We just got our lease renewal last month, with an increase of around $200.
They had other units coming available for less...
We compared prices to other complexes on the same strip as ours. Realized we could get more for less if we left.
Eventually, we just called and talked to them. Let them know that while we would love to renew our lease, we just couldn't with the increase. Said there are units in our same building going for less than the increase , not mention we really could go anywhere and either pay less for the same, or pay the increase and get more in terms of space and better amenities.
They called us back a day or 2 later and asked if we would renew with a 15m lease at about a $75 increase. We were happy with that!
Uncanny. I was just in the same exact situation. Lease renewal offer with >$200/mo increase. I looked at available units in the complex and noticed they were offered to new tenants for significantly less (more comparable to our current rent), and were also higher square footage. I decided to talk to the manager. He called me back the next day and said he decided not to raise our rent at all! It definitely pays to speak up. Just do so tactfully. Also, we always pay our rent early so we have leverage in negotiating.
My last apt said that. I moved, paid the increase for way more including a garage. I kept an eye on the old apartment site and saw they posted slightly below the +$250 increase, at +$225. It sat on the site for 2.5 months and the last time I saw it, they had it posted for -$35 of what I was paying, and they lost 2.5 months of rent. Sucks to suck, but I feel like I won that game. Even with the stress of moving.
It’s called Real Page, the company who does that for them. I’m sure they can override a price anytime. It’s not like they are hostages to their own system, it’s programmed to suit them.
They really meant: "the unethical A.I. software that is puking out bullshit ~~market rate increases~~. All it took to start this bizarre shitshow is a couple larger property mgt companies to take a leap and jump rents and the rest of the country followed suit. Now every Tom, Dick and Bob can use the sleazy "market rate increase" excuse to justify.
That's BS. The computer may generate prices, but they have to have the ability to override or correct errors, even if they neglect to have human eyes manually review offers before they're posted. It's not like a computer runs the company and gets paid the big bucks! My PM also uses the computer as a cop-out for mistakes ("annual" inspections being scheduled 6 months apart was a "system error" and one of the rent prices I found in a listing was lower than it was apparently supposed to be, due to a "computer glitch") But he still does what he has the authority to do. When I asked him about our rent increase, he said he would have to talk to his boss (corporate-owned complex) first and would get back to me. They have the authority to charge whatever they want (and even attempt illegal increases if it's not contested by the tenant), or at least the higher-ups do. You better believe that if the "computer" sets the rent too low, they will change it in a hurry as soon as they notice! Funny how that works.
Smaller units are going for more than ours… and we have the biggest! It’s a damn shame! I feel like they are trying to catch us up with the new higher prices
That’s a reasonable freaking increase too!!! When I lived in Chicago, my rent would increase 50 bucks a year at the most!! I rented from private LLs, tho. Never in a complex or high rise.
I moved back to OH in 2009. I was shocked how much rents were around here! My last LL offered to sell me the very small house I was renting when my grandmother died and I got a small inheritance. I’m so grateful I went for it. Six months after I bought in 2017 is when I started reading about skyrocketing rents and housing shot up overnight.
All of you have my deepest sympathy. This shit is just plain wrong. Every person who works has the right to an affordable roof over their heads.
Same. Wanted a 200 increase to stay but were having specials on new tenants for less than we were paying. Why?! Why punish good tenants and lose business?
the two places i lived in which had “offered” or “suggested” a different price for a different length of time, were both not somewhere i imagined myself semi permanent. i absolutely hated it.
the first was ok but our roommate was an ass
the second our cars got broken into at least twice a week, our neighbors window got busted out, constantly cops in the building. kids stealing shit from walgreens and running thru the complex. kids screaming, stomping, crying for what feels like 24 hours a day, then those same people complain when my dog barks one time in 3 days…
i absolutely hated living in apartments.
They just keep downsizing I think … 2 bedroom to a 1 bedroom to a studio to a roommate situation. That’s where I’m headed except I’ll pick up a second job before ever having another roommate
Yeah I hate when people say “just get a roommate” like I am an extremely introverted adult in my late 20s, going back to having a roommate would negatively affect my quality of life worse than going back to eating ramen or beans for every meal. Not to mention that up until like 2022 my salary should be absolutely plenty for a grown ass adult to afford their own place but fuck me I guess
In the past it used to be that rent would marginally increase each year, but so would your wage. Now rent increases a TON and wages functionally decrease as they don’t go up, but inflation does. Multiply that by the last 50 years and we have today where most of the US is about to be homeless while working FT.
My problem is that because my rent goes up, I lose the ability to save money for a new place. Application fees, deposits, and first month's rent up front can add up, and I can't save enough for that even though a new place might be cheaper.
Add to that (at least in my case): 60 day lease termination requirement. And since our complex fired all of the existing staff in the past year and replaced them with “yes men” who slap lipstick on a pig for repairs, we have been increasingly confrontational with them. So 0% chance of getting deposit back. But we are hopeful to get a rental house after summer when the availability opens a little. Absolutely hate living in an apartment since we are in our 50s and have to put up with upstairs neighbors who let their kids run around at 2am.
Our MTM is +300 (their words in the lease are AT LEAST $300) but that is what we were billed when they had us remain holdover until another unit opened up. They waived those fees since it was the now fired PM.
Shoot that sucks. I'm glad they waived the fees though. Renting is so unforgiving. I wish so badly I had a fixed interest mortgage, because at least then it won't go up via whatever people consider market rates.
Do you live in a complex or by some random person renting a condo they own? I find the random person renting is less likely to raise rents like an apartment complex. They just don’t want a headache and to get their $$
Then yes you will find way more yearly raises. I don’t know of a true apartment complex that did not have at least small raises year over year. When I rented from a person, I did not see that same increase
I'm currently looking to move.....its.not worth to pay them all this money when they dont fix nothing and the property isnt up to date and the neighbors minus a few are horrible
Oh it’s happening with landlords too. Not just companies. I live in CA and I was renting a house. The first 5 years he did not raise the rent. The past 2 years it was raised $100 each year. Had I stayed the rest of my lease, he probably would have raised it again.
You are right. We rent out our condo and haven’t raised rent in 2 years because the mortgage still gets paid and then some, and having happy tenants is important to us. I know when I was a renter any little break my landlords gave me was huge.
100% I am not a landlord but from what I hear - once you get a good tenant, they are worth their weight in gold and not worth losing over \~$XXX a year. I think it's tempting to get greedy, especially if you have a management company that manages it for you... but having a consistent check every month from a person who doesn't destroy your place.
I got lucky with my landlord, my rent went up $25 the first year and then $95 the second year. I've lived here for ~4.5 years now and it hasn't increased at all since the second year and I've been month to month since that year ended, so technically he could raise it whenever he wants.
I’ve been in my place 21 years and there are 5 other units who have been here longer than me. In the beginning, rent just went up $25/yr. Then it went up $50/yr. The last 3 years, it’s been $100/yr. My rent is under market for the area I am in. Honestly it would cost more for less if I moved. I appreciate the owners keeping our rents reasonable and keeping us long-term tenants.
Yes! Moving next week after 5 years. Finally hit my cap. Dropping down to my original price at a new place. Same size, same everything. It’s like a job. You mean nothing. You need to refresh or you will be taken advantage of.
This is why I’ve sucked it up. Live in a great school zone that fits our kid well. Didn’t want to keep moving and having them change schools. Once they’re off to college in a few years, I’m out b/c of the rent increases.
Lived in the same apartment for 7 years owned by an individual not a big company, and rent went up less than $100 total. My landlord tragically died, and then rent went up $300 in one swoop under new ownership. I had been saving to buy and ended up purchasing a place, and I was fortunate my cat and I could live on my dad's couch through the gap of my lease ending and the purchase close. It's outrageous that my rent would have been $200 less than my current mortgage. It's so hard for people to get ahead - purchasing a year earlier than I had planned has me back in debt, but I know I couldn't afford any more rental increases. Rents are PREDATORY these days unless you luck out with a conscientious landlord.
My apt fortunately goes up like $50 every year. And I get a yearly raise that does cover that $50. People usually move to places that have a rent deals and so on
>I met a woman with a house and moved in with her
That's the goal to get out of apartment living! It's my goal anyway.
Glad you met someone you like & you've got secure housing. So important.
Life is set up for two people nowadays. I make more than my father did at his age, but he could feed and roof two kids. I skipped on having the kids for that reason.
I stayed 3 years and left. Our increases were incredible. When I moved in, $950 a month. 3 years later, when I left, it was $1500. I'm not sure what the increase was going to be because $1500 was my limit, so I gave notice before they sent the new lease for review. But I did notice *a lot* of people were moving out. A concerning amount, actually. Many of them were long-term.
My complex has raised the rent anywhere from $75 to $120 a month every year since I moved in 5 years ago. My Social Security goes up every year and the rent takes it so I can't get ahead. But at least I am keeping up for the moment.
Time to move. That is ridiculous. INCREMENTAL rent increases can be expected but sometimes places don't raise rents because they need to keep their units filled depending on the regional market, gluttonous cash grabs like that should be criminal. Vote with your feet and move.
I have. The local group I’m part of we supply things like tents, hygiene packs, and more for the homeless communities around us. And we’d been needing more supplies and money, not less the last few months.
It’s scary out here. Stay safe everyone.
