Rent increase

[Batterseadog]

My friend's landlord wants to increase her rent (private house). Is there a minimum or specified limit as to how often he can do this. Her rental agreement says nothing about increases. The last increase was around 2.5 years ago.
There are many maintainance issues that the landlord has promised to address when he has completed an insurance claim, has my friend any right to refuse to pay the increase until after the property has been restored to a fit condition?.

[Twenty20]

If its not specified in the AST agreement then, off the top of my head, I believe once a year is the maximum. If you are outside the fixed term, on a periodic tenancy, then it must be done by issuing an s13 notice.

There's no theoretical limit to the increase but if you feel it's unjust you can refer it to the Rent Assessment Panel who will judge it against market rents in the area. To be honest, most Rent Assessments are on the low side and tend to favor the tenant.

[Batterseadog]

Thank you for your responses, the 2.5 for the last rent increase was two and a half years, sorry if that wasn't clear. I personally think that the landlord is within his rights to increase the rent but my friend was under the illusion that increases could only be implemented every 3 years, she thought, by law?. I did refer her to her rental agreement which she says has nothing written on it about increases. Thanks though, I will pass on your comments. And it is a friend by the way and not me ha ha!l

[BagPussAA]

It will also depend on what length of agreement your friend has. Our rent agreement lasts six months and then we have to sign a new one. Our landlord tends to increase the rent at this point and we can either say yes or no to signing it.