Latest news with #rentIncrease
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
London renter shocked at estate agent's 'tricks' to secure property
A London renter received an email from an estate agent that included "tips and tricks" for securing a property, including suggesting offering to pay more rent. Harriet Howe, 29, had just viewed a flat when she received the email, which advised prospective tenants to take extreme steps to secure a rental. She and her flatmate were looking to move into a two-bedroom property, relocating from their previous place in Wandsworth for a change of area. Among the suggestions were tactics like offering above the asking price, which is now a common practice among London renters. The estate agent sent over some renting tips. (Image: SWNS) But the list also included more drastic measures such as offering up to 12 months' rent in advance and even encouraging tenants to suggest rent increases themselves. Harriet, an event planner in Wandsworth, London, said: "I wasn't necessarily surprised by the individual suggestions but to see them all written down together was quite the pill to swallow. "The stuff about renters suggesting an annual increase in rent or offering six to 12 months of rent upfront really got to me." Originally from Bath, Harriet has been renting in London for eight years so she's no stranger to the stress the market can cause. But she says things have become even more difficult recently. Harriet said: "It has really been ramping up the past couple of years. "Especially considering most people renting in London are living pay check to pay check and they will not be able to offer such things." Recommended Reading Revealed: The 10 London postcodes where rent is still less than £900 These are the cheapest areas to rent in London listed as prices continue to soar Full list of all the London boroughs named happiest places to live revealed After three months of flat hunting, Harriet and her friend eventually managed to find a new place. She said: "We did end up having to put in an offer above the asking price. "I love London and I love living here but it is incredibly expensive. "It's very tough and I think everyone is just waiting and hoping this Renter's Reform Bill proposed by the government will come into play quickly and make some real change."
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Housing N.W.T. rent hikes higher than suggested, some tenants say
Some tenants in Housing N.W.T. units say their rent is going up by more than what the territory has suggested. Housing N.W.T. this spring raised the rent on its market-rate units across the territory, by hundreds of dollars. Those units are used on in smaller communities where housing options are limited, for nurses, teachers, RCMP, other critical workers and community members. One teacher working in the Sahtu points out that Housing N.W.T. has said the highest rent increase in the territory was $500 for a three-bedroom unit — but the price of his one-bedroom unit has gone up by more than that. "They're saying the top end is lower than what they've increased mine and all my neighbours," the teacher said. CBC News has agreed not to name him due to fears of reprisal in relation to his housing and living situation. CBC News has seen multiple documents from several teachers that show significantly higher rents than what's in Housing N.W.T.'s new rent scale. Tenants began learning of the rent increases last month. The news prompted considerable reaction, especially from teachers, who occupy many of the market units. Housing N.W.T. owns and leases both market-rate units and subsidized units but only the market units are seeing a rent increase. The territory's housing minister has said the rent increases were a difficult but necessary move to maintain fairness in the housing market, and said the additional revenue is needed because of declining federal support. The Sahtu educator has a one-bedroom unit and his rent is going up from $1,240 to $1,937, an increase of $697. That does not include power costs. According to Housing N.W.T.'s new rent scale, a unit of that size would should now be $1,437, which includes the cost of heating fuel. In a statement to CBC News, Housing N.W.T. says it cannot discuss individual rental rates, but said the rent scale prices only include heating fuel and not other expenses. It said there are also "special arrangements when other utilities are included in the rent," such as in a multi-unit building where water is not individually metered. Those "special arrangements" appear to mean exactly $500 on top of the rent scale increase for some tenants. In those units, Housing N.W.T. is responsible for heating fuel, water, sewer and garbage. The Sahtu teacher said the increases and additional costs could be the tipping point for whether he decides to stay in the North. "Long term it doesn't make sense," he said. He says it's the same for some of his co-workers. "Another teacher was on the fence about staying. Their roommate left and because the rent has been increased so much, it's just not worth risking not having a roommate to split what is now unaffordable," the teacher said. He's also puzzled by the new market-rent scale being the same across the territory. He said he often hears politicians and organizations talk about how communities vary across the territory and there's no single approach that works for all of them. "When it suits their purposes they can say that rent needs to be set to market rates. But how can [my community] be charging the same amount as a place 1,000 kilometres away, on the ocean?" Some tenants are also perplexed by the territory's claim that rental rates have remained unchanged for its market units since 2012. Some of those tenants received notices saying the last increase for their rental unit was in 2014, 2016, or 2019. Asked about those apparent increase, Housing N.W.T. did not comment but said that it encourages tenants to "contact their local housing organization should they require further clarification on their rental situation."
CBC
15-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Housing N.W.T. rent hikes higher than suggested, some tenants say
Some tenants in Housing N.W.T. units say their rent is going up by more than what the territory has suggested. Housing N.W.T. this spring raised the rent on its market-rate units across the territory, by hundreds of dollars. Those units are used on in smaller communities where housing options are limited, for nurses, teachers, RCMP, other critical workers and community members. One teacher working in the Sahtu points out that Housing N.W.T. has said the highest rent increase in the territory was $500 for a three-bedroom unit — but the price of his one-bedroom unit has gone up by more than that. "They're saying the top end is lower than what they've increased mine and all my neighbours," the teacher said. CBC News has agreed not to name him due to fears of reprisal in relation to his housing and living situation. CBC News has seen multiple documents from several teachers that show significantly higher rents than what's in Housing N.W.T.'s new rent scale. Tenants began learning of the rent increases last month. The news prompted considerable reaction, especially from teachers, who occupy many of the market units. Housing N.W.T. owns and leases both market-rate units and subsidized units but only the market units are seeing a rent increase. The territory's housing minister has said the rent increases were a difficult but necessary move to maintain fairness in the housing market, and said the additional revenue is needed because of declining federal support. The Sahtu educator has a one-bedroom unit and his rent is going up from $1,240 to $1,937, an increase of $697. That does not include power costs. According to Housing N.W.T.'s new rent scale, a unit of that size would should now be $1,437, which includes the cost of heating fuel. In a statement to CBC News, Housing N.W.T. says it cannot discuss individual rental rates, but said the rent scale prices only include heating fuel and not other expenses. It said there are also "special arrangements when other utilities are included in the rent," such as in a multi-unit building where water is not individually metered. Those "special arrangements" appear to mean exactly $500 on top of the rent scale increase for some tenants. In those units, Housing N.W.T. is responsible for heating fuel, water, sewer and garbage. 'Doesn't make sense' to stay in North, teacher says The Sahtu teacher said the increases and additional costs could be the tipping point for whether he decides to stay in the North. "Long term it doesn't make sense," he said. He says it's the same for some of his co-workers. "Another teacher was on the fence about staying. Their roommate left and because the rent has been increased so much, it's just not worth risking not having a roommate to split what is now unaffordable," the teacher said. He's also puzzled by the new market-rent scale being the same across the territory. He said he often hears politicians and organizations talk about how communities vary across the territory and there's no single approach that works for all of them. "When it suits their purposes they can say that rent needs to be set to market rates. But how can [my community] be charging the same amount as a place 1,000 kilometres away, on the ocean?" remained unchanged for its market units since 2012. Some of those tenants received notices saying the last increase for their rental unit was in 2014, 2016, or 2019. Asked about those apparent increase, Housing N.W.T. did not comment but said that it encourages tenants to "contact their local housing organization should they require further clarification on their rental situation."
