Long time renter pays the same as new renters in this complex?

Question

do you think that is fair or not, and why.

so far I disagree with the both of you. After living in a place 7 years or more you have paint peeling off, dirty caulking, cupboard doors peeling, never got blinds and the new people did, they have new rugs to pay for but why should I continue to pay on this old rug, and which they have never even cleaned (which some complexes will clean the rug and apartment walls every two years for free). Heck, a new rug would cost $350 and the new renters are paying for that in their rent, while mine has depreciated over 7 years...so your way is not fair to long-term residents.

susiegas, your christian parable (Matthew 20:1-20:16) is showing, however when I have to put up with peeling paint, a cruddy color rug, no blinds, then the complex office is not doing their job for what I agreed to. But maybe the next time I "sit down with the landlord" the new lease should include all the things they have forgotten(?) to do for their good paying renter. "That's" the bottom line.

Answer 1

In a complex I am not surprised. They really don't care who is in their apartments and for how long, they just care about their ability to pay rent and their vacancy rate. If you have the same number of square feet in approximately the same condition, then the rent should be the same.

When I was a landlord if I had a tenant who paid on time, was quiet, respectful, etc., then I wouldn't raise the rent the entire they were there. It gave them an incentive to stay and I didn't have to look to find a good tenant. I'd rather keep the place full at a price I thought was fair (a couple years ago) then have to look for a new tenant and take the chance (even with screening) that they would be a deadbeat.

good luck!

Answer 2

My experience is that new renters generally pay less because there are incentives like free rent for signing a new lease that they don't offer with a renewal.

Generally, the rental rate should reflect the fair market value for all tenants. It's not really fair for you to expect to pay less than someone else for the same space and service. Just because you have lived there longer doesn't mean the landlord pays less on the mortgage or wants to make less of a profit. The same services are being provided to you all equally: landscaping, maintenance, pools, common areas, etc so I would expect the rents to be similar for everyone.

I've lived in my place for a few years and I've noticed that when I have a complaint to make about something on the property or a neighbor, they take it a little more seriously because I have been here for a long time. If someone who just moved in starts complaining about a noisy neighbor, they will blow it off. If I complain about sudden, unusual noise from a neighbor (and I don't have a history of making such complaints), they will take care of the problem right away. I do get a few little perks for being here longer---like when I asked for new carpet and they replaced my carpet, hardwood floors, countertops, and painted while they were at it. So, it may not be reflected in a lower rent amount but there are a few little things that help.

Answer 3

Yes. The people that own the building are in the business to make money. If the going rate for a rental in that area is $XXX, then that is what they charge regardless of how long a tenant has been there. They can't simply lower that amount just because someone has been with them for a while. Obviously, they have to honor current leases and can't go up in the middle of a lease. On top of that, they open themselves to all sorts of legal issues under the Fair Housing Act if they are charging one person a different amount from someone else for the same facilities. All sorts of discrimination issues come into play.

Answer 4

In my last apartment (I live in VA, which strictly regulates the amount a landlord can increase rent), I was paying a good margin less than newer renters.
Although my rent did increase annually as I renewed the lease, I was still paying less than those who were new to the complex.
Eventually, my 3 bedroom (w/Den, all utilities incl.) was $1650 for me, but would rent new for about $1800, or so.

Answer 5

Each renter sat down with their landlord and signed a lease agreement, agreeing to pay said rent.

What happens is, the market changes, incoming rents might go up, or when things are bad, leasing incentives cause new rents to be quite low.

But the bottom line is, people are paying the rent they agreed to pay.

Answer 6

Fair? Sure it is fair. The complex costs the owners the same amount to own and maintain regardless of the renters.