Can I fight this rent increase?

brooklynleather · August 2009

My management company is trying to raise my rent by the stabilization law maximums (3% for one year, 6% for two years) but my roommate lost her job in the past year and I am about to be an unemployed student -- starting this week! We have always paid our rent out time and our super really likes us. Any tips on getting them not to raise the rent and/or possibly decrease it?

Thanks!

modsquad · August 2009

If you are willing to confide in writing what you are saying here, acknowledging that the situation is probably temporary, and when things get better you will pay the legally allowed rent then you might be listened to. Nothing is scarier to a LL than giving in to a rent decrease that goes on forever. Try to write the letter to the Landlord directly, management cos. are there to collect rent not negotiate on your behalf with the LL. This is a negotiation that you are asking for and you need to pick a number (this is important if you expect a response) and possibly a time (say a year). Stress that it is temporary. It probably is anyway, if things don't improve you'll be out of there rather quickly.

carnivore · August 2009

You can't "fight" it since it's the legal rent increase for a stabilized apartment but you can negotiate it as modsquad said. Depending on how low your rent is compared to market, you may be more asking a favor than negotiating, since if your rent is low enough, the landlord will have no problem finding a new tenant and will be able to raise the rent even more than 3%.

whynot_31 · August 2009

I agree with Carnie.

If you qualified for disability rent increase exemption (DRIE) or Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE) you could go that route, but it doesn't sound like you do from your post.

landlord · August 2009

Let me get this straight! Your roomate lose her job and you are about to be unemployed yet you are concerned about a 3% raise?!

How will you pay the rent even if you can convince the landlord not to increase the rent?

You have a much bigger problem then the small rent increase.

spnder · August 2009

Considering the economy, many landlords would not be surprised by their tenants asking for a reduction in rent. I can't think of any way you can "fight" it. It's a renter's market right now so you should try to negotiate.

If you think your rent is unreasonable, you can always just move somewhere cheaper.

cool the kid · August 2009

landlord wrote: Let me get this straight! Your roomate lose her job and you are about to be unemployed yet you are concerned about a 3% raise?!

How will you pay the rent even if you can convince the landlord not to increase the rent?

You have a much bigger problem then the small rent increase.

What this guy said

brooklynleather · August 2009

Subject: Follow up

Thanks for all the insight. Okay, ignore the details of my post. Those were noted as part of my argument for why our rent shouldn't be increased when I propose it to my management company. (Our landlord/management company is one in the same as that seems to have been confusing to readers - my apologies).

I think a specific number and time frame is really good advice. I will try to put together a letter. Thanks.

sandcastler · August 2009

Does your lease agreement show two rents, one the "legal" (RS maximum allowable) rent, and the other the "preferred" (actual) rent?

If not, might be time for it to be drawn up that way.

mbp123 · August 2009

The Wall Street Journal published a story about lowering your rent that included a nice sample letter. It's worth checking out: http://blogs.wsj.com/wallet/2009/02/09/how-to-reduce-your-rent/

Their advice seems sound: try to get details about what's going on in the building in terms of vacant units and other tenants' rents.

cool the kid · August 2009

Yea me and the GF are def gonna push for lower rent in December as well as a 6 month lease. Works out better for everyone

brooklynleather · August 2009

Thanks for the article!

brooklynleather · September 2009

Subject: Fishing around the building

I dont want to be nosy and start asking my neighbors what they pay but definitely people have lived in this building a long, long time and pay under $1,000.

One resident told me she has the same unit as I do and pays $1550 which is still $50 less than us and would be $100 less than us if we sign a 1-year lease and $150 less than us on a 2-year lease.

I am going to ask my super if he knows anything about the rents right now but he doesn't seem to when I've asked before...

brooklynleather · September 2009

Subject: Fishing around the building

I dont want to be nosy and start asking my neighbors what they pay but definitely people have lived in this building a long, long time and pay under $1,000.

One resident told me she has the same unit as I do and pays $1550 which is still $50 less than us and would be $100 less than us if we sign a 1-year lease and $150 less than us on a 2-year lease.

I am going to ask my super if he knows anything about the rents right now but he doesn't seem to when I've asked before...

snowboardqueen · September 2009

Go to DHCR at 55 Hanson Place, behind Pathmark and the Atlantic Mall.

There you can find out the rent history for your apt back to 1982.

snowboardqueen · September 2009

Go to DHCR at 55 Hanson Place, behind Pathmark and the Atlantic Mall.

There you can find out the rent history for your apt back to 1982.

debya · September 2009

If you don't want to go to DHCR, you can call the DHCR Rent Hotline at 718-739-6400. (You'll receive info on your apartment via mail within a few days.) You can examine the report and make sure that there weren't any illegal rent increases. (Of course, the printout shows what your landlord reported. DHCR doesn't ensure that your landlord was correct. But, you can research the legal rent increases and make sure that you landlord didn't exceed them.)

pittiecity · September 2009

SnowboardQueen wrote: Go to DHCR at 55 Hanson Place, behind Pathmark and the Atlantic Mall.

There you can find out the rent history for your apt back to 1982.

If this is true it is probably the best thing I have ever learned from Brooklynian...

To the original poster--- I know many people will probably think this ridiculous, but I explained to my landlord (upon my first two lease renewals) that I simply did not see the need for an increase, despite the fact that he COULD very well increase the rent, legally. The economy was worse, the building was no better, and the increase only amounted to around $50 a month, 3% of a pretty good deal...

I was not aggressive or threatening, but I did let him know the I knew that the $600 he would make off increasing my rent annually did not balance out the cost of NOT being paid rent for one month or more, not to mention the cost of painting, repairs (and by this I mean updates, not what would come out of my security deposit), etc. Like yourself, I am a good tenant, and one paying significantly more than the majority of my long-standing neighbors. I pay on time, and as a student like yourself would most likely be considered a short-term renter at best by my landlord. Talk to him. Otherwise, whoever mentioned it was a renters market could not be more correct.

lo kee · September 2009

I am currently getting ripped off also. My landlord would apparently rather lose tenants that pay on time every month than negotiate a slight decrease. He crammed the rent stab max increase down our throats, I'm pretty sure he must have raised it more than allowed by statute for us (when we took posession after last tenant), just judging by the amount we pay.

I def need to go look at the rent history.

Can I fight this rent increase?

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