Ideas About How to Say No to a Rent Increase

First, check the terms of your lease to make sure that your landlord is legally allowed to request a rent increase. If your landlord is able to request the increase, proceed to the next step. If not, show the landlord the lease and prove why he or she can not raise your rent.

Write your landlord a formal letter stating why you are opposed to the rent increase. Send a copy and keep a copy for yourself. You'll want to have this, should anything go wrong.

Start your letter by saying that you enjoy your current residence and would like to continue living there. Basically, start out nicely and with compliments, so the reader does not start out feeling defensive.

In your letter, write about why your rent should not be increased. Bring up any major, important, truthful points: have you been quiet and respectful throughout your lease so far? Have you maintained the house or apartment, such as mowing the lawn, maintaining the appliances and replacing household items that will stay after you leave?

Also write about any things that you were unhappy with - but say them nicely. For example, if your heat was faulty in the winter, you can say that due to the heat not functioning properly in the past, you should be paying more rent until it is proven that the heat is currently functioning. Go on further to explain that your personal expenses are higher due to the faulty heat: you had to purchase more blankets and space heaters, and you had to wash your clothes more often since you had to wear several layers of clothing.

Add a section of the letter that states that you are not willing to pay the rent increase. Say it nicely, but firmly. If you're not willing to pay it, than your landlord will have to accept it or ask you to leave.

Close with a nice paragraph, again stating that you like your place of residence and do not want to move. However, make it clear that with a rent increase, you will be more inclined to move because you think the current price that you are paying for rent is fair, and a higher price would not be.