Is this northgate seattle apartment rent increase unfair?? (Everett, Lynnwood: 2015, leasing agent)

[annonymous0381]

I'm on vacation in the LA,california area visiting my parents this week. Around 10am today I got a phone call from my apartment manager in northgate seattle. The phone call was telling me that my rent is going up from the current $1200 a month for a 1 bedroom apartment built in 1987. The apartment manager wanted to know if I would be renewing my lease on August 1st,2017 or vacating.

The rent increase was steeper than expected. I was shocked. My carpeting has holes in it and is worn to the brim. My tiolet in my bathroom won't flush and I habe asked management 10 times to fix my tiolet. My bathroom tiolet is unusable so I have to walk and use the restroom at target. My bathroom sink faucet is leaking water all over my bathroom counter when I turn it on. Again I have told management 10 times to fix the faucet and they ignore me.

I tried negiotating with the apartment manager about reducing the rent increase and she refused to budge not even a penny. I asked for new carpeting and if they could fix the tiolet and she said no.

This rent increase is feel is unfair becuase they are renting me a broken apartment in my opinion that the refuse to fix.

Not only am I getting a rent increase but electricity and power will not be included in the new august 2017 lease.

I'm lost and don't know what to do??

I may end up renewing the lease until august 2018 because I don't have enough time to look for a new place. I would just deal with the torn carpet and broken tiolet. What annoys me is I asked 2 months ago if my rent will go up and my apartment manager said I don't know. Last week I asked my apartment manager if my rent will go up and she said I don't know.

According to my calculator my rent went up 24%. I refuse to say the amount because very upset.

I feel that the landlord is taking advantage of me. I called the corporate office of the landlord and he said I don't have time to talk to you now.

This is personal but I do have 2 noticeable disabilities which are aspergers and mild cerebral pulsy. I wonder if the apartment manager is taking advantage of me or trying to rip me off??

Any advice??

[Ruth4Truth]

Call the Seattle Renters' Union and discuss it with them, find out what your rights are and what they suggest. The toilet issue should have been raised and resolved back when it first came up. They're making you pay for an apartment that isn't habitable. You should have contacted Renters' advocates back then; they may have arranged for you to talk to a lawyer for free. Follow through on this now.

[annonymous0381]

At the current time I don't own a car so where ever I live has to be near king county metro buses.

My parents may be giving me their car when they purchase a new car in September 2017.

What I'm looking for is another onebedroom apartment with a working tiolet which seems reasonable for around $1200 a month in seattle northgate.

[annonymous0381]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Call the Seattle Renters' Union and discuss it with them, find out what your rights are and what they suggest.

Thank you so much Ruth. Do you have their phone number??

[annonymous0381]

There is apartment rental descrimination against people with disabilities. When I first moved to seattle I tried to rent an apartment in kirkland,washington and was lied to that someone else rented the apartment. My x girlfriend called the leasing agent in kirkland and they said that the apartment is still available but they wouldn't rent to me because they thought I was wierd.

This incident in kirkland happened in July 2015.

I'm concerned that if I try to find another apartment that I may face rental descrimination.

[Ruth4Truth]

You can discuss all those issues with someone at the tenants' union. Discrimination against the disabled is illegal, AFAIK, as long as they can pay the rent and take proper care of the unit.

You can start here. Know Your Rights - Tenants Union of Washington State

[annonymous0381]

another tenant in my apartment building told me that during certain hours of the day building management is shutting off her water. She complained to management and management called her a liar.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by annonymous0381

another tenant in my apartment building told me that during certain hours of the day building management is shutting off her water. She complained to management and management called her a liar.

Contact her. She can join you in your complaint, and you can work together with the tentants' rights organization. Maybe there are other tenants with issues, too.

Document all communications with mgmt. Log phone calls (date, time, topic, etc.) She should do the same.

It sounds like there are code violations going on, and that city inspectors should be called. Get legal advice. The place should probably be condemned, if there are serious plumbing issues that are going unadressed. This could be the tip of the iceberg.

I see in a quick scan of Craigslist listings that rents have gone up in your area. Studios are now going for close to $1200. Your building owners probably want a piece of that action--the higher rent. They may be planning repairs & minor upgrades. I wouldn't pay such a big rate hike without their fixing things in your apt. You could write that into the contract, requiring them to do that in exchange for higher rent. (You're allowed to alter the contract & send it back for their approval.) Again--get legal advice.

To get a place at your current price, you have to go further north in the N'gate area, out by 130'th or 140'th, and around Jackson Park. If you get a car, you'd be able to handle that. Here's a listing, just FYI.

https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/apa/6180357767.html

Eventually, you may have to move to Lynnwood or Everett. There's a transit center out there, I think, or it's covered decently by transit.

Good luck!

[annonymous0381]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Contact her. She can join you in your complaint, and you can work together with the tentants' rights organization. Maybe there are other tenants with issues, too.

Document all communications with mgmt. Log phone calls (date, time, topic, etc.) She should do the same.

It sounds like there are code violations going on, and that city inspectors should be called. Get legal advice. The place should probably be condemned, if there are serious plumbing issues that are going unadressed. This could be the tip of the iceberg.

I see in a quick scan of Craigslist listings that rents have gone up in your area. Studios are now going for close to $1200. Your building owners probably want a piece of that action--the higher rent. They may be planning repairs & minor upgrades. I wouldn't pay such a big rate hike without their fixing things in your apt. You could write that into the contract, requiring them to do that in exchange for higher rent. (You're allowed to alter the contract & send it back for their approval.) Again--get legal advice.

To get a place at your current price, you have to go further north in the N'gate area, out by 130'th or 140'th, and around Jackson Park. If you get a car, you'd be able to handle that. Here's a listing, just FYI.

https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/apa/6180357767.html

Eventually, you may have to move to Lynnwood or Everett. There's a transit center out there, I think, or it's covered decently by transit.

Good luck!

The apartment unit you are suggesting near jackson park is much bigger than my unit and also much nicer and more modern than my unit. And it's cheaper than my current unit. Why would the landlord do steep increases when people have options??

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by annonymous0381

The apartment unit you are suggesting near jackson park is much bigger than my unit and also much nicer and more modern than my unit. And it's cheaper than my current unit. Why would the landlord do steep increases when people have options??

Are you thinking the LL is doing that just to get rid of you? I wouldn't assume this is a discrimination case. Call your friend in the building, and see if she's been given a big rent increase. I would assume that they want to keep up with the rental market in the area, though it's obvious why the units in your building aren't getting that kind of money. Why would they want to get rid of you, if you've been paying on time, and haven't been hassling them, except for the toilet?

Anyway, do more research.