Rent raise anything I can do?

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Forum -> Inquiries & Offers -> Lakewood, Toms River & Jackson related Inquiries

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amother

Fri, Jul 01 2022, 4:59 pm

So my landlord just called to talk about our lease ending in 2 months. We have a 2 year lease for $1100. She sounded like she wanted us to leave because she can get someone to pay in the two thousands. She told us she has to raise the rent to $1450 & if we want to find somewhere else to let her know. I don't think it's possible to find somewhere else and also probably would be more expensive.
Is it normal to raise this amount?
We just had a baby less than a month ago so expenses are up. I know this is probably a good deal compared to the market but it's a big jump.

amother

Almond

Fri, Jul 01 2022, 5:03 pm

Unfortunately it's not considered a huge raise today. It would be less common after the first year but since this is after two years I think it's kind of the norm now. Rents jumped tremendously since you first signed your lease. Many people I know had much bigger increases, me included. We literally couldn't afford it (they raised our rent almost 2000 a month!) so we moved. But moving costs money, and you have to consider if you will even find anything cheaper.

amother

Apricot

Fri, Jul 01 2022, 5:06 pm

Can you try to negotiate? Otherwise you need to decide if it's worth it for your to pay more or just find someplace else.

amother

Papayawhip

Fri, Jul 01 2022, 5:09 pm

It’s not so easy to move now. Every rental has like 25 people looking at it. Better just agree to the increase. Ending up even temporarily homeless with a baby is not optimal.

amother

Foxglove

Fri, Jul 01 2022, 5:13 pm

It's not normal and it is not legal.
We had this in the city last year.
We were 14 tenants and banded together so the landlord couldn't do anything.
Landlords have a limit how much they are allowed to raise the rent.

Tell your landlord that it isn't legal but you are willing to go up with a minimal amount.

Your landlord is just trying their luck.

amother

Oak

Fri, Jul 01 2022, 5:16 pm

Wasn't there a thread this week about not raising more than 5% per year? In your case $55×2=$110 or I miscalculated?

amother

Snowflake

Fri, Jul 01 2022, 5:25 pm

What am I missing here?

Your landlord is doing you a huge favor and only going up to $1450.
Your landlord could get someone else for $2000.
So if I understand correctly your landlord is giving you a $550 gift every month!

out-of-towner

Fri, Jul 01 2022, 5:37 pm

I just want to point out from someone who has been in both a tenants perspective, as well as a landlord's (BH my husband does some residential real estate management) that just because someone can hypothetically get x amount per month from a new tenant, doesn't mean that they will get it. And even if they do get it they might end up dealing with other issues, at least with you they know what they are getting themselves into in terms of how clean, demanding exc you are.

But I would consult a real estate lawyer regarding your legal recourse. I have no idea about that. I do know of tenants who were paying well below market value when DH bought a property, and he raises them a small amount every year. But that's in NYC where it's very difficult to evict a tenant if they don't pay rent, so it was in his best interests to make sure that they didn't just stop paying.

amother

Daphne

Fri, Jul 01 2022, 5:41 pm

amother [ Oak ] wrote:

Wasn't there a thread this week about not raising more than 5% per year? In your case $55×2=$110 or I miscalculated?

Exactly.
And if I remember correctly, it might not be legal for your landlord to just evict you if you are willing to pay the 5% (or 9% if utilities are covered) rate increase per year.
You should really speak to a lawyer and STEPS (without giving your landlords name to avoid mesira) to find out your rights.

Chayalle

Fri, Jul 01 2022, 5:45 pm

Two questions:

Are you in a legal rental?

Does your previous lease specify a percent by which your rent can be raised?

amother

Foxglove

Fri, Jul 01 2022, 5:51 pm

amother [ Daphne ] wrote:

This. Do not pay the increase until you are satisfied with the new lease.
You cannot be evicted legally.

If your apartment isn't legal, they definitely cannot evict you in a legal way.

tweety1

Fri, Jul 01 2022, 5:55 pm

As a landlord myself op,You're creeping me out. $1450 for the market value is not alot at all. It might be a little bit of big raise but please count your blessings. You're lucky to have a landlord like that.
Dh has a good friend that his house was recently sold. The new landlord is giving him 3 months to either move or a raise for over $1000. The new landlords are nuts, but he's asking to be paid the current market value. So make your decision and stop complaining.

tweety1

Fri, Jul 01 2022, 5:58 pm

amother [ Foxglove ] wrote:

This. Do not pay the increase until you are satisfied with the new lease.
You cannot be evicted legally.

If your apartment isn't legal, they definitely cannot evict you in a legal way.

I agree with this. You can try to negotiate you pay more rent but ask for xyz..one example is to be able to have untill the 5th or 10th of the month to pay, pay the amount in payments each month.
But please please of its not a legal apartment do not take advantage of the fact that they can't evict you. Please be cordial.

amother

Fri, Jul 01 2022, 6:00 pm

I don't know if it's worth it to fight it if we stay and things are awkward. As of now they're really bad about fixing things as it is. We have a big hole in our ceiling since they had a leak pesach time that they still haven't fixed. So I'm scared if we try to fight it they'll help even less or not at all with problems... the place as it is is not in great condition. They place wasn't cleaned professionally before we moved in and the walls are dirtt and have holes in them...chuncks are missing from when the old tenants toom their mezuzahs..the laminate floor has hole and is warped from the leak over pesach.. I feel like if they took better care of us it wouldn't be as frustrating that they're raising so high, even though it's hard. We happen to be very nice tenants and asked them nicely to fix things and most of the time don't even bother asking since know they won't deal with it.. we are pretty laid back so I think they should be happy with us because most tenants would probably complain a lot me. They are pretty wild upstairs to the point that things fall down im our closet from the kids jumping above.
I am upset with how much of an increase at once but more upset the fact that they don't take care of the place and having new tenants will probably cost them a lot of money with all the repairs they'd need to make (ie fridge shelves, drawers and door are all broken from when we moved in, the stovetop has a lot of issues and only one side really works normal etc.)

amother

Fri, Jul 01 2022, 6:02 pm

Chayalle wrote:

Two questions:

Are you in a legal rental?

Does your previous lease specify a percent by which your rent can be raised?

Not legal and no...

amother

Cobalt

Fri, Jul 01 2022, 6:03 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Not legal and no...

So then your choice is either agree to it or move which remember moving costs money and apartments are way more now.

amother

Fri, Jul 01 2022, 6:07 pm

Do you think we could say can please fix xyz at least? Or they have too much power to just ignore since it's true we can't find anything for this price anyway.

amother

Pansy

Fri, Jul 01 2022, 6:07 pm

Well you can look around in the meantime and see what are your options .

amother

Pansy

Fri, Jul 01 2022, 6:09 pm

Crossposted
Well if you already know you can’t find anything for that price then seems you know what you are doing.
Hugs and hatzlacha

tweety1

Fri, Jul 01 2022, 6:09 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Some things you're mentioning here are bothering me. The dirty walls you say were there before you moved , holes; didn't you see that before you signed the lease? Before you moved in? If you did, and despite the fact you moved in I must tell you it's your problem by now. Right before moving you should've inspected it, and if it wasn't take care of you shouldn't have moved in. You would've prevailed then because your landlord would see that your not moving in untilll it's cleaned and holes are fixed. Now it's a little too late to complain about things that were done before moving in. Afterwards is whole different story though.

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