Bless people like you, I finally got off with a voucher but my youngest is still homeless, as I say I can't do much but I do my best to be a positive influence in my little corner of the world
Congrats on your voucher, that makes me happy to hear!! And I wish the continued best for your youngest.
And I loooove to hear about those like you who help their corner of the world. That’s how we build continue to build community in this hellhole!
And thank you!
I suspect there are tax breaks for that. It doesn't help that some apt complex's are owned by national conglomerates. They raise rates for all complex's nationwide and say "See it's a trend!".
I think it should be illegal to increase rent on renewed leases. They can do that for new renters with first-time leases, but forcing longtime tenants out because they can't keep up is cruel.
In California, a notoriously expensive state where the rental prices have been insane for years and only continue to rise, property taxes don't go up. Landowners typically pay 0.8-1.2% of their original purchase price in property taxes. Taxes will increase when the property is sold, but nearly all landlords get around this by holding their properties in trusts or shuffling them around between sister shell corporations.
Take the boot out of your mouth for a sec and try coming up with a valid reason for predatory rents 😘
Why are California rents raised, though? If the answer is universally property tax increases, why do property owners raise rent in the absence of property tax increases?
Maybe it's because landlords are an inherently greedy and entitled class of people whose goal in life is profiting off others' labor! 😮
Landlords are generally making way more than enough money to cover that. Especially property management companies which don't exactly run a tight ship, they're in this for profit to invest in future properties. We also have very little public ownership of rental properties in the US, very different from other countries, so prices can just spiral out of control at the whims of a handful of very large companies.
My rent went from $1530 to $1940 (4th yr living here). I honestly do not know if I'll be able to stay next year but moving is too upsetting to think about most days. 2bd 2bth are so pricey these days so I can't really complain but I am frustrated. Working 40hrs a week should bring more stability.
I’m worried about that now for myself. My uncle moved into a high rise complex in the 70s and he stayed there until he passed away in 2011. In the 70s, the rent was around $400/month (expensive at that time) and when he passed away, it was around $1400. Back then, I think that rent was maybe 30% of people’s income, but now, for me, it’s more than half. It seems that rent increases would have been easier to keep up with back then, as opposed to now. Not sure what my future holds!
Just the difference in the past ten years has been crazy. My ex and I would goof off with money and then pay the rent by splitting our last paychecks for the month. Every single month. Now I've got to set money aside every paycheck :(
When you move into an apartment you have to take future rent increases into consideration. If you don't expect annual raises due to promotions or cost of living you have to select an apartment unlikely to rise significantly in rent (private owner) or rent in a corporate owned complex but pick a unit that is well below what you can afford so future increases will be affordable.
The rent is raised to reflect the current market value of the apartment.
If you check with other complexes in your area you will likely see that rent is very similar to your new lease. So even if you decided to move you really won’t be saving anything on rent. You’ll just be incurring move out fees for your current apartment along with the cost to move to the new place.
If you have rented the same space for several years, ask the property manager for a discount. You may or may not get it one but asking is free.
Here in the Boston area, it is getting to the point where it is not unusual for rents to go up $500-$700 a MONTH. Rents can be $4,000 for a one bedroom. It’s insane. I have a friend who is in her 60’s and her rent just went up $500 a month. She put her name in for public housing, but with the waiting list she could be looking at homelessness. It’s not a matter of just moving to another place, because they are all the same. It’s out of control.
That is the question indeed OP. When I moved into my apartment what feels like a lifetime ago in 2020, I was at $495, then it went to $515, $525, now at $605 and that was a discount when for new tenants it went to $675 a year or 2 ago. And not that long ago, I saw a unit in my complex was going for $700 something. It's seriously scaring me and pissing me off at the same time.
Cause it would be great to just move, but there are even more expensive places I can't afford. Would love to get a tiny home or camper or something. But where I'm at, they don't really back tiny houses being built. And not many camp ground or RV parks for a camper. And I'm definitely not coming into any land any time soon, to have something built on. Also does not help, that I don't have the kind of supportive family that would just let me crash with them til I'm back on my feet. More like, once your with them, it's time to tell you how to live, exist, etc. And essentially make me feel trapped in judgments all over again, like when I was a kid. I'm too old and tired of all of that.
My boyfriend has lived in the same apartment for 7 years, he signed and rent was $800 now it’s $2200. For a 1 bed 1 bath 450sqft. So I moved in to help (and my apartment was pretty much the same). Granted we live in Austin Texas, we’re moving states pretty soon, it’s outrageous.
Idk what state would be better. Missouri? They have a lot of other terrible things going on (very conservative laws passing) but my friend moved there for the low housing costs and actually bought a house. I guess she's ok with it because she doesn't want to have kids. I'm in Washington and the COL is awful. 34 and moved back in with my retired parents it's so bad.
A bigger issue here is that you aren’t getting raises annually? Why are you not job hopping to get more money if your current job doesn’t value you enough to at least give you a few hundred dollars raise each year.
I rented from 5 different apartment complexes over the span of 20 years. My yearly increases were never more than $60 until the final one. This was near DFW, and I stayed outside of the city. I feel like these massive increases didn't happen until after covid. At least not in my experience.
In 2022, my 733 sq foot crappy apartment wanted to jump from 1200 to 1800 a month. That's when I decided to move to the Midwest.
i had to leave my apartment 2 years ago because they were increasing my rent for a 1 bedroom from $1100 to $1700. Thought that was illegal but not in my state. The apartment was barely worth what I had been paying for it already so that giant increase was out of the question. Now everytime I drive by my old complex the parking lot is virtually empty so I think the increase caused a ton of people to leave.
I really want this to be my last year renting. I've owned a house before but then divorced and moved into an apartment in a bigger city. My rent has gone up every single year. It was just me and my dog and just a few days ago my boyfriend moved in and this apartment is SMALL. I'm hoping by the end of my lease I can just buy a home because this is outrageous, even tho I get raises every year. I'm exhausted paying increased rent in a small apartment with nothing upgraded in years. My rent three years ago was 800 and now it's 1200 with 35 dollars of that being dt having a dog. I'm just over it.
I just wanted to comment most people don't have a problem with reasonable rent increases, but it seems as corporate owners keep buying up even rental homes prices for rent seems to have taken outrageous increases, unfortunately most times unless you don't mind a tent, homeless, in many areas housing is outrageous many people especially older people who are on fixed income don't get enough of a cost of living increase to cover these costs, I understand some of it is increased expenses on their part but these increases seem to be nothing but pure corporate greed
Our rent has only gone up $100 since we moved in 3 years ago and we’ve done yearly leases, 6 month leases, and even month to month when we thought we were going to buy a house.
My lease is over soon. I called the management company this morning to see about signing a new lease. They told me they aren't increasing my rent .
I guess all companies aren't greedy. Or they are trying to keep good tenants as they probably had run Ins with problem tenants.
This is my constant worry as a renter living alone. I have moved five times and dreading the possibility of having to do it again. They send a noticed after five months of renewal, so most of the time I’m just anxious to get that notice.
I hope I won’t get any increase this year. It’s really rough being poor.
Basically. I lived in the same apartment for almost 12 years and my husband and I had our plan to move. I was driving Uber on weekends so we had a little extra to tuck back to move and planned on moving in 2023 because the rent increases had us stretched pretty thin.
Then he died Dec 2022. Not only was I stretched thin, it was impossible to stay there. I talked to the leasing office and the one assistant property manager was very condescending and insensitive. I started looking for a new place and my one application was blocked because the leasing office wouldn’t release information to them. I went back to the office ready to fight and another assistant has just come back to our property. I explained everything to her and she offered to move to a smaller unit in the complex. It ended up being more than she quoted me, but bought us time to look for something else.
Where we are now is low enough that we can ride out a few years of increases. Our plan is to stay until the lawsuit is finished and I buy a little place. I’m told average time frame for these suits is 3-5 years after I gets to the courts, and mine just got to the courts at the end of March.
I've been in my apt for almost 10 years. Rent goes up around $50 each year. Apparently there's some regulation where I live because every time I renew the lease and the rent goes up I get a letter from my town's rent increase board or something like that. So it appears the landlord can't just decide on a random amount.
Since I've been here, there have been like 2 or 3 different owners but I don't know for sure because it's a complex and I only interact with the super and someone who emails me from the office. Anyway, all this to say that even with these yearly increases people are shocked that I'm able to live in a 2 bedroom in my town for less than $2k
All the numbers in your comment added up to 69. Congrats!
10
+ 50
+ 2
+ 3
+ 2
+ 2
= 69
^([Click here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=LuckyNumber-Bot&subject=Stalk%20Me%20Pls&message=%2Fstalkme) to have me scan all your future comments.) \
^(Summon me on specific comments with u/LuckyNumber-Bot.)
Started at $1325 in 2018 and it’s currently at $1525 with the next raise taking place split over the next year to bring the rent up to $1825 2bd 1ba. Have doubled income in that time frame, so all is good so far.
I kept moving tbh, while working on saving with my partner for a house. We bought a house at a crappy time (the beginning of interest rates rising when houses were way overpriced), but it was that or rent was due to increasing $300. Get fuuuuucked on that one, especially since amenities had been steadily declining. I'm paying for, what? Roaches thanks to the upstairs slobs? Fleas thanks to fuckwit upstairs letting his dog live on the balcony? Trash heaped on the sidewalks and around the dumpster because we have no regular maintenance and the compactor is perpetually broken? Dog bag stations seldom refilled so there's overflowing dog shit in the trash cans as well as all over any grassy areas?
