No tenant wants to be notified that the landlord is increasing the rent. But lately, it seems renters are seeing price increases unlike anything they've seen before. But what's the problem with the dreaded rent increases? And by how much can a landlord legally increase the rent?
Nationwide rental prices continuereach new highsdue to a number of factors. Higher mortgage rates, skyrocketing selling prices and inventory shortages have forced potential homebuyers to remain in the rental market, leading to a housing shortage.
This current high demand for rental housing has pushed up rental prices, but what are the rules for increasing the monthly rent? In other words, how much can a landlord increase the rent?
Morelords of the earthPlay fair. But let's face it, some don't.
For answers to questions that keep renters up at night, read on from "Can my landlord raise my rent?". to "How much can a landlord increase the rent?"
Can my landlord increase my rent?
As for tenants' rights, landlords cannot increase the rent at any time; You'll have to wait until the contract you signed with them expires, they sayRobert Pellegrini, President of PK Boston, a real estate and collections law firm with offices in the greater Boston area. This means that if you have a rental agreement, you cannot increase it until the rental period has expired.
How often can a landlord increase my rent payment?
For example, if you signed a one-year lease, it will take a year for your rent to increase, or two years if you signed a two-year lease (which is why it makes sense to sign a two-year lease or longer). . to keep rent low).
Meanwhile, if you rent on a monthly lease, your rent cannot increase until the end of a given month. simple rules. But real rules.
How long does the landlord have to give notice to increase the rent?
Rent control laws in most states require renters to be given at least 30 days' written notice of a new leaserent increaseapplies, although this may vary depending on the amount of the actual rent increase. In California, for examplethe notice period is extended to 60 daysif the increase exceeds 10% of income.
These rules also apply to a "tenant at will" (i.e., who doesn't have a lease) and, even more surprisingly, a renter in a dorm where you're likely to be paying rent weekly.
“In this case, one would assume that a seven-day notice period would suffice. Not true!” says Pelegrini. "Pensione tenants still need 30 days notice for a rent increase."
No matter how strange the terms of your lease seem or how unorthodox your housing situation, you may be surprised when it comes to your rights to rent increases.
How much can the landlord increase the rent?
As unfortunate as it may be, rent increases are common and many renters expect some kind of increase every time the rent comes in. Still, some renters find it hard to believe how much the price of their homes increases each year, forcing them to move if they cannot afford the price of their rental property.
"When it comes to how much a landlord can raise the rent, it just flies by," says Pellegrini. "There are no rules, and it's entirely up to you." Except of course if you live in oneRent-stabilized or rent-controlled apartment, in which case there are strict government regulations about how much (or if) the rent can be increased.
Finding one of these rental properties is like finding the holy grail. So if you don't know if you have rent-controlled housing, you probably don't know.
If that's the case, it's you, your rent, and your walletmainlyat the mercy of your landlord and the rental market in your area. However, there are some exceptions to what your landlord can do, such as B. Raising the rent to punish a tenant.
"If a judge felt that the landlord was punitively raising the rent, say, to obtain a 'refund' for the tenant who went to the Health Department for violating the Health Code, then that is incorrect. and the owner can be found guilty and forced to pay up to treble damages and legal costs,” says Pellegrini.
In this case, it is not about your lease, the rental period or even the rising real estate market in your area. It's about what is legal and what is illegal. Contact an attorney if you think you may be the victim of a penalty rent increase.
Can the landlord subsequently increase the rent?
The short answer is no. When a landlord has slapped a tenant with a retrospective rent increase, in most cases they have negligently notified the tenant of the increase in a timely manner. The tenant cannot be held responsible for an unaware rent increase.
"Often a landlord will retrospectively issue a proper rent increase notice to intimidate tenants, knowing that the tenant may be overcharging because of 'rent rent' and is more likely to quit," says Pellegrini.
If this is the case for you, you should know that the tenant can file a lawsuit against the landlord or simply file a counterclaim if the eviction has already been initiated by the landlord.
What should tenants do if they think the landlord has unlawfully increased the rent?
Now that you know a little more about annual rent increases, what if you discover that your rent may have been increased illegally and in violation of tenancy law?
Perhaps your rent was illegally increased in a rent-controlled apartment. Or maybe you look at your lease and realize you didn't need a raise. You shouldsue your landlord. There are a few instances where you can do this, and illegally increasing rent is one of them. But it can be expensive and time-consuming, and you won't want to keep living there if you do, so it's best to exhaust all other options first.
There are things you can do to protect yourself from an illegal rent increase.
"A tenant should keep track of all the mail they receive," says Pellegrini. "You should also take notes if the communication is verbal and keep track of the dates of each communication." This is especially important when it comes to proving harassment (to pay rent or otherwise).
But don't assume that your landlord is automatically the bad guy.
"In my opinion, the vast majority of homeowners are doing the right thing, and the small percentage that don't even know they did something wrong," says Pellegrini.
"That's why in almost all cases, I strongly recommend that the renter contact the landlord first if something doesn't feel right. If the tenant ends up in court or things start with a threat, you have to remember that the landlord owns the property. And if the landlord has trouble working with the tenant, they have the right to let the lease expire and find a new tenant.”
So you should protect yourself (and your money) from an unfair raise, but not go so far as to threaten your landlord and jeopardize your housing situation. Remember that your landlord may have made an honest mistake.
It's also possible that you later miscalculated an increase. If you are too strong to rectify the situation, you could face eviction.
—————