Edinburgh tenant fears 'she'll have nowhere to go' after massive rent increase

Jess
Jess has made Edinburgh her home -Credit:supplied


An Edinburgh tenant says she is worried she could be facing homelessness after receiving a huge rent increase.

Jess Fenn has made her flat in Newington her home after living there for a year with her partner. But if her rent jumps up, she fears having nowhere to go.

The couple got a notice the rent for their two-bed flat would be rising by 12 per cent, from £940 to £1,052.80 - which Jess says is completely unaffordable for them.

She explained how they received a notice from their letting agent earlier this year informing them of a three percent rise for the Newington flat. The couple agreed and signed the new tenancy. However, just a couple of weeks later, they were told that was scrapped and the landlord and agency would be back in touch in April regarding the rent.

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Speaking to Edinburgh Live, Jess said: "This is four times higher than the original increase. We got the notice on April 26 and submitted an appeal within 45 minutes. We weren't wasting any time.

"We were told it was in line with the market rates, but if the appeal doesn't go in our favour, I don't know what we would do. We can't stay here. It's over an extra £100 a month. It's not like we can just cancel subscriptions and deal with it, our money goes on rent, bills, food and that's it. We have nothing left.

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"So we might have to leave. But where would we go? It would have to be friend's sofa. Our family don't live nearby or have a spare room for us. We'll be facing homelessness.

"I feel very let down and powerless. I've lived in Edinburgh for a decade and it's my home. I've made this flat my home, we've been allowed to decorate it and it makes me feel really angry if a rent rise forces us to leave.

She added: "I'm worried but determined to win the appeal. I will even go to the tenant's union. I'm not going without a fight. But right now, we're just waiting to see what will happen."

According to Spare Room, Edinburgh has the highest rent prices on average for one-bedroom flats. Latest data shows that the average for a one-bed in Scotland's capital city has hit £811. This makes Edinburgh the second highest area for rent with London and its suburbs coming out on top.

This comes as emergency legislation issuing a rent cap and eviction notice was lifted on April 1. According to the Scottish government website, if a tenant is concerned about the level of a proposed rent increase, they can raise it with their landlord or agent and apply to a rent officer at Rent Service Scotland, or to the First-tier Tribunal if applicable, for a rent adjudication.

Tenants with a ‘Private Residential Tenancy’ must do so within 21 days of receiving notice of the rent increase.

"All the responsibility falls on the tenant," Jess argued, "it's a lot of stress for people in this position, especially if they are facing homelessness. The current situation is just sustainable."

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Our temporary changes to the way rents are decided if a tenant seeks a review are helping to protect people from very steep in-tenancy rises, and tenants’ rights in Scotland continue to be strongest in the UK.

“We are working hard to raise awareness of these rights, and we would encourage renters to check the rights that exist to protect them from unfair practices. Tenants who receive a rent increase that they are concerned about should apply to Rent Service Scotland for adjudication.

“The Housing Bill sets out our next steps on the path towards a fairer, well-regulated private rented sector. We will continue to engage with stakeholders from across the sector on delivering this commitment.”

Are you facing housing issues? Get in touch katie.williams@reachplc.com