Came home after a crappy day at work to find a letter in my door saying when I renew they want to increase my rent by $180/month (a freakin 32% increase in one year) even on a 13 month lease.

I'm finding it difficult to understand the insanity. The apartment I'm in is not nearly nice enough to justify the hike.

- I've paid all my bills
- I've only had a couple of maintenance calls, during which they have ignored my requests that no one come in unless I'm there (since I have a dog, I didn't want to deal with any liability mess..) and even left my gas oven on full blast for several hours before I got home and noticed how hot the living room felt
- The building I'm in has been broken into twice; when I asked them about moving or otherwise doing something about it, they not only didn't call me back but they never did a dang thing to make the building more secure
- They've decided to implement parking passes and all that garbage now, and it was admitted to me directly that they were only doing it because a small group was having parking problems (half my lot is almost always empty)

Avoid Edinborough at the Park.
/words


[Edited on June 28, 2011 at 11:36 PM. Reason : ]

6/28/2011 11:35:36 PM

The economy is dull man. Thats too a nice complex for just 560

6/28/2011 11:39:31 PM

well... move.

6/28/2011 11:40:41 PM

^, v most likely what I'll have to do even though I had hoped to stay here just to avoid moving costs and all the hassle

^^ the smallest 1br apartment they have here is most certainly not worth $730+ a month, even without the problems I listed in the OP

[Edited on June 28, 2011 at 11:46 PM. Reason : ]

6/28/2011 11:46:14 PM

Quote :

"well... move."

it's the beauty of living in America. Don't want to pay for a service, there are 1,000 other of the very same service from you to choose from....

They might also be raising your rent b/c you have a pet...

Quote :

"worth $730+ a month"

well they will fill your apt with someone who feels that $730/month is a steal for a 1 bedroom apt in Raleigh....

[Edited on June 28, 2011 at 11:48 PM. Reason : ....]

6/28/2011 11:46:15 PM

what was the breaking point for you people to move on to buying vs renting, price-wise?

^ you may be dead on. I've come to understand finally that apartments really don't want you to have a pet.. they just like to make the money off of you having one (and I'm sure they love the excuse to charge for new carpet regardless of its condition when you move out)




[Edited on June 28, 2011 at 11:49 PM. Reason : Durham's butthole barely counts as "Raleigh"]

6/28/2011 11:47:47 PM

your best bet is finding a private owner/landlord

i lucked out

two bedroom duplex with fenced in backyard for $750/month. After my lease was up two years ago, he said I didn't need to sign a new lease, wasn't going to raise my rent and could go month to month until i was ready to leave. Any maintenance calls are taken care of by the next day...

and my landlord comes and cuts the grass...

^yeah i wasn't sure if you were in Raleigh or what. But the fact is Durham is trying to turn the city around and part of that is going to be a lot higher rent in the area...

[Edited on June 28, 2011 at 11:53 PM. Reason : ...]

6/28/2011 11:51:57 PM

my renewal is coming up, rent only goes up $5. Great place to live, newly renovated, and maitence is freakin amazing. Seriously, I can call and leave a message about anything at 8am and by 8:30 they are here, no problem.

6/28/2011 11:58:11 PM

^^ sounds like you found a great set up. i'm still a n00b with finances even though i'm generally pretty responsible, which is what makes me a little bit stressed about the jump to ownership. i'm also sitting with a fairly new car i'm making payments on, and the add on the uncertainty of when job changes/marriage/etc will happen it makes it difficult to really get serious about a house in one area.

^ where do you live?

[Edited on June 28, 2011 at 11:59 PM. Reason : ]

6/28/2011 11:58:48 PM

Get a house bro

6/28/2011 11:59:00 PM

dangit boozie

[Edited on June 28, 2011 at 11:59 PM. Reason : ]

6/28/2011 11:59:22 PM

I'm paying $900 total for a 1300 sq. ft. house in Durham, with 2 roommates, 2 dogs, and chickens in the back, and garden beds in front, in a decent neighborhood. Private landlord all the way.

6/29/2011 12:17:31 AM

All the real estate blogs are saying its about to be open season for landlords to jack up everything every which way they want.

The home ownership rate has been steadily dropping the last 3 years, that is not gonna push rents down man.

6/29/2011 12:18:33 AM

People are too lazy/unable to move...so they just pay it. That's what they're counting on.

Instead, you gotta argue against the increase successfully...or move--hopefully find a place without too many initial move-in fees.

It's just a way to keep us paying...or moving (and paying to move in).

