Two Rent Increases in 3 months? (San Francisco, Oakland: apartments, rental market, condos)

[serenity78]

Hi there -

I am renting a condo unit in SF. In April, my rent increased to $1625. I just received a notice that as of July, my rent will increase to $1725. Is it common for owners to do this? I assumed the original rent increase was good for a year. Note: I am currently month-to-month, and I do not believe renting a condo is covered by rent control. They already upped my rent by $100 and I can't believe they are increasing it by another $100 within 3 months. Sigh...

[HockeyMac18]

Originally Posted by serenity78

Hi there -

I am renting a condo unit in SF. In April, my rent increased to $1625. I just received a notice that as of July, my rent will increase to $1725. Is it common for owners to do this? I assumed the original rent increase was good for a year. Note: I am currently month-to-month, and I do not believe renting a condo is covered by rent control. They already upped my rent by $100 and I can't believe they are increasing it by another $100 within 3 months. Sigh...

While it sounds bad (not so much the amount of each, but the fact that the owner has done it twice in such a short amount of time), I've heard of some really (I mean, realllllllly) ridiculous rent increases happening in SF recently (in non-rent controlled properties, of course). I know someone who lives in SOMA whose rent increased almost $1,000 dollars (something like from mid-2000's to mid-3000's). I think landlords are hearing about the rent increases that are taking place in SF right now (some calling it a rent "bubble"), and are taking advantage of that by blasting up the rents to "market rate". This is happening the most in the newer apartments and condos in SF, specifically in the most trendy and sought-after neighborhoods.

I don't know how common it is for two rent increases in just 3 months. It sounds unusual, but I don't know...and with month-to-month, they can do whatever they want, I guess. But I know large increases are very common right now.

Maybe the landlord is trying to lesson the impact of your rent increase by doing it gradually over time, instead of with one huge rent increase (kinda like the "boiling frog" story...if a frog is placed in boiling water, it will jump out; but if it is placed in cold water that is slowly heated, it will not perceive the danger and will be cooked to death Boiling frog - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia).

[serenity78]

Aw man...I thought I lucked out with only a $100 increase in April. The East Bay is looking more and more appealing right now, esp. since I can't afford another place in my current 'hood (Pac/Lower Pac Heights border). I suppose I should be lucky that it's only another $200 and not $1000, but if they keep doing this every few months...ouch!!

[Natural510]

This is why rent control is a good thing.

[jrb724]

That's the advantage/disadvantage of month to month versus lease. Rent can increase any time but you can also leave at any time. It all depends on the landlord and market but generally landlords prefer a lease so they don't have as much turnover and lock you in for 6 months - 1 year.

I guess with the hot rental market in SF, the landlord wants the flexibility to increase the rent. I'd start looking at other options as I suspect the landlord may keep increasing your rent until it is at market rate or above - or think about trying to lock in a lease at the current rate.

On a side note, a former landlord of mine charged $300 more rent (on a $1700 place) just for the "privalege" of month to month. That got a laugh out of me. Needless to say, I liked the place and didn't want to move so I signed a lease.

[mayorhaggar]

So glad I fled to Southern California, beats staying in my drafty studio in Oakland just so I could have barely affordable rent.

Rent control in SF only affects buildings built before 1979, or something like that. It's kind of complicated but yeah, this is why rent control is a good thing. SF would be a really ****ed up place if it was just a yuppie playground, it already is kind of but there's enough middle class people there to keep it real.

San Francisco Tenants Union

[CSD610]

I rent my house for $600.00 per month there is no way I would pay someone else $1725.00 per month for rent. I would not pay that much for a mortgage let alone rent. Hope it does not pinch your budget too much.

[fashionguy]

How big is your condo? It is not kind of the landlord to do so but this sounds cheap in SF proper even after the raise.

If you can find a cheaper unit, I would say just move and fight back because landlords are testing the market. However if you can't then there is really nothing you can do.

Originally Posted by serenity78

Hi there -

I am renting a condo unit in SF. In April, my rent increased to $1625. I just received a notice that as of July, my rent will increase to $1725. Is it common for owners to do this? I assumed the original rent increase was good for a year. Note: I am currently month-to-month, and I do not believe renting a condo is covered by rent control. They already upped my rent by $100 and I can't believe they are increasing it by another $100 within 3 months. Sigh...

[SandyCo]

If your unit isn't under rent control, the landlord can raise your rent whenever he/she wants. The sky is the limit! However, if a rent increase is 10% or less within a 12-month period, only 30 days' notice is required. If the rent increase totals more than 10% within a 12-month period, 60 days' notice is required. This is California state law.

As an example, if you're paying $1,500 and your landlord raises your rent by $150 (10%) to $1650, only a 30 days' notice is required. However, if you get another increase for any amount within the following twelve months, the landlord must give you 60 days' notice, because the total rent increase is more than 10%.

[bmw335xi]

Originally Posted by serenity78

Hi there -

I am renting a condo unit in SF. In April, my rent increased to $1625. I just received a notice that as of July, my rent will increase to $1725. Is it common for owners to do this? I assumed the original rent increase was good for a year. Note: I am currently month-to-month, and I do not believe renting a condo is covered by rent control. They already upped my rent by $100 and I can't believe they are increasing it by another $100 within 3 months. Sigh...

There's pros and cons to lease agreements. You should have signed a one year lease if you want to avoid continuous rent increases, but you are free to leave whenever you want pretty much. The land lord might lose you any month, so they should be able to increase rent in a month to month.