We moved in January 2011, on a one-year lease and month to month with 30 days notice from either tenant or landlord after that. So we have been there for (at the end of this month) 5 years and the rent ($1,200) has not changed in this time.
We got a notice of a rent increase effective Jan 1 in the mail yesterday, 12/9. Rent is going up $200, to $1,400. It is quite a jump but I understand we have reaped the benefits of unusually stable rent over the last 4 years. Compared to a 3.1% increase every year over the time we've been in our place, this single larger increase works out in our favor by about $4,580, in terms of total rent paid.
Our landlord has actually also made money saving improvements to the property (conversion from oil to gas heat, and from electric hot water tank to gas on demand hot water.) We've been happy with our landlord and I believe he's been happy with us.
In addition to the rent increase, he would like us to sign another 1 year lease. After a year it goes back to month to month.
We've been looking for a place to buy on and off for about 7 years now, and I don't know when we are going to find a place that we are willing to buy, but I really value the month-to-month state of our current agreement.
The current lease does have a 30-day notification policy for vacancy, but doesn't really have a notification policy for changes in rent or updates to the lease agreement.
Here is what I'd like to email to my landlord:
We received your notice of the rent increase in the mail yesterday, 12/9. Of course we were sorry to see the increase, but we do understand the reasons behind the it.
I know when we first moved in I mentioned we were looking to buy at some point and valued the month-to-month terms of the lease that followed the initial year. The updated lease also asks for another 1 year term before going to month-to-month with 30 days notice. Would it be possible for us to continue on the month-to-month terms along side the rent increase? I can't say I would bet on us moving in the next year, anyway. But it would be appreciated given the long-standing and positive landlord-tenant relationship we have. Or, if that is not possible, perhaps the penalty (one month's rent) for moving out before a year can be removed if circumstances allow for no break in tenancy?
Lastly, would it be possible for the increase to commence on February 1, 2016, rather than January 1, 2016? I'm not sure if the 30 day notification terms in the lease apply only to changes in tenancy or all changes to the lease agreement. We are only 3 weeks out from January 1st at this point.
Let me know your thoughts on these changes; I look forward to hearing from you!
Am I being reasonable here? Is the request to put off the increase by a month kinda petty? If it might be perceived as such, I think I should drop it. Any other feedback? (If you respond, let me know if you are a renter or a landlord or neither, I just want to be able to understand perspective.)