Can a Co-Owner Increase Your Rent Without an Agreement
Two sisters co-own a house that they inherited twenty years ago. They came to an agreement whereby they would share certain maintainance expenses for the home, but one sister would have sole possession of the home to use as her residence while paying rent to the other sister. At various times the sister receiving the rent has asked for an increased amount, and the sister in residence went along with the requests.
She recently demanded a more significant increase and the sister who lives in the house thinks it's too much money. Does she have the right to unilaterally increase the rent?
Re: Can a Co-Owner Increase Your Rent Without an Agreement
Whie a co-owner can agree to pay 'rent' to the other co-owner, under ordinary co-ownership each co-owner has the right to the full use of the property without paying any rent at all. The agreement between the sisters may well be enforceable up to the time it is explicitly terminated, but that would be for an implicitly or explicitly agreed 'rent' payment -- modification should be by mutual agreement, and neither has the right to impose changes without the consent of the other.