I received a letter today from my landlord saying that they will increase my rent this year. I wouldn’t normally think twice about this letter because it comes every year, but this time it had something of note written on it.

The increase was a whopping 5.4% from last year’s rate. So what, you ask? Considering the maximum a landlord can increase their rent by this year is 2.1% by the Landlord and Tenant Board, a 5.4% increase is absurd.

Of course this agreement has exceptions, of which I’m sure is why the landlord has increased it by this much.

Mid last year, the former superintendents retired their posts and two fresh new faces came in. Since then, I have to admit that there have been a number of improvements made to the building, with the main one being the elevators—they actually work now!

But still, does this warrant an increase of over 100% the maximum level? I find it to be a little unfair.

Reading the agreement over carefully, it gave me some important information: The tenant is not required to sign the lease renewal form, in which case my lease agreement will be fixed on a month-by-month basis.

However, after scanning the entire document, I find that in the last section where I must sign under one of the options, the option to not renew the lease and go by month-by-month is not given.

If you ask me, the contract is a little misleading in that it makes people think that you are required to renew for at least the upcoming year, otherwise you are forced to vacate the premises.

As the contract indicates, I am not obligated to sign a renewal and still stay in the building, so that’s what I will do. It’s just too bad there’s really not much I can do with the excessive increase in rent, which the board will I’m sure approve of.

Do you have any landlord-tenant horror stories? Do tell!