The support from other renters gave me the confidence I needed to stand my ground and remain in my home for the period I had paid rent for and long enough to find somewhere else to stay, but ultimately there was no law to protect me from the rent hike and I was forced to leave. The agent replied with an aggressive, personal reply calling me “rude”. They helped me write a letter spelling out that I knew my rights and I wouldn’t leave until they legally acquired a possession order. When I contacted my union, the London Renters Union (LRU), for support, they explained that the agent was acting illegally by trying to evict me without serving the proper paperwork and giving me two months’ notice.
After I said I couldn’t afford a big increase, I was told I would have to leave in two weeks, on the day my contract was due to end, even though I had paid until August. Before I was even given a formal section 21 eviction notice, a legal requirement in England and Wales, I spotted my home advertised online at a higher rent. My heart sank – there was no way I could pay 20% more. Then, in June this year, just as the cost of living crisis was starting to bite, the agent told me the rent would be going up by at least £200 a month. When I told the letting agent that the shower leaked every time I used it, they said, “Try having shorter showers.” Other requests for repairs were ignored. It cost almost £1,000 a month and I started to encounter problems as soon as I moved in.
It was the former kitchen of a house converted into a box room with space for a bed and not much else. Eventually, I found a “studio” to move into.
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