Fees, Rent Rises and Unfair Terms

A letter proposes a £150 a month rise. Your agreement says ‘No pets under any circumstances’. A lost-key fee arrives by email. Each looks like the landlord’s word against yours, but each can be tested with the same three questions:

1. Is the payment allowed? The Tenant Fees Act 2019 lists the payments a landlord or agent may take; anything else is banned, whatever it’s called.
2. Does a statutory duty or right apply? Some duties and rights sit beneath the contract like a floor: the repair duty, deposit protection, the rent-increase process, the right to ask for a pet. No clause can dig under them.
3. Is the term fair? Part 2 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 says a term in a consumer contract must be fair and transparent, and a tenancy agreement between a landlord in business and you can be one.