KeB is apparently some kinda idiot rube who thinks they increase rents with the market...$730 for a crappy one bedroom in Raleigh (or Durham)? Please, nobody would pay that...unless you already got your stuff all settled in there, and it's just for one more year, and then you'll move to a cheaper place, for real...or who knows, you may be buying by then...it's only one more year, you swear!

[Edited on June 29, 2011 at 12:49 AM. Reason : ]

6/29/2011 12:46:24 AM

Best option for not moving: Look for a roommate to help pay rent.

6/29/2011 12:54:42 AM

My landlord is jacking up the rent also. In a kinda sleazy way too, I have lived here all of four months so he brought me in on a teaser rent. Fuck him, I'm moving out (have a month-to-month so it is easy). I could easily absorb the rent increase but out of principle I won't rent from someone who does such things.

[Edited on June 29, 2011 at 1:01 AM. Reason : x]

6/29/2011 1:00:59 AM

^ what the hell are you even talking about.

[Edited on June 29, 2011 at 1:15 AM. Reason : If you wanted a guaranteed rate you should have signed a lease.]

6/29/2011 1:14:52 AM

^^^ Fuck that, don't just take it.

Move out. Maybe they'll blink when they see that you're dead serious about moving out. If not, follow through and go live somewhere else.

6/29/2011 1:23:08 AM

maybe they want him out.

6/29/2011 2:07:45 AM

haha last year when my landlord wanted to jack up my rent just 5% i flipped out

6/29/2011 2:10:08 AM

Quote :

"KeB is apparently some kinda idiot rube who thinks they increase rents with the market..."

as long as the housing market is crap, rent will continue to rise

must be a lot of rubes out there

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/43315486/

6/29/2011 2:16:14 AM

Having lived in other areas and paying $1800 for a small house and $1300 for a tiny apartment, I'm fucking grateful to be paying ~$700 for rent.

6/29/2011 6:34:12 AM

Quote :

"well... move."

I'd say that you are definitely entitled to do that once your lease runs up. Welcome to life and all the "unfair" bs that comes with it.

6/29/2011 6:43:25 AM

maybe your rent is getting raised on account of your stupid red text

6/29/2011 7:18:10 AM

To me, sounds like you shouldn't renew your lease to me.

6/29/2011 8:26:31 AM

Quote :

"well... move."

6/29/2011 8:48:39 AM

Quote :

"I've come to understand finally that apartments really don't want you to have a pet.. they just like to make the money off of you having one (and I'm sure they love the excuse to charge for new carpet regardless of its condition when you move out)"

i dont think this is a national secret. pets cause additional wear & tear, even if they're the sweetest thing on earth.

6/29/2011 8:53:17 AM

Quote :

"maybe your rent is getting raised on account of your stupid red text"

6/29/2011 9:00:39 AM

Quote :

"Having lived in other areas and paying $1800 for a small house and $1300 for a tiny apartment, I'm fucking grateful to be paying ~$700 for rent."

I imagine this attitude is probably contributing to the rent increases somewhat. Yankees move here and see an overpriced apartment and immediately go, "wow, what a great deal!".

6/29/2011 9:11:53 AM

i raised the rent on my roommate almost 10% after 7 months (i have her on a month to month agreement)

she is still getting a great deal but i did it because she "can't afford" to contribute to common use items like cleaning supplies, toilet paper for the common bathroom, paper towels, dish soap, dishwashing detergent, trash bags etc.

she was a student and has no job, ok no problem, i'll raise the rent and cover the costs that way

also with summer the power bill doubles and sometimes triples. she's on a flat rate for everything so the increase also covers that

even with the 10% increase there is no way she could find a comparable place for the same price so i dont give a fuck

6/29/2011 9:12:05 AM

When Rhyne tried to raise my rent $75 I just called and told them I wouldn't accept the rent increase and that I would be moving if they didn't drop it. I highlighted that I had been in the house over two years, never had a late payment, and that we were taking really good care of it. Also mentioned that it would take close to a year to recoup the costs of the house sitting un-rented for just one month.

They were like, "Yeah, we cool."

[Edited on June 29, 2011 at 9:33 AM. Reason : s]

6/29/2011 9:32:35 AM

a 30% increase is really quite ridiculous.

6/29/2011 9:47:22 AM

a lot of rental companies, if you talk to them you can negotiate keeping the rate down.

well at least around where i live.