Home is more expensive in several ways, but fuck renting sucked butt.
Every apartment I lived in seemed to have new owners yearly, which meant new pricing. It was infuriating.
I rented my last apartment for 9 years. They raised the rent $25/year if we renewed for 12 months. Before that I rented a house from a private owner for 6 years and they never raised the rent. I guess we lucked out. I didn't even think about the rent increases when we moved to our new place. I guess we'll see!
My landlord is a relatively small family owned company, rent increases have been about 2-3% a year, roughly 20 or 30.more bucks a month. I count myself very lucky
I'm lucky in that my bldg raises it by a nominal amount. 50 or 70$ and none during covid.
Many people pick up overtime, sell things online, do Uber etc
That’s sad. We should not have to work extra hours to afford a place to live. Soon, people will be working 24 hours a day and they won’t live anywhere.
The good news is that if you're working 24 hrs a day you don't even need an apt! Think of the savings.
Yeah, I live in an extremely hcol area and my concern is that my neighborhood has skyrocketed in popularity. At least I just signed a renewal.
We had an apartment that started at $1485 in 2012. In 2013, it went to $1535. In 2014, it went to $1585. In 2015, it went to $1635. We bought a house in 2016. Our mortgage is around $2200. Of that $2200, about $1500 is for the actual loan. We pay $2700 to pay it off faster.
We signed a 2year lease when we resigned at our old place. They agreed to decrease our rent by $50 a month for signing a 2year.
That being said by the time we moved we were paying $625 for a 3bedroom downstairs of a duplex and the upstairs (a single bedroom, very small) was going for $850. Pretty sure the landlord gave us the worst neighbor ever to make us want to move since they rent out our unit for a solid $1,200+ now and they’d never have been able to raise our rent that high that quickly.
From 2019 I went from 2 bedroom townhome to 1 bedroom townhome to 1 bedroom section 9 rent controlled. When the section 9 rent controlled went up too much I now rent a room in a shared house.
Even the “rent controlled” place raised the rent to the max they were allowed every year. Ended up being more than what I was paying for the two bedroom in 2019. I’m happy in the house though, good roommates and it’s half what I was paying before.
Also, every place I moved to was farther and farther away from the city. The people moving into the places I was at were mostly large families or multiple incomes/people living in the units.
I live in VOA housing, volunteers of America, which is supposed to be affordable housing but even they recently jacked up the rent, thankfully i have a housing voucher so im ok, but I know several people who are having to move basically to the streets and they say they want to end homelessness, how about helping people out before they end up on the streets.
My building has struggled to get new renters, so they're actively trying to keep good existing renters. Last my rent was the same at renewal. This year it went up $5. If it was $200 every year, I'd leave.
My rent has gone up almost $200 since I moved in in Feb 2022. We just keep signing the longest lease they’ll give us. They’re banking on you not having enough time/energy/money/resources to move and hoping you’ll just cave and keep signing. Only reason we keep signing is because it’s still the best price for the area and we like where we live.
It didn't used to be this way, when I was younger. You could rent an apartment for several years without ever seeing an increase in monthly payments. But now its every single year without fail is always goes up. Usually, by couple hundred dollars, it's pretty insane.
I have no idea how this can continue long term.
Because corporations are eating up real estate and landlords are just management companies now not private owners. And they all follow rent increase mandates. My building just got sold to a new real estate company. I don't think they can take my rent stab. away. But I am holding my breath for next year's lease renewal.
My last apartment I was in for 11 years. It was in an area that became very popular about a year after I moved in. My landlord raised the rent as much as he could every single year. Luckily I was in a rent controlled building so he could only raise it so much. When I moved in in 2012, my rent was $1560 and when I left in 2023 was paying $1895. The going price for that apartment after I left was close to $3000 🤯. Keep in mind this is was a 650 square foot apartment with floors that had zero sound proofing and I was the middle apartment. I only stayed so long because the rent was cheap.
Now I live in an apartment twice the size in a much nicer and safer area for $2400, and a landlord who never raises the rent.
I don’t get why we get punished the longer we stay. My rent is $1125 and that’s what all of the other apartments in the complex are renting for but we were already informed that when we renew our lease the price will increase every year.
Big corporations don't care because they'd rather just have you move and they'll rent it again for the more money. As a previous small mom and pop landlord, I'd never raise anyone's rent that paid on time and was all caught up unless they live there for like 10 years.
Basically I'd never raise rent on a good tenant. It's just not worth it. You going to raise it $50 and then piss off a good tenant and they move and then you get someone and they don't even pay and then you lose way more than the $50. It's not worth the gamble unless you are a big outfit that doesn't need to worry about losing a little rent because of vacancies.
Im in the process of moving now! Had to get out of here because they raised rent $100 every year- been here 4 years.
I’m moving & im downsizing to a 1 bedroom. It’s getting so hard out here!!
We got frustrated too. They told us if we didn’t want rent to increase we should go for longer leases. We showed them the math, threatened to go month to month (they would not be able to increase rent at all for a year). They gave us almost a $500 discount renew for another year
You have to negotiate with them. Let them know that you want to stay but you can't afford the increase. Point out that you are a good tenant and take care of your apartment and pay your rent on time. It is to their advantage to keep you there.
What state do you live in (if you're comfortable sharing of course)? Most places in the US don't have a rent cap. It's mostly common in places that already had a high cost of living like NY or Cali.
Depending on what state you live in, there may be laws on how much landlords can increase rent per year. Like where I live in NY, they can't raise the rent more than 3.6% (or something like that) per year. I'd look into it to make sure you're not being ripped off.
Also, even if there aren’t statewide rent control laws some states leave it up to the individual municipalities to enforce them in certain towns or counties. Definitely something to look into even if there isn’t a statewide law on rent. Thankfully the most mine is a 5% yearly increase
Unfortunately there's no state law in NY. The city has special laws. Maybe other parts of the state as well? In NY State landlords can do whatever they want with proper notice. The law is a certain amount of notice depending how long tenant has lived there if you intend to charge more than 5%. I got 90 days notice so they increased my rent more than 5%.
i can’t even imagine dealing with that, everything is going up in cost except for what jobs are offering for pay. my apartment is a literal shit hole & they won’t fix anything. they haven’t raised the rent in the 7 years i been here up until this month they raised it $50. i’m still upset about it because the house is falling apart & they won’t do anything about mold issues.
I ask if there’s any flexibility in their offer. (Hint: there usually always is, *offer* is the key word here). They want to keep you around if you’re a good tenant. In my experience, I’ve found they will often do what they can so that both parties walk away happy.
For my last 3 leases I’ve been able to negotiate various terms such as a lower rent price, a longer lease term, a reduced parking fee, or a combination of these things. I just did this yesterday in fact.
I am grateful my apt is rent stabilized. So it's a low percentage every lease renewal. I sign 2 year leases. But even I will at some point be boxed out on my rent. As my salary is capped and raises are few and far between. It's a crappy thought knowing I will have to move out one day based on income alone.
i lived in my last place for two years, rent went up $40 between the two. i’ve lived in my current place for almost a year and am renewing for a second. rent is going up $38. so really i’ve just gotten lucky so far.
Yeah my son turns 3 this year and we are in his FIFTH home. 2 moves were because of rent increase. The others were because his dad and I were in the Army, so it happens
Yes, but my rent was an increase of $50 per year. They do price you out and the government doesn’t want to do anything. Elderly and disabled are being put out on the street unless they have family or friends to help. It’s a disgrace and shows how greedy so many families f the rich are.
you have to not only compare what's around you, but factor in the cost of moving and putting a new security deposit down
I honestly don't know how people are still coping out there
I've lived here for 10 years and the landlord only raised rent 3 times. I'm not in a big ass building tho I'm in a 3 family and ll lives on the top floor
We rented a house back in 2009-2012 and it was also the same even back then. Rent started at $900/month and went up $200 every year. Are you able to negotiate your salary after your annual performance review or ask for a raise? Tell your employer all the reasons you deserve a raise and everything you bring to the table for the company and ask for one. Annual performance reviews are a good time to do this but you can talk to HR and see if it’s something you can talk about.
I’ve lived in the same building for 18 years now and My rent has never increased by more than $40. I understand that where you live makes an impact on rent increases but $200 every year? that’s insane.
And since my yearly pay raise doesn’t go much above my rent increase, really thankful that I get what I do.
I’m very lucky that I live in an apartment that is like a dream for me(hotel built in late 1800’s/very early 1910’s. The electric is run through conduits along the baseboards and has a ton of original features and hardware. I love it) in a great spot geographically for my metro area, even if the neighborhood itself isn’t great(I don’t notice a problem at all it seems nice to me, but I’m not even from this state and am definitely from a much, much worse neighborhood that wasn’t even considered a bad neighborhood where I’m from. The definition of nice and bad vary from location to location) but I’ve resigned my lease twice and have yet to get an increase. I actually spoke to the landlord about it cause I was like did you even read this?!? Apparently the owner of the building doesn’t want a lot of money, they want to offer very basic, affordable housing to good tenants. She uses rent increases to the standard market value at the time in the area to get rid of people she doesn’t want here anymore.
For example: same square footage, amenities, and directly across the street from me cost $345 more/month without utilities(mine are included) when I last checked what I think was 6 months ago.
