Jeni,

Thanks for taking the time to respond to my question. Very insightful!

Hi, Elizabeth! Rent increases are a little trickier because, while there are laws governing how and when a landlord can do an increase, there is no law (in Texas and most other states) about how much they can increase. A couple of basics…landlords are required to give a 30-day written notice, as minimum, prior to any increase taking effect, and unless the lease specifies otherwise, they can only increase rents at the end of a contract. Once you receive a rent increase notice, the best thing to do if you want to fight it is to ensure that you are an excellent tenant (rent always paid on time, rental unit cared for and clean), then make an appointment with the actual Community or Property Manager (try to get past the underlings!) and go over that history with the Manager. Show them how and why you are a good tenant and why they want to work with you to keep you. This tactic will usually work well with smaller companies and private owners, but most larger companies are doing increases ‘across the board’ and will not make exceptions to the rule, regardless of what a great renter you have been in the past. Fair Housing Laws say that what they do for one person, they must do for all and larger companies are less likely to take the risk of giving you a better price than your neighbor. In the end…the cost of living will always go up, so plan ahead, know you’ll have rent increases, and know how much you will tolerate before you feel you have to move to a new place. Thank you for your comment, and best wishes!

I can’t tell you how many times I hear people complain about how they’re not getting their deposit back. Most of the time it can be avoided! Since you have lots of experience in the rental industry, what tips do you have for rent increases and how to deal with those? We always dread when it comes time to renew our contract and see that rent is going to go up!