This country makes EVERYBODY cynical.
So. First update in a while. Basically this is because I am so incredibly FUCKED OFF right now, and normally I would talk this through with someone, but no one appears to be awake/around.
Almost a year ago now we moved into a cute wee 'workers' cottage in Ampthill. Nice place, could do with some work but we're renting so hey. The garden was a complete mess when we moved in, overgrown to hell and back, but I stupidly said to the landlord that we'd deal with it, no need to call a gardener in, because we hadn't had a proper garden since we moved to Ampthill (or, since I moved to the UK, really..).
The landlord is a private landlord, which is great since we've been stung by bastard agencies that think they can get away with murder before. He seems pretty nice, and quite frankly leaves us alone to do what we want and also gets things fixed that need fixing as soon as needed. Bonus.
Anyway, the bubble burst tonight at around 10:40pm when he sent an email saying that the rent would increase by £50 per month from the 1st August. WTF? This is apparently because, and I quote:
"Rent increase. We have kept the rent at £600 for c10 straight years but will need to raise to £650 from the 1st August. You moved in on the 17th July 2010 and I wanted to wait until at least one year though our costs of operating the house increased by c£100 per month towards the end of last year (due to the mortgage, insurance and a few other bits). I think even with this small increase that the rent is good value and we will continue to do improvement projects. "
Now, I'm pretty sure that right there is a fucking lie. Seriously, he was charging £600 per month 10 years ago? Get off it. Can't be fucking true.
This isn't the first lie we've caught him out on. Now, I totally understand that he's a businessman (he's a Managing Director of a company) and so lying to get your way or make things sound better is just natural. But still. He told us that this is the only property he owns apart from his own home, he is by no means a professional landlord. We then heard from the rather talkative handyman who came to paint the windows that he has a number of properties... now, this guy might not have got it right, but he's said it on more than one occasion.
So anyway. I had asked a week or so ago if he would agree to us getting a dog. I asked this because a) I want a dog and think we could give a dog a good home, and there are HEAPS of dogs out there needing homes... and b) because the last tenants had a dog. We have also done enough work on this place, and he has clearly seen how we care for the place, so he might be inclined to let us have one to keep us long term. OH HOW THAT BACK FIRED.
He hadn't bothered replying until today, and he and his wife have decided that they really don't want a dog in this property (which is fine) but if we really insisted that we could have one if we paid £700 per month in rent. Wait, wtf? Oh, and agree to get the carpets cleaned regularly, which would have been fine anyway, 'cos it makes it easier in the long run to do them regularly. But seriously, like I would pay an extra (extra!) £50 per month on top of the already increased £650 for a fucking dog? As I said to Michael, I'd rather fucking pay that directly to a rescue centre and not have a dog than pay it to my fucking landlord!
Now, the thing that MAJORLY fucks me off about this, is if I turned around and told him I was pregnant and having a baby he wouldn't expect any more in rent. Yet, as far as I'm concerned having a child would in all likely terms create more damage to a property than a fucking dog! Yes, I am aware that it all depends on how you bring it up, but come on, same goes for the dog!
So, looks like we're moving. AGAIN. At least by now I'm fucking used to it, so hey. Pity he doesn't realise this. Wonder what he'll say when I tell him... especially when I tell him that the market is normal again now so he is highly unlikely to get the £650 per month that he wants. Oh, and that I'm ripping out all my plants and taking them with me. Serves him fucking right.
GRRRR.
I really fucking hope that when I wake up that this doesn't hit me badly 'cos I REALLY don't fucking need this right now. Wanker.
Almost a year ago now we moved into a cute wee 'workers' cottage in Ampthill. Nice place, could do with some work but we're renting so hey. The garden was a complete mess when we moved in, overgrown to hell and back, but I stupidly said to the landlord that we'd deal with it, no need to call a gardener in, because we hadn't had a proper garden since we moved to Ampthill (or, since I moved to the UK, really..).
The landlord is a private landlord, which is great since we've been stung by bastard agencies that think they can get away with murder before. He seems pretty nice, and quite frankly leaves us alone to do what we want and also gets things fixed that need fixing as soon as needed. Bonus.
Anyway, the bubble burst tonight at around 10:40pm when he sent an email saying that the rent would increase by £50 per month from the 1st August. WTF? This is apparently because, and I quote:
"Rent increase. We have kept the rent at £600 for c10 straight years but will need to raise to £650 from the 1st August. You moved in on the 17th July 2010 and I wanted to wait until at least one year though our costs of operating the house increased by c£100 per month towards the end of last year (due to the mortgage, insurance and a few other bits). I think even with this small increase that the rent is good value and we will continue to do improvement projects. "
Now, I'm pretty sure that right there is a fucking lie. Seriously, he was charging £600 per month 10 years ago? Get off it. Can't be fucking true.
This isn't the first lie we've caught him out on. Now, I totally understand that he's a businessman (he's a Managing Director of a company) and so lying to get your way or make things sound better is just natural. But still. He told us that this is the only property he owns apart from his own home, he is by no means a professional landlord. We then heard from the rather talkative handyman who came to paint the windows that he has a number of properties... now, this guy might not have got it right, but he's said it on more than one occasion.
So anyway. I had asked a week or so ago if he would agree to us getting a dog. I asked this because a) I want a dog and think we could give a dog a good home, and there are HEAPS of dogs out there needing homes... and b) because the last tenants had a dog. We have also done enough work on this place, and he has clearly seen how we care for the place, so he might be inclined to let us have one to keep us long term. OH HOW THAT BACK FIRED.
He hadn't bothered replying until today, and he and his wife have decided that they really don't want a dog in this property (which is fine) but if we really insisted that we could have one if we paid £700 per month in rent. Wait, wtf? Oh, and agree to get the carpets cleaned regularly, which would have been fine anyway, 'cos it makes it easier in the long run to do them regularly. But seriously, like I would pay an extra (extra!) £50 per month on top of the already increased £650 for a fucking dog? As I said to Michael, I'd rather fucking pay that directly to a rescue centre and not have a dog than pay it to my fucking landlord!
Now, the thing that MAJORLY fucks me off about this, is if I turned around and told him I was pregnant and having a baby he wouldn't expect any more in rent. Yet, as far as I'm concerned having a child would in all likely terms create more damage to a property than a fucking dog! Yes, I am aware that it all depends on how you bring it up, but come on, same goes for the dog!
So, looks like we're moving. AGAIN. At least by now I'm fucking used to it, so hey. Pity he doesn't realise this. Wonder what he'll say when I tell him... especially when I tell him that the market is normal again now so he is highly unlikely to get the £650 per month that he wants. Oh, and that I'm ripping out all my plants and taking them with me. Serves him fucking right.
GRRRR.
I really fucking hope that when I wake up that this doesn't hit me badly 'cos I REALLY don't fucking need this right now. Wanker.