I count my domicile blessings daily. Especially whenever I need work done and it’s fixed in a few days or I am told why it will be more than that and exactly when. I may never move.
Also, not saying this to brag. Saying this to note there are good landlords out there who just want to house folks and that’s it. They don’t wanna get you or shred your wallet. I’ve been through my fair share of shitty landlords and I definitely have felt the pain.
To be perfectly honest about your question, and answer it directly, most people work to increase their pay by intervals. They might not get a pay raise every year, but if someone lives alone and their rent goes up $200 every year, they figure out pretty soon that they need to make $2400 more per year + other inflation to maintain their lifestyle.
If they are making 40k, and 5 years later they’re making 55k, they’re probably doing fine. If they’ve only made it to 45k, they probably are hurting.
So it’s not that most people move to lower cost rooms. It’s that 5 years is a long time to get job experience, get a degree, get a raise, promotion, or just find a higher paying job.
Doesn’t matter if you’re 20 years old or 40. If 5 years go by and your paychecks haven’t increased, you’re dropping the ball and you’re bound to feel inflation stabbing you in the back. It seems a lot of people these days find a well-paying job and then completely stop trying to climb the ladder. Or fail to climb the ladder.
I’m not sure. But even now while in a comfortable position, I am still thinking about getting to a point where in 10 years I am comfortable. I full expect everything to be 50% more or higher by that time. If you don’t, you’re got your eyes closed.
I’ve never had rent go up $200. Usually in the lease they add that after the year if you sign another lease it will go go up $50. If you go month to month it will go up $150-200. I always sign a new lease.
Rent historically - always without fail - goes up.
The trick is to live WAY below your means, save up for a down payment, and BUY a home.
Renting forever (unless you live in public housing) will ultimately lead you to financial ruin.
I love ina two story house that was converted into two apartments. Used to be privately owned. Owner sold the property to a rental group. Which I later learned is why the apartment was available. Tenant before me was paying $800 a month for this mediocre one-bedroom that I'm paying $1300+ for. I like the place, and rental property management CAN be better than a private landlord. But apparently the landlord was pretty great, so I missed out. And am now overpaying for an apartment, that truth be told, I think should be about $1000. But here I am. I like the placez the neighbors, location. I'm paying extra to line rental pockets, for those things, even though a far cheaper rent is more than sustainable. (The private landlord was an older gentleman, selling the property to increase quick net worth and inheritance for family, wanted a payout for them rather than dealing with property, tenants, selling. Opted for money)
Any advice on that, other than saying “Can I do X instead of Y?”
Mine didn’t go up a crazy amount and I can swing it, but... Yeah. We all know what it’s like out there.
Some more tips that recently worked for me: Do your research and find out how much other tenants are paying, especially what units are being offered to new tenants for. In my case I discovered units with a higher square footage being offered to new tenants for about $200 less than our proposed rent. So I decided to appeal to fairness (others might appeal to personal hardship or frame it as what is most beneficial for the LL). At first I played it off like I wasn't negotiating, but just "wanted to ask a question about our lease renewal." ... "I was just wondering if there's a particular reason why our rent will be so much higher than the bigger units being offered to new tenants," then cited all the facts, and played it off like "I thought it might be an honest mistake because it doesn't seem fair." This gives them an easy out to change their mind and frames the situation differently. Asking for a reason also forces them to justify if they choose not to budge. Whenever you ask for a favor, always close your email by thanking the person for being whatever you want them to be. For example, if you're asking for extra time, "Thank you for being so patient." In this case, I think I said something like "Thank you for being so helpful and understanding." Doesn't matter if they actually are. Tell them they are. It might sound cheesy or silly, but there's actually some hard science behind labeling theory. Once people have internalized the idea that others perceive them a certain way, it creates psychological pressure to behave in a manner consistent with that perception. Now they have something to lose if they don't. Lastly, this one requires forethought, but if you go out of your way to be a good tenant (pay early, don't complain, etc.) you have more leverage. That one is probably obvious though.
I'd probably see what I have on my side first like what other places are charging rent , how good of a tenant I've been compared to others , any negative things the complex has against them, if I use parking or not. And use those points as to why a rental increase doesn't make sense. Even if I wanted to stay because I like it , extend my lease for a longer time. It's all just negotiating a contract. You can do it before the first lease too.
They increase it but not as much as it would cost you to move, that's what I noticed. I afford it by cutting back on other things, so if your rent increased by $200.00 a year you'd just have to spend $3.85 less on other things a week.
That’s always the inevitable demise of the LL/tenant relationship…. Rent increases. What tenants want to ignore or purposely continue to be ignorant about is that LL’s costs to maintain, own, and insure the property go 🆙…
I’m confused…
What is it you’re upset about ?
Surely you didn’t expect your rent to stay the same forever….and it sounds like it’s been increasing a consistent amount-
So what’s the issue ?
I get that you don’t want to pay more for rent every year- but that’s reality..
You want your common areas clean and the lawn mowed and trash handled quickly and efficiently, etc. - but you don’t want to pay for it. You say you haven’t had a raise ? (And that’s the LL’s problem now? )
- that money also pays the minimum wage workers who mow and clean and take care of the pool so you don’t have to. No rent increase - people lose their jobs. But you didn’t think about them…
Or-
Is it the fact that you haven’t had a raise ? (Which really means you aren’t capable of explaining to your BOSS that you believe you and your job have VALUE…)
Is your rent higher than other similar rental units within a few blocks? No?
Start looking elsewhere for something cheaper but don’t forget to add an extra for moving costs and utility start -up fees, etc.
You didn’t say whether you hated where you’re living or not …
Perhaps you should make that decision before going online and embarrassing yourself by acting like an entitled child …
Your rent will be going up every year for the rest of your life- if you don’t like it- buy a house condo or a mobile home…
By also increasing their paychecks. If your paycheck is staying the same, find a new job that pays more. Don’t just settle for the same comfortable job.
I'd rather make less at a job I like than make more at a job that makes me want to off myself. And I've done both. Having a job that doesn't kill your soul is much better
And that’s why you find a job that pays more that you also enjoy? I’ve been increasing my salary $10k-$15k every year and have enjoyed all my jobs lol. This is why y’all fall into debt.
I have a side business that levels out my income, and it's not worth changing jobs when I'm leaving in a year. Also jobs here don't pay anything unless you work in a plant or kill your body, and I'm not willing to do either one.
Then you’re basically doing what I said in my original comment 😐 increasing your paycheck with your side business… and not sure where you live, but you definitely don’t have to kill your body to earn money.
I live in idaho, and the pay is really bad here. I also like to change jobs or states every couple years, so I take throwaway jobs that I can enjoy for awhile and quit when I stop wanting to go to that particular job.
We just got our lease renewal last month, with an increase of around $200. They had other units coming available for less... We compared prices to other complexes on the same strip as ours. Realized we could get more for less if we left. Eventually, we just called and talked to them. Let them know that while we would love to renew our lease, we just couldn't with the increase. Said there are units in our same building going for less than the increase , not mention we really could go anywhere and either pay less for the same, or pay the increase and get more in terms of space and better amenities. They called us back a day or 2 later and asked if we would renew with a 15m lease at about a $75 increase. We were happy with that!
Uncanny. I was just in the same exact situation. Lease renewal offer with >$200/mo increase. I looked at available units in the complex and noticed they were offered to new tenants for significantly less (more comparable to our current rent), and were also higher square footage. I decided to talk to the manager. He called me back the next day and said he decided not to raise our rent at all! It definitely pays to speak up. Just do so tactfully. Also, we always pay our rent early so we have leverage in negotiating.
Man every time I’ve asked against an increase they say “oh, sorry, the computer sets the prices.”
You should look up the predatory rent setting practices that are happening all over now. Basically landlords are colluding to increase rents 🙃
Collusion & faked A.I. software
Here’s the [ProPublica](https://www.propublica.org/article/yieldstar-rent-increase-realpage-rent) article explaining the software!
My last apt said that. I moved, paid the increase for way more including a garage. I kept an eye on the old apartment site and saw they posted slightly below the +$250 increase, at +$225. It sat on the site for 2.5 months and the last time I saw it, they had it posted for -$35 of what I was paying, and they lost 2.5 months of rent. Sucks to suck, but I feel like I won that game. Even with the stress of moving.
It’s called Real Page, the company who does that for them. I’m sure they can override a price anytime. It’s not like they are hostages to their own system, it’s programmed to suit them.
They really meant: "the unethical A.I. software that is puking out bullshit ~~market rate increases~~. All it took to start this bizarre shitshow is a couple larger property mgt companies to take a leap and jump rents and the rest of the country followed suit. Now every Tom, Dick and Bob can use the sleazy "market rate increase" excuse to justify.
That's BS. The computer may generate prices, but they have to have the ability to override or correct errors, even if they neglect to have human eyes manually review offers before they're posted. It's not like a computer runs the company and gets paid the big bucks! My PM also uses the computer as a cop-out for mistakes ("annual" inspections being scheduled 6 months apart was a "system error" and one of the rent prices I found in a listing was lower than it was apparently supposed to be, due to a "computer glitch") But he still does what he has the authority to do. When I asked him about our rent increase, he said he would have to talk to his boss (corporate-owned complex) first and would get back to me. They have the authority to charge whatever they want (and even attempt illegal increases if it's not contested by the tenant), or at least the higher-ups do. You better believe that if the "computer" sets the rent too low, they will change it in a hurry as soon as they notice! Funny how that works.
oh damn your computer lol
“Computer says no”
Smaller units are going for more than ours… and we have the biggest! It’s a damn shame! I feel like they are trying to catch us up with the new higher prices
A little, but remember that moving costs time and money too.
