AN Ilkley pensioner was astonished to find that the rent on her small terraced home could be increased by almost 100 per cent in one go.

Dorothy Stewart, 71, of Dean Street, said that she received a letter from her private landlady's letting agent to say that they had applied for the rent to be increased from £41-a-week to £80-a-week this year.

"I was so annoyed to think they could to this - do they think they can just come and ask for £39 pounds, making it £80?"

Mrs Stewart, has lived in the house since 1978, when she was married to her late husband, who had lived there much longer. The owner of the house lives in the south of England and the rent is handled through a local letting agent.

It was modernised in 1978 but since then, according to Mrs Stewart, no substantial work had been carried out to upgrade it. There is no central heating and the windows are single glazed.

Since 1978, rent increases have been controlled by a Government rent officer and have been limited to increases of around £6 every two years, Mrs Stewart said.

When the letter informing her of the application for the extra £39 came, Mrs Stewart appealed against the rise. Following a meeting with the rent officer and the letting agent, Mrs Stewart is waiting for a decision from the rent office.

"It would take about 90 per cent of my pension - what are you supposed to live on? They know you are a pensioner and they want to wipe your pension out," said Mrs Stewart.

Mrs Stewart is aware that if the rent officer upholds the rise she could apply for social security help to pay the extra rent. But she sees this as an unjustified rise which could ultimately be funded by the taxpayer.

"I can understand why they want to get it up to the level of rents in the area but they are doing it all in one jump. You are going to pass the buck to the Government to pay. I was absolutely furious because they are passing the buck to the Government," said Mrs Stewart.

She said she realised that her original rent was low for the area but said surrounding houses had double glazing and central heating.

"It is unreasonable to go for a huge increase without doing any modernisation - it upset me so much," said Mrs Stewart.

Paul Milling, at the Otley office of letting agent Dacre, Son and Hartley, said that the rent rise had not been decided and that it was still in the hands of the rent officer to conclude if the suggested increase was fair or not.

Mr Milling said: "We are doing a job for our client. I don't think it is appropriate I comment further - it is a matter we are dealing with for our client and the rent officer will decide."