Would you sign this lease? Weird DC rent control issue. (apartment, rental)

[confusedasusual]

Long story short, I am moving for work back to DC and found a place I like.

I put down a refundable deposit and went through the application, got approved and was quoted a monthly rate with a free month at the end of the rental period. They sent over a lease today. It is 28 PAGES LONG and the weirdest lease I have ever seen (I rented in DC for many years before moving out of state).

The rent amount quoted in the lease is 3067 and they are giving me a "discount" over the course of the lease to bring it to 2475. The building is an old one, and covered by DC rent control, and the landlord applied for a 70% exception to do improvements like put in a gym.

I was very uneasy with the terms of the lease and told the agent. She called the landlord and he is now re-doing it to reflect the actual rent amount. I think what they were trying to do is to indicate a higher rental amount on the lease so that next year when they increase, the "ceiling" is much higher. I am not sure though.

Would you work with these people? This seems very very odd.

[Opacy]

I'd say you're right to be wary. Did all you have previously was a verbal agreement that your actual rent would be discounted to 2475? If so, that's very sketchy - that's a smart move to have the lease re-written to reflect the agreed upon actual rental amount.

More often than not it pays to trust your gut on this (in my opinion anyway, I tend to be overly paranoid though ). If you really, really have your heart set on that particular place, I'm sure you could get a lawyer at a reasonable fee to look over the revised lease.

[confusedasusual]

Originally Posted by Opacy

I'd say you're right to be wary. Did all you have previously was a verbal agreement that your actual rent would be discounted to 2475? If so, that's very sketchy - that's a smart move to have the lease re-written to reflect the agreed upon actual rental amount.

More often than not it pays to trust your gut on this (in my opinion anyway, I tend to be overly paranoid though ). If you really, really have your heart set on that particular place, I'm sure you could get a lawyer at a reasonable fee to look over the revised lease.

The apartment was advertised as $2475. When I filled out the paperwork on the application it indicated the unit number and the rent of $2475. Never once did I hear this $3067 number until today.

I flat out refused to sign and said that I would back out of the deal unless it was re-done. It just seems very sketchy. From what I understand, if a landlord makes improvements to a rent controlled property in DC, he/she can apply to increase the rent ceiling. This landlord did and was approved. The rent CEILING is $3067--the RENT was never $3067. I just think this is a sneaky way to do it, though probably technically legal.

[whatisthedealwith]

I posted a reply to your thread in the rental forum. This LL is trying to get around DC rent control laws and charge you a lot more if you want to renew. DO NOT SIGN until they re-do the lease.