Raising rent and parking garage at the same time greater than 10% (Long Beach: apartment, lease)

[Catenatedgoose]

I moved into a apartment in Long Beach CA a year and 4 months ago with a 6 month lease that included a parking garage at a price included into the rent. The property is now under new management and the rent itself was increased exactly 10% with proper 30 day notice. However they are now charging a seperate cost for the shared garages that are connected to the building but under the units on on the back side of the same building. This amounts to an additional 150 dollars on top of the 10% increase in actual rent when before the garage was included in the original rent. No new lease agreement was made only a 30 day notice from new owners.

Question being: Can they seperate the garage and charge $150 and increase rent 10%

Thank you in advance.

[Des-Lab]

Most likely, yes. They can. That's just a preview of how to circumvent so-called "gouging" laws and "rent caps".

Keep the base rent in line, but tack on additional fees for amenities that previously were included.

Basically the same thing that the airlines do. Charge a low base fare then pile on a dune of add on and accessorial charges.

If an airline tried to charge $500 for a ticket to, say, New York, no one would buy it. But if they advertised a base "fare" of $250 but then charged 'confirmation', 'fuel surcharge', 'carry on', etcetera fees totalling $250, people will buy it all day long. So the same ticket still cost you $500 even though you "think" you paid "only" $250.

Either way, they're going to get your money. To them, it's just line item semantics. And my gut hunch says that's exactly what this landlord company is doing. And it's legal.

[Catenatedgoose]

Not what i wanted to hear but it is what it is. Finding this out for sure is very difficult with out council. Thanks for your input.

[Astral_Weeks]

Originally Posted by Des-Lab

Most likely, yes. They can. That's just a preview of how to circumvent so-called "gouging" laws and "rent caps".

Keep the base rent in line, but tack on additional fees for amenities that previously were included.

Basically the same thing that the airlines do. Charge a low base fare then pile on a dune of add on and accessorial charges.

If an airline tried to charge $500 for a ticket to, say, New York, no one would buy it. But if they advertised a base "fare" of $250 but then charged 'confirmation', 'fuel surcharge', 'carry on', etcetera fees totalling $250, people will buy it all day long. So the same ticket still cost you $500 even though you "think" you paid "only" $250.

Either way, they're going to get your money. To them, it's just line item semantics. And my gut hunch says that's exactly what this landlord company is doing. And it's legal.

Yep, you are seeing the same tactic in the hotel business. More and more hotels are charging "resort fees" or "destination fees" just to stay at the hotel.

Granted these sort of fees are justifiable for true resort properties with numerous services and amenities. But you are starting to see these fees in typical urban sub-markets with relatively minimal on property amenities. A sort of slight of hand to the consumer.....a more opaque way to get the consumer to pay more.

[thelopez2]

Originally Posted by Catenatedgoose

I moved into a apartment in Long Beach CA a year and 4 months ago with a 6 month lease that included a parking garage at a price included into the rent. The property is now under new management and the rent itself was increased exactly 10% with proper 30 day notice. However they are now charging a seperate cost for the shared garages that are connected to the building but under the units on on the back side of the same building. This amounts to an additional 150 dollars on top of the 10% increase in actual rent when before the garage was included in the original rent. No new lease agreement was made only a 30 day notice from new owners.

Question being: Can they seperate the garage and charge $150 and increase rent 10%

Thank you in advance.

Why wouldn’t they be able to?

[fluffythewondercat]

Originally Posted by Catenatedgoose

I moved into a apartment in Long Beach CA a year and 4 months ago with a 6 month lease that included a parking garage at a price included into the rent. The property is now under new management and the rent itself was increased exactly 10% with proper 30 day notice. However they are now charging a seperate cost for the shared garages that are connected to the building but under the units on on the back side of the same building. This amounts to an additional 150 dollars on top of the 10% increase in actual rent when before the garage was included in the original rent. No new lease agreement was made only a 30 day notice from new owners.

Question being: Can they seperate the garage and charge $150 and increase rent 10%

Thank you in advance.

I actually think the new arrangement is more fair. I understand it doesn't seem that way to you, but what if a tenant didn't need a garage because they had no car? They'd be paying for the garage in their rent anyway.