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So this is what it would say, how would you react?
Dear Tenant,
In 60 days your lease expires. You have been a valued tenant these past 3 years. We have always had the strategy of setting our rental rates a bit below the market in order to retain really good tenants.
We plan to continue with this method, however the rent you pay for the house is now 15% below present market rates. So, this year at renewal we are raising the rent 6% and adding a non-emergency repair clause. What this means is we will arrange for non emergency repairs in the most economical way possible, which means it may take up to 30 days to complete repairs.
Non emergency repairs are the following:
Cabinetry, window and door repairs
Ceiling fan repairs
light switches or outlets that do not function
All other repairs that do not effect the HVAC system or plumbing leaks that are not damaging the property
In the past, we have been exceedingly responsive to each and every repair request and completed request within 24 hours -- no matter how minor. But we have determined that, in order to manage our properties more cost effectively, we can maintain our "below market rental rates" by scheduling non-emergency repairs by doing them ourselves or using our contractors at times when they charge more favorable rates.
Sounds somewhat reasonable. I try to do 24 hr repairs but in some cases I cant. I keep my rents a bit below going rate. 30 days is a bit excessive but it's not a emergency then it's a annoyance of nuisance.
If the terms seem unreasonable to you exercise your right to go elsewhere,
As a tenant, I probably would not be okay with non-emergency repairs taking 30 days. What if 1 toilet in a 2 bathroom house isn't working and you have to go 30 days without the second toilet, or say a storm throws a rock through your window and is sealed off with plastic for 30 days?
I mean of course I wouldn't care if a baseboard was missing for 30 days because it broke or something. But there are some repairs that I would be highly annoyed with taking 30 days since I typically don't call maintenance unless it's something that's actually an annoyance to begin with. For example, the last three times I've called maintenance, one has been about the smoke alarm breaking randomly, once for an oven knob that wasn't legible, and once for our dishwasher leaking a generous (but not large) amount of water onto the kitchen floor. None of those are emergencies but if I'd had to wait more than a week for someone to even look at them, I would not have been happy.
So this is what it would say, how would you react?
Dear Tenant,
In 60 days your lease expires. You have been a valued tenant these past 3 years. We have always had the strategy of setting our rental rates a bit below the market in order to retain really good tenants.
We plan to continue with this method, however the rent you pay for the house is now 15% below present market rates. So, this year at renewal we are raising the rent 6% and adding a non-emergency repair clause. What this means is we will arrange for non emergency repairs in the most economical way possible, which means it may take up to 30 days to complete repairs.
Non emergency repairs are the following:
Cabinetry, window and door repairs
Ceiling fan repairs
light switches or outlets that do not function
All other repairs that do not effect the HVAC system or plumbing leaks that are not damaging the property
In the past, we have been exceedingly responsive to each and every repair request and completed request within 24 hours -- no matter how minor. But we have determined that, in order to manage our properties more cost effectively, we can maintain our "below market rental rates" by scheduling non-emergency repairs by doing them ourselves or using our contractors at times when they charge more favorable rates.
If you have questions, please let me know
Your Landlord
I would be a little more specific with this wording. As a tenant, a door or window that is broken and won't lock and / or close properly is a safety risk to me and my family. I would expect my LL to address an issue like that quickly. Would you want to go a full month without being able to lock your door when you leave for work?
I wouldn't have any complaint about the rest of the letter. The rent increase shouldn't be a surprise to your tenants...they are likely already aware that they are paying below the current market rates in you area.
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