6/29/2011 9:57:02 AM

Quote :

"I've come to understand finally that apartments really don't want you to have a pet.. they just like to make the money off of you having one (and I'm sure they love the excuse to charge for new carpet regardless of its condition when you move out)"

You don't think its reasonable that people don't want to live on carpet that has been shitted and pissed on by animals? I certainly would not live in a place knowing animals had lived there and the carpet wasn't replaced. Thats disgusting as hell.

6/29/2011 11:58:13 AM

Quote :

"maybe your rent is getting raised on account of your stupid red text"

6/29/2011 11:59:57 AM

I dealt with similar situation recently and can provide some valuable insight








As soon as you stop writing like Danny Torrance

6/29/2011 12:02:22 PM

REDRUM

6/29/2011 3:27:10 PM

the last time my landlord wanted to raise my rent i threatened to move out

rent's been the same ever since...less than $800/month for a 1200+ sf 2bed 2bath

but my landlord is a cool old man

6/29/2011 4:06:38 PM

Sounds like you were below market to start with, but 32% is pretty nuts. My rent has gone up by $25 each of the past 2 years, but my rent was $1100 to start with (1400 sf 3 bed, 2 bath, garage) so that's around 2%. Not going to complain too much.

Plus it sounds like your landlord is not exactly the best around. If I were you I would be out the door, I think.

6/29/2011 6:01:38 PM

Quote :

"what was the breaking point for you people to move on to buying vs renting, price-wise?"

The main thing was that I plan to live in one place long enough. What do they say, >7 years makes it better to buy vs. rent? The other thing is that I don't want to be in my 30's or 40's or start a family in an apartment.

About the money, it makes more sense to buy a house now and live there the rest of my life than it does to pay rent any longer, then buy a house and live there the rest of my life. It's a fantastic time to buy if you don't need to move anytime soon. My friend got a 1-br condo for $100k. At 5% interest over 20 years, that's only $660 a month.

6/29/2011 6:52:31 PM

^ that's not too bad.. i don't need anything big right now anyway. the question of where i'll be in 5-7 years is the big thing, and if in a couple years i'll be needing something more, which sucks.

^^ yeah $50-100 i could probably deal with.. i was just blown away at how steep the increase was for a very small 1br.

i talked to one of the people at the leasing office and he seems to think i could get the price worked down a little bit, so i guess i'll have to see what i hear back if anything.

Quote :

"You don't think its reasonable that people don't want to live on carpet that has been shitted and pissed on by animals? I certainly would not live in a place knowing animals had lived there and the carpet wasn't replaced. Thats disgusting as hell."

if your pet is that bad inside you don't have any business owning one. my dog has only pissed once or twice inside in the last year, and yes i cleaned it up. there are a few spots on the carpet now from spilled drinks or whatnot which i just need to get some stuff to really get out, otherwise you wouldn't know my dog ever touched the carpet.


[Edited on June 29, 2011 at 7:27 PM. Reason : ]

6/29/2011 7:25:04 PM

Increase is $1560 a year.


What's the cost to move?

Also,

Quote :

"a lot of rental companies, if you talk to them you can negotiate keeping the rate down. "

Most people are just too pussy to negotiate

[Edited on June 29, 2011 at 9:49 PM. Reason : .]

6/29/2011 9:46:35 PM

You gotta take a hard stance. Walk in there all sweaty and mad like "Listen to me, you son of a bitch". That way they know you're for real.

6/29/2011 9:55:47 PM

I find that popping a couple shots off in the ceiling helps set the mood of the negotiation. That and a firm handshake.

6/29/2011 10:49:23 PM

^this. ain't nobody gonna say no to that

6/29/2011 11:00:00 PM

^^^^^^^i live in Gorman Crossings townhouses

6/29/2011 11:23:48 PM

No one's counting that mountain range

6/29/2011 11:24:46 PM

6/29/2011 11:33:06 PM

Quote :

"When Rhyne tried to raise my rent $75 I just called and told them I wouldn't accept the rent increase and that I would be moving if they didn't drop it. I highlighted that I had been in the house over two years, never had a late payment, and that we were taking really good care of it. Also mentioned that it would take close to a year to recoup the costs of the house sitting un-rented for just one month. They were like, "Yeah, we cool.""

6/29/2011 11:43:00 PM

Quote :

"I imagine this attitude is probably contributing to the rent increases somewhat. Yankees move here and see an overpriced apartment and immediately go, "wow, what a great deal!"."

Probably. Doesn't apply to me. I had a $700 apartment in raleigh before going anywhere else. But it's just a fact: the cost of living around here is ridiculously cheap compared to a lot of metropolitan areas.

6/30/2011 12:27:30 AM