They Raised Our Rent Again
By StacyB
@Srbageldog (7716)
United States
May 27, 2018 1:34am CST
My boyfriend and I got a notice in the mail that our rent is going up another $25 starting July 1st. This makes a total of a $75 increase over the last two years, when new owners bought our building.
If they keep this up we will have to move, as we won't be able to afford to continue to rent here. These aren't especially nice apartments, either, and they do no upkeep on them. I broke my ankle on the stairs in March because the concrete is all chipped and cracked and collects puddles when it rains. Last year our neighbors got new ovens but we didn't, even though ours is old and wore out. And the building is constantly infested with cockroaches. They send out pest control once in a while but after a month the roaches are back.
Still, the apartments are in an okay neighborhood, not the greatest but not a dangerous place to live. If we have to move, we'll likely be forced to downgrade to a one-bedroom apartment in the ghetto, since rent prices out here in California are outrageous. And they keep going up since they keep raising minimum wage.
We have lived here for 10 years and I really don't want to move, even if it means dealing with cockroaches and cracked stairs and an old oven. This is my home and I hate the thought of leaving it.
8 people like this
13 responses
@LadyDuck (457908)
• Switzerland
28 May 18
@Srbageldog 
I am sorry for the bad credit, I was thinking that obtaining a mortgage and pay for it was a better solution.
I am sorry for the bad credit, I was thinking that obtaining a mortgage and pay for it was a better solution.1 person likes this
@Srbageldog (7716)
• United States
30 May 18
@LadyDuck Mortgage payments would be higher than our current rent...we did look into it before. Houses here in California are very expensive.
1 person likes this
@Srbageldog (7716)
• United States
28 May 18
Yes, it is the downside with renting. I wish we could afford to buy our own home, but I have bad credit and we wouldn't be able to afford mortgage payments.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (73326)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
27 May 18
Well, perhaps this a sign that even if you don't want to move you have no other choice and better days are coming up. I wish you the best of luck.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (73326)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
27 May 18
@Srbageldog now that is not good at all I hope you can resolve all of this. If I might ask where do you live in California?
1 person likes this
@Srbageldog (7716)
• United States
27 May 18
@RasmaSandra I live in Yuba City, a small city about a half an hour away from the state capital (Sacramento.) Some areas are dangerous to live in, in the bad parts of town.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (73326)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
27 May 18
@Srbageldog hope you can come up with a good solution.
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (95001)
• United States
27 May 18
You would think since you’ve lived there long enough and loyal they’ll honor your grandfathered in price.
My fiancé has been living at the place he’s at for over 10 years so far I think rents been raised one or two times. The owners have been wanting to raise since rent is crazy expensive but we told him hey we’ve kept your home nice and tidy.
Only problem stove does not work but we don’t cook so we unplugged that. Dishwasher doesn’t work but never did.. so literally we don’t request anything we do it ourselves
Like .. garbage disposal we fixed it ourselves cause normally if you request things to be done they raise the rent. But if they are for you I’d keep requesting problems with the apartment to be fixed !!
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (95001)
• United States
28 May 18
@Srbageldog It really sucks that the company handling these rental homes aren't doing anything. I would just complain until they do though because they're making money from the owners of these units each month per units they are looking after. That isn't right!
For us we just keep it down the low even and find alternatives. Stove doesn't work, no problem - we bought an single electric induction stove top.
We've been on the market for a home for the past couple years, now its way too late. Homes are sky rocketed in Southern California.... ideally hope to have a home in a year or two but I don't know if that's an option right now. I also considered moving out of state near my in laws (future) but .... I don't think I can move somewhere else. I don't know anything else but California. California is home also :)
For us we just keep it down the low even and find alternatives. Stove doesn't work, no problem - we bought an single electric induction stove top.
We've been on the market for a home for the past couple years, now its way too late. Homes are sky rocketed in Southern California.... ideally hope to have a home in a year or two but I don't know if that's an option right now. I also considered moving out of state near my in laws (future) but .... I don't think I can move somewhere else. I don't know anything else but California. California is home also :)1 person likes this
@Srbageldog (7716)
• United States
27 May 18
I heard from my mom (who worked with my next door neighbor when she first moved in) that they were planning on increasing the rent price by nearly $200...because other apartments (nicer apartments) go for higher prices, I guess they think they can ask the same.
We went without three out of four burners working on our stove for 8 years! They only finally replaced them when the new owner took over and came out to do an inspection...suddenly the rental company rushed to make it look like they keep up the place.
Our oven still works (knock wood) but it is old and very wore out, you can't even read the numbers on the knobs. Oh, and occasionally the ceiling in our bathroom grows mold! They just tell us to spray it with bleach (except when the new owners did their inspection, then they hurried and repainted it with special paint that's supposed to prevent it from molding...but it doesn't.) I just shudder to think how bad an apartment that costs less and is in a crappier neighborhood will be...we finally got rid of our tweaker neighbors, I don't want to have to move somewhere where there's tweakers again. 
