Rent increase for additional tenants question (CA) (apartment, lease, tenant)

[chintalalan]

i'm planning on having my girlfriend move in with me. I live in the city of LA and was wondering if anyone knows how much my landlord could increase the rent for an additional adult tenant. is it just however much it can go up within the rent stabilization or can it be much more?
my building is rent control and i have been paying month to month after my first year lease for two years now, if it makes a difference.
thanks.

[DontH8Me]

Did you read your rental agreement? I would gather that this should be covered in there.

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

Not sure on a rent control buildings. With many places though when you rent the stipulation is can each person in the place cover the rent. For example if you both break up and you leave can her job keep her in the apartment. Many places may also want to have her added to the rental agreement and will want to run a credit check on her as well. Be advised that if you go that route her income will more than likely need to cover the rent and living expenses.

Another issue is with the size of the apartment. Most places will only allow you 2 people per bedroom. Their again it depends on the size of the rented space. For example a 950 square foot, 2 bedroom apartment is allright for 2 people per bedroom plus 1 additional person for a total of 5 people. A 750 square foot place with 2 bedrooms would may only be good for 2 people per bedroom for a total of 4 people.

The last issue that you may have is with the water, sewer, trash, Electricity, and gas, depending what is covered or not. I know of several places that have units that are not metered but they charge everyone for water and sewer. If 3 people are in a place they will charge a set amount, if 5 people are living there the amount would go up to reflect the additional people. I don't know of any other issues that you may have.

Something you could do is to contact the manager and see how it would affect you to have your girlfriend move in with you. More than likely this is something that only they will be able to answer because of how your specific rental agreement is set up and the policies that they have in place.

[SandyCo]

http://lahd.lacity.org/lahdinternet/Portals/0/Rent/20B-%20BULL-ADDITIONAL%20TENANTS%202010.pdf (broken link)

The rent can be increased 10%, and may only be increased after the new tenant has resided in the unit for thirty days. Also, rent increases up to 10% require 30 days' written notice from the landlord.

Please see the above link for more detail.

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

Wow, you learn something every day.

That does lead to a question. If you were a first time renter and you find a place that rents for $1,500 a month is that for only 1 adult? If 3 people decide to rent the place do they figure on paying $1,800 between them, or 10% additional for each additional person?

[CALGUY]

If you rented the unit by yourself originally, then if additional tenants moved in after you, the rent would go up for each new tenant, and as the principal renter, you would be responsible for the rent payment too the landlord.
In essents, you would be paying more for the priviledge of having others living with you.
Bob.

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

Calguy and SandyCo,

I found that interesting information, I had never heard of that before. Here in Ventura County I have never heard of the rent going up when a second or third tennant moved in. But then this is not a rent controlled area. Not that it doesn't make sence to raise the rent. Does that also include if someone gets married?

The places that I have rented treated married couples differantly than those that were in a room mate situation. Lets say that two people move to a place that are married, the rule of thumb is that everyone have an income equal to 3x the monthly rent, unless you are married then it is 3X the income of the married couple. If someone were to move into a place that was occupied by another and they also were added onto the rental agreement then they would also need to make 3X the rent, unless the two were newly married and the new spouse was moving into the apartment.

Either way interesting information.

[SandyCo]

This is what the Rent Stabilization Ordinance says:

An additional tenant is: Any tenant joining the occupants of the rental unit which results in an increase in the number of tenants existing at the inception of the tenancy. A guest is not considered an additional tenant until they have lived in the unit for 30 consecutive days.

That means if you're living in the apartment by yourself, and you get married (or even cohabit longer than 30 days), your rent can be increased by 10%. In this market, when landlords are so desperate for tenants, I doubt this would happen but it is certainly legal. The only exception is a minor child, and only the first minor child. If two children move in with you, then the second child could result in the rent being raised 10%.

Luckily, my old landlord didn't know about this law when my son came to live with me and his older sister when he was nine years old many years ago.

[candiekisses5]

can my rent go up if my child moves back home ?...she is 17

[CALGUY]

Yes, by 10%.
Bob.