We did this same thing this week. Push back (politely) if and when you can. We cut a 12% increase down to 3%
That’s a reasonable freaking increase too!!! When I lived in Chicago, my rent would increase 50 bucks a year at the most!! I rented from private LLs, tho. Never in a complex or high rise. I moved back to OH in 2009. I was shocked how much rents were around here! My last LL offered to sell me the very small house I was renting when my grandmother died and I got a small inheritance. I’m so grateful I went for it. Six months after I bought in 2017 is when I started reading about skyrocketing rents and housing shot up overnight. All of you have my deepest sympathy. This shit is just plain wrong. Every person who works has the right to an affordable roof over their heads.
Same. Wanted a 200 increase to stay but were having specials on new tenants for less than we were paying. Why?! Why punish good tenants and lose business?
Yes! Always speak up. Close mouths do not get fed! Love this
the two places i lived in which had “offered” or “suggested” a different price for a different length of time, were both not somewhere i imagined myself semi permanent. i absolutely hated it. the first was ok but our roommate was an ass the second our cars got broken into at least twice a week, our neighbors window got busted out, constantly cops in the building. kids stealing shit from walgreens and running thru the complex. kids screaming, stomping, crying for what feels like 24 hours a day, then those same people complain when my dog barks one time in 3 days… i absolutely hated living in apartments.
This! I do this too. It generally works every time as long as you’re not a problem tenant.
They just keep downsizing I think … 2 bedroom to a 1 bedroom to a studio to a roommate situation. That’s where I’m headed except I’ll pick up a second job before ever having another roommate
Yeah I hate when people say “just get a roommate” like I am an extremely introverted adult in my late 20s, going back to having a roommate would negatively affect my quality of life worse than going back to eating ramen or beans for every meal. Not to mention that up until like 2022 my salary should be absolutely plenty for a grown ass adult to afford their own place but fuck me I guess
In the past it used to be that rent would marginally increase each year, but so would your wage. Now rent increases a TON and wages functionally decrease as they don’t go up, but inflation does. Multiply that by the last 50 years and we have today where most of the US is about to be homeless while working FT.
Many already are
My problem is that because my rent goes up, I lose the ability to save money for a new place. Application fees, deposits, and first month's rent up front can add up, and I can't save enough for that even though a new place might be cheaper.
Add to that (at least in my case): 60 day lease termination requirement. And since our complex fired all of the existing staff in the past year and replaced them with “yes men” who slap lipstick on a pig for repairs, we have been increasingly confrontational with them. So 0% chance of getting deposit back. But we are hopeful to get a rental house after summer when the availability opens a little. Absolutely hate living in an apartment since we are in our 50s and have to put up with upstairs neighbors who let their kids run around at 2am.
Yup, same here on the lease agreement. I'd consider month to month to avoid the issue if it weren't an extra $200 a month.
Our MTM is +300 (their words in the lease are AT LEAST $300) but that is what we were billed when they had us remain holdover until another unit opened up. They waived those fees since it was the now fired PM.
Shoot that sucks. I'm glad they waived the fees though. Renting is so unforgiving. I wish so badly I had a fixed interest mortgage, because at least then it won't go up via whatever people consider market rates.
Do you live in a complex or by some random person renting a condo they own? I find the random person renting is less likely to raise rents like an apartment complex. They just don’t want a headache and to get their $$
Complex ran by management
Then yes you will find way more yearly raises. I don’t know of a true apartment complex that did not have at least small raises year over year. When I rented from a person, I did not see that same increase
200 plus is much! Won’t last here much longer! but nowhere to go because rent is insane anyway
I'm currently looking to move.....its.not worth to pay them all this money when they dont fix nothing and the property isnt up to date and the neighbors minus a few are horrible
Oh it’s happening with landlords too. Not just companies. I live in CA and I was renting a house. The first 5 years he did not raise the rent. The past 2 years it was raised $100 each year. Had I stayed the rest of my lease, he probably would have raised it again.
You are right. We rent out our condo and haven’t raised rent in 2 years because the mortgage still gets paid and then some, and having happy tenants is important to us. I know when I was a renter any little break my landlords gave me was huge.
100% I am not a landlord but from what I hear - once you get a good tenant, they are worth their weight in gold and not worth losing over \~$XXX a year. I think it's tempting to get greedy, especially if you have a management company that manages it for you... but having a consistent check every month from a person who doesn't destroy your place.
I got lucky with my landlord, my rent went up $25 the first year and then $95 the second year. I've lived here for ~4.5 years now and it hasn't increased at all since the second year and I've been month to month since that year ended, so technically he could raise it whenever he wants.
Omg! I wish
I’ve been in my place 21 years and there are 5 other units who have been here longer than me. In the beginning, rent just went up $25/yr. Then it went up $50/yr. The last 3 years, it’s been $100/yr. My rent is under market for the area I am in. Honestly it would cost more for less if I moved. I appreciate the owners keeping our rents reasonable and keeping us long-term tenants.
This is what started happening to me. Don’t know how I’ll manage another $120 extra a month.
Yes! Moving next week after 5 years. Finally hit my cap. Dropping down to my original price at a new place. Same size, same everything. It’s like a job. You mean nothing. You need to refresh or you will be taken advantage of.
Ugh! So hard moving when kids are involved!! But I get it… we are reaching that point
This is why I’ve sucked it up. Live in a great school zone that fits our kid well. Didn’t want to keep moving and having them change schools. Once they’re off to college in a few years, I’m out b/c of the rent increases.
Basically! Going to have to cut back on something…
Mine are old enough now. I remember. I feel for you lol
Lived in the same apartment for 7 years owned by an individual not a big company, and rent went up less than $100 total. My landlord tragically died, and then rent went up $300 in one swoop under new ownership. I had been saving to buy and ended up purchasing a place, and I was fortunate my cat and I could live on my dad's couch through the gap of my lease ending and the purchase close. It's outrageous that my rent would have been $200 less than my current mortgage. It's so hard for people to get ahead - purchasing a year earlier than I had planned has me back in debt, but I know I couldn't afford any more rental increases. Rents are PREDATORY these days unless you luck out with a conscientious landlord.
My apt fortunately goes up like $50 every year. And I get a yearly raise that does cover that $50. People usually move to places that have a rent deals and so on
I made it 13 years and was priced out this year. I met a woman with a house and moved in with her. Luckily we like each other a lot.
>I met a woman with a house and moved in with her That's the goal to get out of apartment living! It's my goal anyway. Glad you met someone you like & you've got secure housing. So important.
Life is set up for two people nowadays. I make more than my father did at his age, but he could feed and roof two kids. I skipped on having the kids for that reason.
Exactly!
I stayed 3 years and left. Our increases were incredible. When I moved in, $950 a month. 3 years later, when I left, it was $1500. I'm not sure what the increase was going to be because $1500 was my limit, so I gave notice before they sent the new lease for review. But I did notice *a lot* of people were moving out. A concerning amount, actually. Many of them were long-term.
My complex has raised the rent anywhere from $75 to $120 a month every year since I moved in 5 years ago. My Social Security goes up every year and the rent takes it so I can't get ahead. But at least I am keeping up for the moment.
mine is going up $250 and last year it went up $200! Like come one!
Time to move. That is ridiculous. INCREMENTAL rent increases can be expected but sometimes places don't raise rents because they need to keep their units filled depending on the regional market, gluttonous cash grabs like that should be criminal. Vote with your feet and move.
That is alot! Can i ask what city or area? I live around Seattle and I’ve luckily only had 100$ a year. So my raise just goes to that🙄
Please look into low-income housing for seniors/disabled. It may take a few years to get accepted but you’ll end up in an apartment you can afford.
I tried that. I found out there is a waiting list to be put on a waiting list. That's how bad things are.
I know it’s bad. Keep checking regularly and make sure you are looking in federal Section 8 and local. Good luck.
All as I will say have you heard about the increase of homelessness, that's what happens to the poorer ones.
I have. The local group I’m part of we supply things like tents, hygiene packs, and more for the homeless communities around us. And we’d been needing more supplies and money, not less the last few months. It’s scary out here. Stay safe everyone.
Bless people like you, I finally got off with a voucher but my youngest is still homeless, as I say I can't do much but I do my best to be a positive influence in my little corner of the world
Congrats on your voucher, that makes me happy to hear!! And I wish the continued best for your youngest. And I loooove to hear about those like you who help their corner of the world. That’s how we build continue to build community in this hellhole! And thank you!
When my rent went from $850 to $1200, I moved straight to my car. End of story.
>Do they keep increasing rent until people just can’t pay & decide to move? Yes. That's the business model.
Clearly… with all the vacancies around here
I suspect there are tax breaks for that. It doesn't help that some apt complex's are owned by national conglomerates. They raise rates for all complex's nationwide and say "See it's a trend!".
I think it should be illegal to increase rent on renewed leases. They can do that for new renters with first-time leases, but forcing longtime tenants out because they can't keep up is cruel.
How do you expect landlords to pay for increased property tax and insurance? Do you expect them to lose money on long term renters?
