That chat with a landlord about tenant rights made me check my lease again

I was dropping off mail at this duplex in Burbank and the owner came out to chat. He said he just raised rent by $250 because the city's rent control law has a loophole he found online. Something about capital improvement pass-throughs. It hit me different because my own lease renewal is coming up in 2 months and I never actually read the fine print. Has anyone here dealt with a landlord using that capital improvement angle to bump rent?

2 comments

2 Comments

ward.jamie14d ago

That capital improvement pass-through seems like one of those things that sounds scary but really depends on the building and the market. My buddy in North Hollywood had a landlord try to tack on $300 for new windows and he looked it up, said most places have a cap on how much they can pass through per year. I'd check your local rent board rules first before stressing. Maybe it's just me, but a lot of these "loopholes" turn out to be landlords testing what they can get away with. Unless your building is actually falling apart, I'd bet the increase is probably negotiable or even not legal without proper notice.

wendyk5613d ago

Yeah exactly this. Landlords love to throw around big terms hoping tenants won't push back. I've had luck just asking for the actual paperwork showing the costs and the legal notice period. Most of the time they back off when you ask for documentation.