Just Jenney

This is so irritating.

I have lived in our one-bedroom, one bathroom (720 sq ft) apartment since January 2001. When I first moved here, my monthly rent was $655 -- a little on the steep side, but managable. Mark moved in back in May 2003 when he came to the States on his K1 visa. So it's been the three of us -- me, Mark, and our 100lb dog, Andie -- for almost 4 years now, squeezed into this little place.

Over the years, the rent has gone up incrementally (about $25/month) every time the lease comes up for renewal. We are currently paying $770/month, a rate we "locked into" when we signed a 20-month lease back in August 2005. We expected another $20-25 increase, and also expected to sign up for a lease option that was at least 18 months.

So we get our lease renewal notice today, and the rent is going up to $815!!!!!! Not only that, but the 12+ lease options that have ALWAYS been available are now gone. It's $815 for a 12-month lease, that's it.

Meanwhile, it's not as if this apartment is improving with age. We have mold damage from a leaky pipe inside a wall that happened about 4 years ago, and the carpet is damaged from the same leaky pipe incident. There have been repairs that the that Mark and I have gone and fixed ourselves after the maintenance crew botched them up.

Our appliances have never been replaced, so they are at least 6 years old. (They were NOT new when I moved in.) Our carpet is horrible (thanks, Andie!) but when they offer to "clean" it (which they do with a lease renewal), they do little more than spray carpet freshener on it and vacuum it. In other words, nothing we couldn't do ourselves. Strangely, I overheard one of the apartment people talking to a prospective tenant once and clearly heard her say that the carpets in these apartments last 5 years. Well guess what? Our carpet is 6 years old now, and they've never offered to replace it!!

We have been excellent tenants, never missing a payment in 6 years, not even once. We've never had any complaints lodged against us or our dog. Andie is extremely quiet, hardly ever barks, is always walked on a leash and is always picked up after outside. Basically, we're great tenants that they should want to keep around. I think I've been here longer than almost any other resident, and even some of the apartment complex employees.

I have to admit, we do live in a nice neighborhood in a growing area. Which is why we expected our rent to go up -- but not by as much as it is. We really don't feel this increase is justified, and we're quite ticked off about it.

We can't move because 1) we can't afford it; and 2) it is next to impossible to find somewhere to rent that allows 100lb Akitas. (In fact, our current apartment complex no longer allows Akitas, but Andie's been grandfathered in because we've lived here so long.)

What should we do? I read a couple of articles online about negotiating your lease, but what if they don't agree? We have a decent working relationship with the apartment complex which I really don't want to damage. And anyway, what would be a good negotiable monthly rental fee??

ps. I looked up our complex on Apartments.com and discovered that similar but vacant apartments are going for $850/month, so we're still technically getting a better deal BUT the vacant apartments have been thoroughly cleaned, repainted, recarpeted, have newer appliances, etc. Our crappier, older carpet, appliances and walls should mean the rental gap should be much wider than $35/month.

~ Jenney

Elvira

What does your lease say re. refurbishment, painting, re-carpeting, repairs etc?

Just Jenney

They do repairs, and with the exception of the leaky pipe (which was a big fiasco!), they've been alright. There were a couple of times that we had to fix things ourselves, which weren't really big deals, but then it's their job to fix them, not ours! That's why we pay rent!

There is nothing in the lease, nor has there ever been, which indicates they will repaint, replace appliances and/or carpeting after X amount of time. When I first moved here, I honestly never thought I'd still be here 6+ years later. But we are, and we're stuck with what was here when I moved in.

When we renew our lease, we are offered a choice of a renewal "gift" depending on how long we've lived here. Since we've lived here 6 years now, we're eligible to receive a "sparkling clean carpet" (yeah, right -- I know better), "complete apartment repainting" (which we couldn't care less about, or "one-time $100 rental discount."

While the latter is appealing, when you spread that out over 12 months that's only a $8.33/month discount, which in the grand scheme of things is simply not worth it.

~ Jenney

Irn-bru

That's the things of it isn't it with renting its not till you move out or in to a place until they do major work.

Have you just tried a friendly chat to them they might think you are OK with everything. I'd point out that you overheard about new carpets etc. I'd also try and negotiate saying if I don't take your 'gifts of clean carpet" can I get x instead.
If you are polite and nice they can't get annoyed with you for just putting out feelers.

Then at least you know where you are with them and if the worse comes to the worse at least if you have to pay $50 more a month in a different place, you know its been redone.

BigDavyG

Would you be prepared to move to one of the better apartments in the same complex for the $815 you were quoted or would that just be too much hassle ??

Also how many vacant apartments do they have ??

Just Jenney

Yeah, that's not worth the hassle. Plus, we live on the first floor, and all the vacant apartments of the same size are on the second or third floors. Our dog has arthritis and couldn't manage that; we have enough trouble just getting her into and out of our car.

