---

Posted by Stacy on August 16, 2001 at 14:34:36:

In Reply to: rent increase - help! posted by greg on August 16, 2001 at 11:51:39:

: The landlord of my building wants to raise our rent $500. The rent is currently $4000. Five people currently live in the apartment. We don't know if the apartment is rent stabilized. How can we find this out? If it is how much he can legally raise the rent? If it's not how much can he legally raise the rent? If we don't agree to the rent increase can he just kick us out? Help please

If it's not stabalised, he can raise the rent however much he likes (assuming you're at the end of your lease), and yes, he can choose not to renew your lease if you don't agree to the increase, effectively kicking you out. You should definitely check your rent history at DHCR to make sure your apartment was legally destabalised (details on how to do that elsewhere on the board--do a search), but at $4,000, it's pretty likely the destablisation was kosher. (Apartments that legally rent for over $2,000 are automatically destabalised.)

However--you might as well try to negotiate. Normally, I'd say landlords aren't going to be keen on accepting a lower rent increase, but this market isn't great for expensive apartments. Finding a new tenant for a $4,500 apartment may not be a simple thing, and if you've been good tenants your landlord may not want to bother. Try counteroffering a lower rent increase, noting that you've always paid on time (assuming you have), and whatever other positive things you can think of.

Good luck.

Follow Ups:

---

Note: Posting is disabled in all archives
Post a Followup

Name    : 
E-Mail  : 
Subject : 

Comments:
: : The landlord of my building wants to raise our rent $500.  The rent is currently $4000.  Five people currently live in the apartment.  We don't know if the apartment is rent stabilized.  How can we find this out?  If it is how much he can legally raise the rent?  If it's not how much can he legally raise the rent?  If we don't agree to the rent increase can he just kick us out?  Help please  

: If it's not stabalised, he can raise the rent however much he likes (assuming you're at the end of your lease), and yes, he can choose not to renew your lease if you don't agree to the increase, effectively kicking you out. You should definitely check your rent history at DHCR to make sure your apartment was legally destabalised (details on how to do that elsewhere on the board--do a search), but at $4,000, it's pretty likely the destablisation was kosher. (Apartments that legally rent for over $2,000 are automatically destabalised.)

: However--you might as well try to negotiate. Normally, I'd say landlords aren't going to be keen on accepting a lower rent increase, but this market isn't great for expensive apartments. Finding a new tenant for a $4,500 apartment may not be a simple thing, and if you've been good tenants your landlord may not want to bother. Try counteroffering a lower rent increase, noting that you've always paid on time (assuming you have), and whatever other positive things you can think of.

: Good luck. 


Optional Link URL:  
Link Title:         
Optional Image URL: 

---