Yep - ours was supposed to go up to $290 a week (from $275) 6 months after we moved in. We've been here 17 months now, and our increase is finally coming in May. We figured they'd held off because we are awesome tennants, and then when we demanded the hot water unit be replaced, they upped the rent. Fair enough. But they also put us on a 12 month fixed-rent lease, after which we are planning to leave anyway (buy in the area or move back to Melbs) so we are going to hit them up to fix EVERYTHING in this place. It's with a very efficient RE agent, so it'll get done, too.

The place before this we skipped out of the second the lease was up. But I think they were pushing for an increase there too.

The place before that, the landlords changed management, who decided to put the rent up from $240 a week to $330. This increase came quite conveniently at a time that DH got a job in Brisbane.

One place I lived in ages ago they proposed to up the rent, but said that if we were willing to sign another 12 month lease, we could keep it. Maybe try that approach?

Check with your rental board - I think there's a percentage annual rise that is considered acceptable. Some landlords do it knowing that long-term tennants are unlikely to want to move, so will just accept it, rather than pay.