Landlord wants us to sign a new lease 350/450 increase?

Question

In June I asked my landlord if my family could stay for another year. He said yes but said that his taxes went up and he will be charging us the amount of his tax increase. We decided we would pay that amount. Unfortunately, a couple of weeks before we are to sign a new lease , Unfortunately, he said he has back taxes and he wants to charge us 450....we were very surprised so he said 350 and he will get back to us. We were told nothing about back taxes. We pay his utilities which I know is illegal for this whole year.Now, he tells us this when the opportunities to get a place are when people in our neighborhood arent renting. Now, the school year is starting and he told us the wrong info regarding the rent increase.....Anything I can do......I am in NY

Answer 1

I don't think she's talking about percentages of the utilities--she's saying there is probably a law that limits the amount a landlord can raise his/her rent from one lease to the next by a percentage. If your current rent is $300 and he's raising it to $350, that's a $50 increase which is a little over 16%. If your state has a law that says he can only raise it 15%, then he's broken the law by raising it that much. However, if he goes to the state and can prove that his expenses went up more than the maximum percentage by law, they may allow him to raise it by more. If he does this, he has to give them advance notice, not a phone call saying "by the way I need to raise the rent more than you usually allow" a day or two before your lease is up.  

Answer 2

None of the details in your case matters.  Here is the relevant information.

1.  Your original lease expired.

2.  Your landlord wants to raise the rent...WHY he is raising it...is 100% none of your business.

3.  He want's $450....$100 increase.

4.  All he has to do is give you a 30 day notice to raise it.

5.  You also, have the right to NOT sign a new lease and give a 30-day notice to move.

Your case, is that simple.

PS: In every area, that is rent controlled, there are exceptions to the rent control.  If the landlord can prove to the city that his DIRECT expenses has went up so much that he would have to rent at a loss, he can violate the set-percentage with proper notice.

Answer 3

why would it be illegal for you to pay the utilities, even if they are in his name, you are living in the house.. I see nothing illegal about that..

as for the back taxed, he is the one that should be responsible for them.. you paid your rent. anything over that is up to him to cover..

Answer 4

In CA, in non rent controlled areas they can raise the rent as much as they want.  If it is over 10% they have to give you 60 days notice.  If it is less then 30 days is sufficient.  If it is in a rent controlled area each one has their own rules.

Answer 5

Find out if you have a law in your area that puts a cap on rent increases.

Where I live, they are not allowed to increase it more than 4% per year.

Answer 6

You did not say if this was a house or an apt that you rent.  If it is a house, there is nothing illegal in paying for the utilites.  If you rent an apt and it has individual meters, then you pay the utilites. Or even in an apt, you may pay a percentage of the utilities.  Say if there are 6 apts, then utilities are split 6 ways.  Nothing illegal in that as long as he provides you with a copy of each bill with your percent figured out.

It is a new lease and he can charge you what he wants to unless its a rent controlled area.  Then you would have to check it out with the county.  He also must give you 30 days notice of the rent increase IN WRITING.  Dont sign it until you know the rent amount or plan on moving out.

Answer 7

Your landlord is s******g You !! Find another place to rent and let him deal with his own taxes !1

Answer 8

Expert Realter is exactly right.