LAW OFFICE OF BRADLEY D. SCHNUR, ESQ. P.C.

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When can landlords increase rent?

On Behalf of | Apr 1, 2021 | Real Estate |

If a landlord in New York has an issue with a tenant, they might think about raising their rent in the middle of their current lease. Since the landlord owns the property, it might seem safe to assume that they can charge whatever they want. However, the law isn’t on their side if they adjust rent without the tenant’s permission.

Can landlords raise rent prices at any time?

Increased rent is a common cause of landlord/tenant issues. The landlord might own the property, but according to real estate law, they can’t raise their prices in the middle of a lease. If a tenant signs a lease, both they and the landlord have to abide by those terms until the lease expires. This means that the landlord can’t make any changes or additions without the tenant’s permission.

A landlord could increase rent in the middle of the lease, but they’ll have to get their tenant’s permission first. This applies to any kind of change the landlord wants to make to the lease. If the tenant disagrees, they’ll have to wait until the lease expires.

Once the lease expires, the landlord can write a new lease that increases rent and makes other changes as necessary. The tenant doesn’t have to sign the new lease, but they’ll have to find somewhere else to live if they can’t reach an agreement. One party might want to contact a real estate attorney if they can’t negotiate a fair deal.

Is the law on your side?

Whether you’re a landlord or a tenant, you could benefit from hiring a landlord-tenant attorney. An attorney could help you with basic tasks like buying property, writing contracts and evicting tenants. They could also answer your questions and make sure that you don’t accidentally break the law.

Furthermore, an attorney could help you deal with landlord/tenant disagreements and figure out a deal that works for everyone. This could include disagreements about contracts, rent prices, late fees, evictions, property damage and more. If a landlord has to evict a tenant, their attorney could help them follow the correct legal process.