Rent increse ?? HELP ! (Los Angeles: apartment, lease, tenant)

[dan1440]

Hi all ! first time posting. My rent just went up 10%. not that I'm complaining but I thought they can only raise 5% a year. Am I being cheated by my landlord ?? Any info will be grateful.

[SandyCo]

If your unit is under rent control, then they can only raise the rent 5% (it's going to be 3% on July 1st). If your apartment isn't under rent control, they can raise it as much as they want, but if it's more than a 10% in any 12-month period, they have to give you 60 days' notice under state law.

I'm speaking of Los Angeles rent control, by the way. Here is a map of the City of L.A.:

City of Los Angeles Map - Detailed View

For more information, see this link:

California Tenant Law - Non-profit legal advice for California renters' rights

[mommabear2]

It depends on where you live. Landlords that have building in rent controlled areas of L.A. can raise the rent higher than the alloted 3% average for different reasons. They can raise the rent 10% if another occupant - that is not on the lease - moves in (but they have to reduce it once the occupant moves out), if they pay utilities they can add an additional 1-2% on top of the usual amount... etc. If your building is newer (built after 1978 I think) then your building is not under rent control or if it's a single family dwelling. Hope this helps.