1 person likes this
@caopaopao (12395)
• China
27 May 18
Maybe you can try and see if there are any other suitable houses around. It's better to live in a safe neighborhood.
1 person likes this
@Srbageldog (7716)
• United States
28 May 18
It bothers me too. I don't understand why they feel the need to do so. It seems like a purely selfish thing to do. I could understand if they did major renovations and the apartment was worth more afterwards, but that is not the case here.
1 person likes this
@aureliah (24319)
• Kenya
1 Jun 18
@Srbageldog I consider it pretty selfish when I think about it. Its greed
1 person likes this
@anikoonline (3250)
• Hungary
27 May 18
The owner of our flat raises 35$ every year. I hate it. The fee still counts as a normal (even low) fee here, because the renting prices increased so much during the last years. And we also have cockroaches.
1 person likes this
@Srbageldog (7716)
• United States
27 May 18
I am sorry to hear that. It makes it so hard to be able to afford to live when they keep raising the rent! Cockroaches are awful, and so hard to get rid of.
1 person likes this
@Srbageldog (7716)
• United States
27 May 18
@anikoonline Our landlord sends someone out every once in a while to do that also. Plus they spray outside the building once a month. Sometimes it seems like the roaches are gone, but then they always come back.
1 person likes this
@anikoonline (3250)
• Hungary
27 May 18
@Srbageldog The building hired a man that comes here once in every 3 months. He has some special liquid that he puts on the walls and corners. We have to pay for this service, but it is really effective against cockroaches.
1 person likes this
@maximax8 (31053)
• United Kingdom
27 May 18
Which area in the USA do you live in? Show the landlord your budget showing that a rent raise isn't suitable for you. Say that you have lived there for the last ten years and aren't keen to move. I know a friend that has two adult sons that live in California and it is very expensive to rent an apartment. See if your landlord can buy you another oven since the other ones in the building got one.
1 person likes this
@Srbageldog (7716)
• United States
28 May 18
I live in Northern California. Unfortunately, I don't think landlords are too concerned about whether or not tenants can afford the rent -- if we can't pay it, someone else will, so they'd just as soon lose us as tenants and rent to someone else. Yes, it is very expensive to rent here. Some apartments cost the same as renting a house.
@scarlet_woman (23465)
• United States
15 Jun 18
one of the places i rented jumped up in increments of 100.i finally did have to move.
problem with roaches is spraying's only as good as the cleanliness of your neighbors.you get a box hoarder and they're all hiding there..
1 person likes this
@Srbageldog (7716)
• United States
16 Jun 18
We never had a roach problem until the Hut moved in...and now we can't get rid of 'em. Wish she'd taken them with her.
@Srbageldog (7716)
• United States
28 May 18
We cannot afford a house. It is expensive to rent one, and we cannot afford mortgage payments (plus I have poor credit and would not be approved for a loan.)
@Courtlynn (66921)
• United States
27 May 18
Is your rent based on income? Or just a certain amount?
Ours is based on income, and is going up by $250 on July 1st. Due to both my mom and brothers hours going up til October.
Disgusting you get roaches and they dont really get rid of them.
1 person likes this
@Srbageldog (7716)
• United States
28 May 18
Our rent was a flat rate for 8 years. It's not based on income, but whenever the state raises minimum wage, the cost of EVERYTHING goes up. Which completely cancels out whatever benefit a higher minimum wage would have.
That sucks your rent is going up too. $250 is a big increase!
I know, I hate roaches. They are mostly in the bathroom. Once I'm completely healed from this injury, I'm going to attempt to do a deep cleaning of my apartment and then request that they send the pest control guy out again.
1 person likes this
@Courtlynn (66921)
• United States
28 May 18
@Srbageldog oooh that does suck.
Yeah.. but its part of living here. Goes up every spring til mid fall.
Spray some raid. It works for roachea from what it says.
1 person likes this
@Hannihar (129388)
• Israel
27 May 18
@Srbageldog
I keep praying that our rent will not go up each year. Sometimes he did not raise it. It is hard when one has to rent and they raise it a lot..
1 person likes this
@Srbageldog (7716)
• United States
28 May 18
I hope your rent doesn't go up again. It is very hard when they keep raising the rent. Even if it's just a little at a time, it eventually adds up.
1 person likes this
@Hannihar (129388)
• Israel
28 May 18
@Srbageldog
StacyB, so so true and thank you. It depends on if prices are going up or down. I do not have to worry till March of next year. I am sorry they raise your rent all the time. I have no where else to live so hope we can continue to live here. That is one of the hard things when have to rent hoping can stay and whether or not can afford the rent.
1 person likes this
