{"id":17739,"date":"2020-03-19T09:58:33","date_gmt":"2020-03-19T13:58:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.qa.rent.com\/blog\/?p=17739"},"modified":"2023-05-09T12:32:24","modified_gmt":"2023-05-09T16:32:24","slug":"how-to-respond-to-a-rent-increase","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rent.com\/blog\/how-to-respond-to-a-rent-increase\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Respond to a Rent Increase"},"content":{"rendered":"

Before signing a lease on a new apartment, renters will usually do their homework. They’ll research the neighborhood, assess the price of rent and utilities, compare apartment complexes and ultimately choose an apartment that’s both budget-friendly and feels like home.<\/p>\n

But what if your landlord decides to increase the rent? That changes the game. How do you respond to a rent increase? While it’s never fun to see that notification, you do have options and it’s smart to know what those are so you can respond appropriately to a rent increase.<\/p>\n

Understand your rights<\/h2>\n

When you first learn that your rent will be increasing, it’s easy to become stressed, frustrated and mad. But before you do something rash, you need to understand your rights and the landlord’s rights.<\/p>\n

Legally, property owners have the right to increase rent by any amount they like. However, they can’t increase it without written notice and they can’t violate the terms of your lease<\/a>.<\/p>\n

If you’ve signed a fixed-term lease, you’re locked into that rate for the length of the lease. If you’re a month-to-month renter, landlords can increase the rent from one month to the next. In both cases, landlords must give up to 30 days’ notice<\/a> of an upcoming rent increase.<\/p>\n

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Research the market<\/h2>\n

To understand why rent is increasing and better understand how to respond to a rent increase, doing some market research can be helpful. Check out rental rates at neighboring apartments.<\/p>\n

Is the new rent significantly higher compared to similar apartments or is it comparable? This can be helpful should you choose to speak with your landlord and try to negotiate.<\/p>\n

Talk to your landlord<\/h2>\n

If you’re frustrated about your rent increase, you can always talk to the property management, ask questions and try to negotiate. As with any important conversation, it’s important to stay calm and professional instead of getting angry and confrontational.<\/p>\n

If you’re happy with your living situation and feel the rent increase is unfair, schedule a meeting or write an email to your landlord. You can ask for clarity around the decision and propose a negotiation or compromise. Here are a few scenarios when negotiation may work in your favor:<\/p>\n