Tenants have reported being pressured into rent increases of up to £400 by landlords threatening eviction or a higher rent increase after the rent cap comes to an end.

In one case tenants Carol and Jamie, who live in a two-bedroom flat in Edinburgh, say that their landlord tried to pressure them into accepting a rent increase of £400 from £1200 to £1600, threatening to sell the flat or move into the flat if they didn’t accept.

Though the rent freeze has currently capped rents at 3%, landlords are able to increase rents if the tenant agrees to it, a loophole that some landlords are exploiting.

Francis in Aberdeen says that her landlord has multiple properties and has forced her into a rent increase, threatening her with eviction if she did not agree.

Jude (23) and Lawrence (22) have also been threatened with eviction if they do not pay a rent increase. The full-time student and part-time bar worker, part time forestry worker in Edinburgh have paid twelve months rent in nine months over the last three years, paying extra from September to June, as their landlord wanted to ensure she would receive income over the summer.

After Jude and Lawrence said they were going to leave in June and handed in their last rent payment to accommodate the increased rent they had paid throughout the year, the landlord responded that she had increased their rent in September and that therefore they owed her rent until they moved out in June. This is despite the rent freeze in place at the time. At no point did Jude and Lawrence’s landlord give them a three-month rent increase notice either.

But Living Rent says that landlords getting tenants to agree to rent increases above the rent cap is a form of blackmail due to the risk the tenant runs in being evicted or being saddled with a higher rent hike later if they disagree.

Francis in Aberdeen: “So, I am part of generation rent. Owning a home is out of reach, so I am stuck renting. I had good landlords and bad landlords along the years. My current landlord turns out in the later category.

“During the cost of living crisis and the rent freeze he wanted to have a meeting with us. In the meeting he informed us that he would have to evict us and sell, as the buy to let mortgage doubled and our rent only covers about half of it. That is, unless we find a solution together. A solution he already had prepared before meeting us.

“If us, as tenants, offer to pay a higher rent, then we’d buy us time, quite literally. He is not legally allowed to demand a higher rent, but tenants are legally allowed to beg to pay more to avoid eviction. That is the loophole.

“We are currently negotiating with him to agree on a rent increase that is higher than the rent cap, but that we can still ‘afford.’ That is we are literally accepting to undermine the very legislation protecting us, to not be evicted.

“However, that is on hold until he returns from holiday. I feel it is an important detail considering that we feel lucky to afford our living costs, let alone even think of going on holiday. Yet the landlord casually says he is in a difficult financial situation then goes on holiday.

“The fact that they can [force us to increase the rent] has affected my mental health, but there is nowhere else to go. Council housing takes years and every housing association has about 100 applicants per property. Market rents are far from affordable right now so our options are limited. We are a mother and daughter, living together because we cannot afford to live separately.”

Aditi Jehangir, secretary for Living Rent, added: “Tenants are being bullied into accepting rent hikes right under the government’s nose. As landlords complain about the rent cap supporting tenants too much, these examples of landlords blackmailing tenants with threats of increased rents or homelessness show who really has the power.

“Landlords have been complaining that they need to raise rents or sell but these examples show who is actually impacted by the housing crisis.

“We need rent controls to make homes affordable, to ensure tenants are not living in fear of rent increases or eviction. We need rent controls to give tenants more power over their homes. And we need rent controls to penalise landlords who break the law.”