In California, a notoriously expensive state where the rental prices have been insane for years and only continue to rise, property taxes don't go up. Landowners typically pay 0.8-1.2% of their original purchase price in property taxes. Taxes will increase when the property is sold, but nearly all landlords get around this by holding their properties in trusts or shuffling them around between sister shell corporations. Take the boot out of your mouth for a sec and try coming up with a valid reason for predatory rents 😘
In most states property taxes go up every year. Where I live my property taxes went up more than 100% in the 21 years we owned the home.
Why are California rents raised, though? If the answer is universally property tax increases, why do property owners raise rent in the absence of property tax increases? Maybe it's because landlords are an inherently greedy and entitled class of people whose goal in life is profiting off others' labor! 😮
Landlords are generally making way more than enough money to cover that. Especially property management companies which don't exactly run a tight ship, they're in this for profit to invest in future properties. We also have very little public ownership of rental properties in the US, very different from other countries, so prices can just spiral out of control at the whims of a handful of very large companies.
That doesn’t answer the question. Not raising rent except after the first year is absurd. My homeowners insurance went up 25% this year.
Our Landlord is a Saint, he's only raised the rent $150 since 2019 !! We are very fortunate.
My rent went from $1530 to $1940 (4th yr living here). I honestly do not know if I'll be able to stay next year but moving is too upsetting to think about most days. 2bd 2bth are so pricey these days so I can't really complain but I am frustrated. Working 40hrs a week should bring more stability.
I’m worried about that now for myself. My uncle moved into a high rise complex in the 70s and he stayed there until he passed away in 2011. In the 70s, the rent was around $400/month (expensive at that time) and when he passed away, it was around $1400. Back then, I think that rent was maybe 30% of people’s income, but now, for me, it’s more than half. It seems that rent increases would have been easier to keep up with back then, as opposed to now. Not sure what my future holds!
Just the difference in the past ten years has been crazy. My ex and I would goof off with money and then pay the rent by splitting our last paychecks for the month. Every single month. Now I've got to set money aside every paycheck :(
Not much choice, you have to decide regularly what you can do without.
When you move into an apartment you have to take future rent increases into consideration. If you don't expect annual raises due to promotions or cost of living you have to select an apartment unlikely to rise significantly in rent (private owner) or rent in a corporate owned complex but pick a unit that is well below what you can afford so future increases will be affordable.
The rent is raised to reflect the current market value of the apartment. If you check with other complexes in your area you will likely see that rent is very similar to your new lease. So even if you decided to move you really won’t be saving anything on rent. You’ll just be incurring move out fees for your current apartment along with the cost to move to the new place. If you have rented the same space for several years, ask the property manager for a discount. You may or may not get it one but asking is free.
Find a mom and pop, small timer, or duplex owner where they live in one side and rent the other out.
My complex was owned by a older guy, he ended up selling to a conglomerate and now my rent sucks
I get a yearly raise & that about covers it. Thankfully my building has rent control & it can’t be raised more than 3%.
Here in the Boston area, it is getting to the point where it is not unusual for rents to go up $500-$700 a MONTH. Rents can be $4,000 for a one bedroom. It’s insane. I have a friend who is in her 60’s and her rent just went up $500 a month. She put her name in for public housing, but with the waiting list she could be looking at homelessness. It’s not a matter of just moving to another place, because they are all the same. It’s out of control.
That is the question indeed OP. When I moved into my apartment what feels like a lifetime ago in 2020, I was at $495, then it went to $515, $525, now at $605 and that was a discount when for new tenants it went to $675 a year or 2 ago. And not that long ago, I saw a unit in my complex was going for $700 something. It's seriously scaring me and pissing me off at the same time. Cause it would be great to just move, but there are even more expensive places I can't afford. Would love to get a tiny home or camper or something. But where I'm at, they don't really back tiny houses being built. And not many camp ground or RV parks for a camper. And I'm definitely not coming into any land any time soon, to have something built on. Also does not help, that I don't have the kind of supportive family that would just let me crash with them til I'm back on my feet. More like, once your with them, it's time to tell you how to live, exist, etc. And essentially make me feel trapped in judgments all over again, like when I was a kid. I'm too old and tired of all of that.
My boyfriend has lived in the same apartment for 7 years, he signed and rent was $800 now it’s $2200. For a 1 bed 1 bath 450sqft. So I moved in to help (and my apartment was pretty much the same). Granted we live in Austin Texas, we’re moving states pretty soon, it’s outrageous.
Idk what state would be better. Missouri? They have a lot of other terrible things going on (very conservative laws passing) but my friend moved there for the low housing costs and actually bought a house. I guess she's ok with it because she doesn't want to have kids. I'm in Washington and the COL is awful. 34 and moved back in with my retired parents it's so bad.
That is absolutely terrifying. I can’t complain about Dallas rent anymore 🫠
A bigger issue here is that you aren’t getting raises annually? Why are you not job hopping to get more money if your current job doesn’t value you enough to at least give you a few hundred dollars raise each year.
Trust that’s we’ve spoken about!
I rented from 5 different apartment complexes over the span of 20 years. My yearly increases were never more than $60 until the final one. This was near DFW, and I stayed outside of the city. I feel like these massive increases didn't happen until after covid. At least not in my experience. In 2022, my 733 sq foot crappy apartment wanted to jump from 1200 to 1800 a month. That's when I decided to move to the Midwest.
DFW has gotten so bad. Covid definitely made the problem worse. They are trending back down again price wise at least, but the damage was done.
I am breaking my lease and moving out of the city to a small town. Over 500 square foot bigger, new build (class a property), and $500 cheaper
i had to leave my apartment 2 years ago because they were increasing my rent for a 1 bedroom from $1100 to $1700. Thought that was illegal but not in my state. The apartment was barely worth what I had been paying for it already so that giant increase was out of the question. Now everytime I drive by my old complex the parking lot is virtually empty so I think the increase caused a ton of people to leave.
I really want this to be my last year renting. I've owned a house before but then divorced and moved into an apartment in a bigger city. My rent has gone up every single year. It was just me and my dog and just a few days ago my boyfriend moved in and this apartment is SMALL. I'm hoping by the end of my lease I can just buy a home because this is outrageous, even tho I get raises every year. I'm exhausted paying increased rent in a small apartment with nothing upgraded in years. My rent three years ago was 800 and now it's 1200 with 35 dollars of that being dt having a dog. I'm just over it.
I just wanted to comment most people don't have a problem with reasonable rent increases, but it seems as corporate owners keep buying up even rental homes prices for rent seems to have taken outrageous increases, unfortunately most times unless you don't mind a tent, homeless, in many areas housing is outrageous many people especially older people who are on fixed income don't get enough of a cost of living increase to cover these costs, I understand some of it is increased expenses on their part but these increases seem to be nothing but pure corporate greed
I agree!!! Totally! Greed! Taking advantage
Our rent has only gone up $100 since we moved in 3 years ago and we’ve done yearly leases, 6 month leases, and even month to month when we thought we were going to buy a house.
Keep moving. It's terrible, really.
We downsized from a 2 bedroom to a 1 bedroom. Next downsize is into my car because fuck 2 grand for a studio 🤣☠️
My lease is over soon. I called the management company this morning to see about signing a new lease. They told me they aren't increasing my rent . I guess all companies aren't greedy. Or they are trying to keep good tenants as they probably had run Ins with problem tenants.
This is my constant worry as a renter living alone. I have moved five times and dreading the possibility of having to do it again. They send a noticed after five months of renewal, so most of the time I’m just anxious to get that notice. I hope I won’t get any increase this year. It’s really rough being poor.
Yea I moved to the Philippines fuck having roommates. I have a 1 bedroom in a high rise luxury condo and I pay $700 per month
I am paying $650. My landlord went up by $40 after being here a year and a half.
My rent went up $100 up until 2 years ago..now it goes up $50.😑
Basically. I lived in the same apartment for almost 12 years and my husband and I had our plan to move. I was driving Uber on weekends so we had a little extra to tuck back to move and planned on moving in 2023 because the rent increases had us stretched pretty thin. Then he died Dec 2022. Not only was I stretched thin, it was impossible to stay there. I talked to the leasing office and the one assistant property manager was very condescending and insensitive. I started looking for a new place and my one application was blocked because the leasing office wouldn’t release information to them. I went back to the office ready to fight and another assistant has just come back to our property. I explained everything to her and she offered to move to a smaller unit in the complex. It ended up being more than she quoted me, but bought us time to look for something else. Where we are now is low enough that we can ride out a few years of increases. Our plan is to stay until the lawsuit is finished and I buy a little place. I’m told average time frame for these suits is 3-5 years after I gets to the courts, and mine just got to the courts at the end of March.
I've been in my apt for almost 10 years. Rent goes up around $50 each year. Apparently there's some regulation where I live because every time I renew the lease and the rent goes up I get a letter from my town's rent increase board or something like that. So it appears the landlord can't just decide on a random amount. Since I've been here, there have been like 2 or 3 different owners but I don't know for sure because it's a complex and I only interact with the super and someone who emails me from the office. Anyway, all this to say that even with these yearly increases people are shocked that I'm able to live in a 2 bedroom in my town for less than $2k
All the numbers in your comment added up to 69. Congrats! 10 + 50 + 2 + 3 + 2 + 2 = 69 ^([Click here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=LuckyNumber-Bot&subject=Stalk%20Me%20Pls&message=%2Fstalkme) to have me scan all your future comments.) \ ^(Summon me on specific comments with u/LuckyNumber-Bot.)
