter proposing to raise the rent from £1,100 a month to £1,300 a month. Would you consider £1,180 a month instead? I would happily agree to that. I have paid on time for four years and kept the flat in good order, and comparable flats on the street are advertised at around this figure. I hope we can find something that works for us both, and I look forward to hearing from you. Yours sincerely, Sara Ahmed
Questions
- Do I have to accept a rent increase?
- It depends on your tenancy and where you live. Many increases can be questioned or negotiated, and some require a set notice or a formal process. Replying in writing keeps a record and often starts a conversation, whatever the legal position.
- Can I propose a smaller increase?
- Yes, and it is common. Name a figure you can live with and, if you can, a reason it is fair: a good payment record, local rents, or repairs outstanding. A specific counter is easier to accept than a flat refusal.
- What if the increase seems unjustified?
- Ask for it to be justified, and compare it with rents for similar places nearby. If your tenancy has a formal route to challenge an increase, this letter is a sensible first step before using it.
- Should I keep paying the old rent meanwhile?
- Keep paying what is currently agreed until a new figure is settled, so you are not in arrears. Stopping or underpaying before agreement can put your tenancy at risk. Check the rules for your tenancy if in doubt.