~ Jenney

Bob

check out other apartments, take pics of what the money is getting...and then say what you've seen and what you expect from them or you'd consider moving...call there bluff.

But saying that, I'd be well chuffed to make almost a half drop in rent...it blows here in Mass...I didn't realise how good we had it in Maine *l*

Just Jenney

That's a really good idea, actually. I wonder if they'd see through it, though? I mean, they obviously know who we are since we've been here for so long! At the very least it would be nice to know what someone else is getting for only $35/month more than what we'd be paying...

~ Jenney

Rete

That's because you are close to Boston. Just here in the 'burbs of NYC rents are outrageous and forget about owning something, even a co-op, let alone a condo. Friends just bought a 2 bedroom condo in an adult community where the starting price for a 1 bedroom is the high $300's. At least here in the 'burbs or even NYC, you are entitled to a full apartment painting every three years. I've lived here in this place for 30 yrs so that would be 10 paintings but instead we paint it ourselves without a reimbursement of monies. But they do fix whatever is broken or in need of repair at no charge and without a fuss.

Jenney look around and see if there is something nicer or newer in the area that you might like before you sign the lease and if you have to remain, then talk to them about some improvements in the apartment, i.e. painting, new appliances, etc. before you sign for such a large increase.

cabritpop

I would consider adopting the dog out through an Akita specialist. I used to have a Boxer I loved dearly, but my living situation did not allow for it to be really happy so I adopted her to a family with a house. And it was almost impossible to get a place that accepted pets anyhow.

I lived in CA and 1 bed apts went from $950 to $1200 a month in just a few years. In the $950 month I had to move due to being robbed and my garage was constantly broken into. Plus the meth lab upstairs and the disabled child who wore a helmet and would bang his head on the floor for hours. When we left last year we were paying $1195 a month for a 1 bed. Prior to that it was almost the same amount for a 1 bed that we had to move out and live in a hotel due to the apartment getting infested with toxic mold and we were VERY sick.

Apartment living = bend over and grab your ankles.

Bob

Well it's worth it....you say they've got empty apartments, so there hurting there already....that's what we did at our old place when they were saying they were thinking of raising the rent if we didn't get a long term lease...we looked around and then said for less money we could get a similar sized place already, or for a little more we could get a whole house...that and the other two apartments had been empty for a couple of months...they didn't raise our rent and let us have a monthly lease.

scrubbedexpat099

Can do no harm trying, but with a dog they have you by the short and curlies.

Just wondering as a large dog owner how you look after one in an apartment. Mine likes to sit out in the snow most of the day, tricky in an Apartment complex?.

Cape Blue

The inflationary increase from 2001 to present day would bring your rent from $655 up to $767 pcm, if they are heading for $815 they are after an increase above inflation. Offer them the $795 you expected to pay (or perhaps less) - they would be idiots to lose good tenants who always pay and rarely complain. The costs of advertisng for and contracting with new tenants ,plus any potential empty time should help focus their minds.

Always going to be difficult finding a new place with the mutt in tow.

snowbunny

Is there a tenants' rights group in your area?

http://www.housing-rights.org/

is one here.

For what it's worth, residential rental carpet has a depreciable life of seven years. All that that means is that the owner writes the cost of the carpet off over that period of time, but it also is an indicator of how long the carpet is expected to "last."

What you're paying for is the ability to live on the ground floor with a very large dog. Your best bet may be to get the $100 and either have the carpet professionally cleaned, or save the money. There's no harm in negotiating and they may agree to bring your apartment up to the standards of their other apartments -- or not.

Just Jenney

Sorry if it seemed like I dropped out of this thread -- I was having connection issues so I couldn't respond!

Cabritpop -- Getting rid of the dog isn't going to happen. She's 12 years old and I've had her since she was a 3-month-old pup, she's been my constant companion my entire adult life. I'm not going to get rid of her just because she makes our housing options a bit more restricted.

Boiler -- Like a lot of large breed dogs, Andie isn't very energetic and has a slow metabolism. She doesn't need a lot of room, so she does just fine in our little place. She gets walked every day, of course, and there is a little dog run the apartment complex built if she needs to run around a bit. (Her little bursts of energy last about 2 minutes, tops.)

Cape Blue -- We have been thinking of asking for $795 because 1) that would be more in line with the $25 increases we've had in the past; and 2) there's just something about crossing the $800 threshold that seems really horrible!

Snowbunny -- Regarding the carpet, I specifically heard the apartment lady telling someone on the phone that their carpet lasts 5 years, which means that number is probably part of their selling spiel. So why not call them on it? We figure it's worth a try.

As far as paying more to live on the ground floor because of the large dog, that actually isn't the case. In the past, I've checked the rental rants for vacancies online, and first floor units are more or less on part with second and third floor units. Everyone who owns a dog here has to pay an extra $500 deposit and $15/month pet fee, regardless of what breed of dog or what floor they live on.

Ok... gotta get ready for work now!

~ Jenney