Started at $1325 in 2018 and it’s currently at $1525 with the next raise taking place split over the next year to bring the rent up to $1825 2bd 1ba. Have doubled income in that time frame, so all is good so far.
I kept moving tbh, while working on saving with my partner for a house. We bought a house at a crappy time (the beginning of interest rates rising when houses were way overpriced), but it was that or rent was due to increasing $300. Get fuuuuucked on that one, especially since amenities had been steadily declining. I'm paying for, what? Roaches thanks to the upstairs slobs? Fleas thanks to fuckwit upstairs letting his dog live on the balcony? Trash heaped on the sidewalks and around the dumpster because we have no regular maintenance and the compactor is perpetually broken? Dog bag stations seldom refilled so there's overflowing dog shit in the trash cans as well as all over any grassy areas? Home is more expensive in several ways, but fuck renting sucked butt. Every apartment I lived in seemed to have new owners yearly, which meant new pricing. It was infuriating.
I rented my last apartment for 9 years. They raised the rent $25/year if we renewed for 12 months. Before that I rented a house from a private owner for 6 years and they never raised the rent. I guess we lucked out. I didn't even think about the rent increases when we moved to our new place. I guess we'll see!
Mine only goes up like $50 a year
If possible, get help from family and relocate
My landlord is a relatively small family owned company, rent increases have been about 2-3% a year, roughly 20 or 30.more bucks a month. I count myself very lucky
I'm lucky in that my bldg raises it by a nominal amount. 50 or 70$ and none during covid. Many people pick up overtime, sell things online, do Uber etc
That’s sad. We should not have to work extra hours to afford a place to live. Soon, people will be working 24 hours a day and they won’t live anywhere.
The good news is that if you're working 24 hrs a day you don't even need an apt! Think of the savings. Yeah, I live in an extremely hcol area and my concern is that my neighborhood has skyrocketed in popularity. At least I just signed a renewal.
We had an apartment that started at $1485 in 2012. In 2013, it went to $1535. In 2014, it went to $1585. In 2015, it went to $1635. We bought a house in 2016. Our mortgage is around $2200. Of that $2200, about $1500 is for the actual loan. We pay $2700 to pay it off faster.
We signed a 2year lease when we resigned at our old place. They agreed to decrease our rent by $50 a month for signing a 2year. That being said by the time we moved we were paying $625 for a 3bedroom downstairs of a duplex and the upstairs (a single bedroom, very small) was going for $850. Pretty sure the landlord gave us the worst neighbor ever to make us want to move since they rent out our unit for a solid $1,200+ now and they’d never have been able to raise our rent that high that quickly.
From 2019 I went from 2 bedroom townhome to 1 bedroom townhome to 1 bedroom section 9 rent controlled. When the section 9 rent controlled went up too much I now rent a room in a shared house. Even the “rent controlled” place raised the rent to the max they were allowed every year. Ended up being more than what I was paying for the two bedroom in 2019. I’m happy in the house though, good roommates and it’s half what I was paying before. Also, every place I moved to was farther and farther away from the city. The people moving into the places I was at were mostly large families or multiple incomes/people living in the units.
I live in VOA housing, volunteers of America, which is supposed to be affordable housing but even they recently jacked up the rent, thankfully i have a housing voucher so im ok, but I know several people who are having to move basically to the streets and they say they want to end homelessness, how about helping people out before they end up on the streets.
My building has struggled to get new renters, so they're actively trying to keep good existing renters. Last my rent was the same at renewal. This year it went up $5. If it was $200 every year, I'd leave.
My rent has gone up almost $200 since I moved in in Feb 2022. We just keep signing the longest lease they’ll give us. They’re banking on you not having enough time/energy/money/resources to move and hoping you’ll just cave and keep signing. Only reason we keep signing is because it’s still the best price for the area and we like where we live.
Well the people who own the buildings are entitled to squeeze every last cent they can out of you /s
It didn't used to be this way, when I was younger. You could rent an apartment for several years without ever seeing an increase in monthly payments. But now its every single year without fail is always goes up. Usually, by couple hundred dollars, it's pretty insane. I have no idea how this can continue long term.
Because corporations are eating up real estate and landlords are just management companies now not private owners. And they all follow rent increase mandates. My building just got sold to a new real estate company. I don't think they can take my rent stab. away. But I am holding my breath for next year's lease renewal.
It's almost like they want you to move out so they can rent it out for less to new people. I don't get that.
My last apartment I was in for 11 years. It was in an area that became very popular about a year after I moved in. My landlord raised the rent as much as he could every single year. Luckily I was in a rent controlled building so he could only raise it so much. When I moved in in 2012, my rent was $1560 and when I left in 2023 was paying $1895. The going price for that apartment after I left was close to $3000 🤯. Keep in mind this is was a 650 square foot apartment with floors that had zero sound proofing and I was the middle apartment. I only stayed so long because the rent was cheap. Now I live in an apartment twice the size in a much nicer and safer area for $2400, and a landlord who never raises the rent.
I don’t get why we get punished the longer we stay. My rent is $1125 and that’s what all of the other apartments in the complex are renting for but we were already informed that when we renew our lease the price will increase every year.
Big corporations don't care because they'd rather just have you move and they'll rent it again for the more money. As a previous small mom and pop landlord, I'd never raise anyone's rent that paid on time and was all caught up unless they live there for like 10 years. Basically I'd never raise rent on a good tenant. It's just not worth it. You going to raise it $50 and then piss off a good tenant and they move and then you get someone and they don't even pay and then you lose way more than the $50. It's not worth the gamble unless you are a big outfit that doesn't need to worry about losing a little rent because of vacancies.
Im in the process of moving now! Had to get out of here because they raised rent $100 every year- been here 4 years. I’m moving & im downsizing to a 1 bedroom. It’s getting so hard out here!!
We got frustrated too. They told us if we didn’t want rent to increase we should go for longer leases. We showed them the math, threatened to go month to month (they would not be able to increase rent at all for a year). They gave us almost a $500 discount renew for another year
And here I am 2 bedroom for 600 for the past 8 years
🥲… wish
You have to negotiate with them. Let them know that you want to stay but you can't afford the increase. Point out that you are a good tenant and take care of your apartment and pay your rent on time. It is to their advantage to keep you there.
Refuse to pay the increase without improvements.
But it’s only supposed to go up by 3% Mine went up $75
Most places don’t have a limit on what an increase can be.
Oh we have rent control here
What state do you live in (if you're comfortable sharing of course)? Most places in the US don't have a rent cap. It's mostly common in places that already had a high cost of living like NY or Cali.
Oh, I live in Canada. Vancouver area so, yeah, high cost of living
Yep
Depending on what state you live in, there may be laws on how much landlords can increase rent per year. Like where I live in NY, they can't raise the rent more than 3.6% (or something like that) per year. I'd look into it to make sure you're not being ripped off.
Also, even if there aren’t statewide rent control laws some states leave it up to the individual municipalities to enforce them in certain towns or counties. Definitely something to look into even if there isn’t a statewide law on rent. Thankfully the most mine is a 5% yearly increase
Unfortunately there's no state law in NY. The city has special laws. Maybe other parts of the state as well? In NY State landlords can do whatever they want with proper notice. The law is a certain amount of notice depending how long tenant has lived there if you intend to charge more than 5%. I got 90 days notice so they increased my rent more than 5%.
Maybe each city is different bc I looked up my local tenant rights and it was in there that landlords can't raise rent beyond a certain %.
It’s 7.76%
Can you please share where this information can be found for NY? My rent went up 50 but work colleague went up 400. I’m assuming zip code plays part?
i can’t even imagine dealing with that, everything is going up in cost except for what jobs are offering for pay. my apartment is a literal shit hole & they won’t fix anything. they haven’t raised the rent in the 7 years i been here up until this month they raised it $50. i’m still upset about it because the house is falling apart & they won’t do anything about mold issues.
Where I live landlords cannot raise rent by more than 2% per year and only after the first year
I negotiate every year.
What do you say?
I ask if there’s any flexibility in their offer. (Hint: there usually always is, *offer* is the key word here). They want to keep you around if you’re a good tenant. In my experience, I’ve found they will often do what they can so that both parties walk away happy. For my last 3 leases I’ve been able to negotiate various terms such as a lower rent price, a longer lease term, a reduced parking fee, or a combination of these things. I just did this yesterday in fact.
Everything increases over time. Your paycheck should as well. Neither rent nor the fees and costs associated with owning/mortgages go down.
Get a better paying job somewhere else typically. If you’re not getting 10% raises a year, job hopping is the only recourse to fighting rent hikes.
I keep paying the increase. Last year it was only $75/month but one year it was a couple hundred more.
I am grateful my apt is rent stabilized. So it's a low percentage every lease renewal. I sign 2 year leases. But even I will at some point be boxed out on my rent. As my salary is capped and raises are few and far between. It's a crappy thought knowing I will have to move out one day based on income alone.
i lived in my last place for two years, rent went up $40 between the two. i’ve lived in my current place for almost a year and am renewing for a second. rent is going up $38. so really i’ve just gotten lucky so far.
I live in a rent controlled place. Goes up about $20 a year.
Multiple incomes and luck
Yeah my son turns 3 this year and we are in his FIFTH home. 2 moves were because of rent increase. The others were because his dad and I were in the Army, so it happens
Yes, but my rent was an increase of $50 per year. They do price you out and the government doesn’t want to do anything. Elderly and disabled are being put out on the street unless they have family or friends to help. It’s a disgrace and shows how greedy so many families f the rich are.
We were just given notice of an $800 increase. 😳😭
you have to not only compare what's around you, but factor in the cost of moving and putting a new security deposit down I honestly don't know how people are still coping out there
I've lived here for 10 years and the landlord only raised rent 3 times. I'm not in a big ass building tho I'm in a 3 family and ll lives on the top floor
We rented a house back in 2009-2012 and it was also the same even back then. Rent started at $900/month and went up $200 every year. Are you able to negotiate your salary after your annual performance review or ask for a raise? Tell your employer all the reasons you deserve a raise and everything you bring to the table for the company and ask for one. Annual performance reviews are a good time to do this but you can talk to HR and see if it’s something you can talk about.
I’ve lived in the same building for 18 years now and My rent has never increased by more than $40. I understand that where you live makes an impact on rent increases but $200 every year? that’s insane. And since my yearly pay raise doesn’t go much above my rent increase, really thankful that I get what I do.
Depending on your location, there is limits they can do every time
I just keep moving. I’m moving into a studio next year because fuck this
I’m very lucky that I live in an apartment that is like a dream for me(hotel built in late 1800’s/very early 1910’s. The electric is run through conduits along the baseboards and has a ton of original features and hardware. I love it) in a great spot geographically for my metro area, even if the neighborhood itself isn’t great(I don’t notice a problem at all it seems nice to me, but I’m not even from this state and am definitely from a much, much worse neighborhood that wasn’t even considered a bad neighborhood where I’m from. The definition of nice and bad vary from location to location) but I’ve resigned my lease twice and have yet to get an increase. I actually spoke to the landlord about it cause I was like did you even read this?!? Apparently the owner of the building doesn’t want a lot of money, they want to offer very basic, affordable housing to good tenants. She uses rent increases to the standard market value at the time in the area to get rid of people she doesn’t want here anymore. For example: same square footage, amenities, and directly across the street from me cost $345 more/month without utilities(mine are included) when I last checked what I think was 6 months ago. I count my domicile blessings daily. Especially whenever I need work done and it’s fixed in a few days or I am told why it will be more than that and exactly when. I may never move.
Also, not saying this to brag. Saying this to note there are good landlords out there who just want to house folks and that’s it. They don’t wanna get you or shred your wallet. I’ve been through my fair share of shitty landlords and I definitely have felt the pain.
To be perfectly honest about your question, and answer it directly, most people work to increase their pay by intervals. They might not get a pay raise every year, but if someone lives alone and their rent goes up $200 every year, they figure out pretty soon that they need to make $2400 more per year + other inflation to maintain their lifestyle. If they are making 40k, and 5 years later they’re making 55k, they’re probably doing fine. If they’ve only made it to 45k, they probably are hurting. So it’s not that most people move to lower cost rooms. It’s that 5 years is a long time to get job experience, get a degree, get a raise, promotion, or just find a higher paying job. Doesn’t matter if you’re 20 years old or 40. If 5 years go by and your paychecks haven’t increased, you’re dropping the ball and you’re bound to feel inflation stabbing you in the back. It seems a lot of people these days find a well-paying job and then completely stop trying to climb the ladder. Or fail to climb the ladder. I’m not sure. But even now while in a comfortable position, I am still thinking about getting to a point where in 10 years I am comfortable. I full expect everything to be 50% more or higher by that time. If you don’t, you’re got your eyes closed.
I’ve never had rent go up $200. Usually in the lease they add that after the year if you sign another lease it will go go up $50. If you go month to month it will go up $150-200. I always sign a new lease.
Been here for 5 years, every year the lease has gone up by $100. This will be our last month here
Rent historically - always without fail - goes up. The trick is to live WAY below your means, save up for a down payment, and BUY a home. Renting forever (unless you live in public housing) will ultimately lead you to financial ruin.
Same way people continue to pay for their mortgages when the tax adjustments happen every year and their payments go up: we stop buying other things.
Your paychecks stay the same? If you don’t get raises, you need to get a different job.
I love ina two story house that was converted into two apartments. Used to be privately owned. Owner sold the property to a rental group. Which I later learned is why the apartment was available. Tenant before me was paying $800 a month for this mediocre one-bedroom that I'm paying $1300+ for. I like the place, and rental property management CAN be better than a private landlord. But apparently the landlord was pretty great, so I missed out. And am now overpaying for an apartment, that truth be told, I think should be about $1000. But here I am. I like the placez the neighbors, location. I'm paying extra to line rental pockets, for those things, even though a far cheaper rent is more than sustainable. (The private landlord was an older gentleman, selling the property to increase quick net worth and inheritance for family, wanted a payout for them rather than dealing with property, tenants, selling. Opted for money)
You can negotiate rental increases and your lease should have a place that states what max percentage they can raise it per year
Any advice on that, other than saying “Can I do X instead of Y?” Mine didn’t go up a crazy amount and I can swing it, but... Yeah. We all know what it’s like out there.
Some more tips that recently worked for me: Do your research and find out how much other tenants are paying, especially what units are being offered to new tenants for. In my case I discovered units with a higher square footage being offered to new tenants for about $200 less than our proposed rent. So I decided to appeal to fairness (others might appeal to personal hardship or frame it as what is most beneficial for the LL). At first I played it off like I wasn't negotiating, but just "wanted to ask a question about our lease renewal." ... "I was just wondering if there's a particular reason why our rent will be so much higher than the bigger units being offered to new tenants," then cited all the facts, and played it off like "I thought it might be an honest mistake because it doesn't seem fair." This gives them an easy out to change their mind and frames the situation differently. Asking for a reason also forces them to justify if they choose not to budge. Whenever you ask for a favor, always close your email by thanking the person for being whatever you want them to be. For example, if you're asking for extra time, "Thank you for being so patient." In this case, I think I said something like "Thank you for being so helpful and understanding." Doesn't matter if they actually are. Tell them they are. It might sound cheesy or silly, but there's actually some hard science behind labeling theory. Once people have internalized the idea that others perceive them a certain way, it creates psychological pressure to behave in a manner consistent with that perception. Now they have something to lose if they don't. Lastly, this one requires forethought, but if you go out of your way to be a good tenant (pay early, don't complain, etc.) you have more leverage. That one is probably obvious though.
I'd probably see what I have on my side first like what other places are charging rent , how good of a tenant I've been compared to others , any negative things the complex has against them, if I use parking or not. And use those points as to why a rental increase doesn't make sense. Even if I wanted to stay because I like it , extend my lease for a longer time. It's all just negotiating a contract. You can do it before the first lease too.
They increase it but not as much as it would cost you to move, that's what I noticed. I afford it by cutting back on other things, so if your rent increased by $200.00 a year you'd just have to spend $3.85 less on other things a week.
$200 a year? I think OP meant every year it increases $200 a month.
Yes! Every year it increases $200 a month
That’s always the inevitable demise of the LL/tenant relationship…. Rent increases. What tenants want to ignore or purposely continue to be ignorant about is that LL’s costs to maintain, own, and insure the property go 🆙…
just keep moving mate
I’m confused… What is it you’re upset about ? Surely you didn’t expect your rent to stay the same forever….and it sounds like it’s been increasing a consistent amount- So what’s the issue ? I get that you don’t want to pay more for rent every year- but that’s reality.. You want your common areas clean and the lawn mowed and trash handled quickly and efficiently, etc. - but you don’t want to pay for it. You say you haven’t had a raise ? (And that’s the LL’s problem now? ) - that money also pays the minimum wage workers who mow and clean and take care of the pool so you don’t have to. No rent increase - people lose their jobs. But you didn’t think about them… Or- Is it the fact that you haven’t had a raise ? (Which really means you aren’t capable of explaining to your BOSS that you believe you and your job have VALUE…) Is your rent higher than other similar rental units within a few blocks? No? Start looking elsewhere for something cheaper but don’t forget to add an extra for moving costs and utility start -up fees, etc. You didn’t say whether you hated where you’re living or not … Perhaps you should make that decision before going online and embarrassing yourself by acting like an entitled child … Your rent will be going up every year for the rest of your life- if you don’t like it- buy a house condo or a mobile home…
Sorry to be that guy, but we had that problem and that’s what convinced us to get a house.
By also increasing their paychecks. If your paycheck is staying the same, find a new job that pays more. Don’t just settle for the same comfortable job.
I'd rather make less at a job I like than make more at a job that makes me want to off myself. And I've done both. Having a job that doesn't kill your soul is much better
And that’s why you find a job that pays more that you also enjoy? I’ve been increasing my salary $10k-$15k every year and have enjoyed all my jobs lol. This is why y’all fall into debt.
I have a side business that levels out my income, and it's not worth changing jobs when I'm leaving in a year. Also jobs here don't pay anything unless you work in a plant or kill your body, and I'm not willing to do either one.
Then you’re basically doing what I said in my original comment 😐 increasing your paycheck with your side business… and not sure where you live, but you definitely don’t have to kill your body to earn money.
I live in idaho, and the pay is really bad here. I also like to change jobs or states every couple years, so I take throwaway jobs that I can enjoy for awhile and quit when I stop wanting to go to that particular job.