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  1. #1

    Default Rent raised for 3rd time in past 4 months

    A friend of mine is renting a "duplex"-like house. When he first moved in the rent was $300, water, gas, and electricity paid. $50 security deposit. Fully furnished. Rent due the 3rd of each month. He told his landlady upfront before he moved in that on the days is ex-wife worked, he kept the kids. She said that was fine. He asked her if he could sign a lease, she said no, she didnt like to do leases. The following month she raised the rent to $350 stating that she was afraid his children might mess up the couch (which is approx 15 years old). The kids haven't messed up anything in the house. Last month she raised his rent to $400 stating that he was using the electricity of 5 people, but when he asked to see the bill, she refused, and when he asked if he could pay the bills on his own, she refused. Yesterday she told him that the 3rd of October he would have to pay her $450 because the weather would be getting cooler and the price of gas would go up and in addition to that, he would have to pay her an additional $150 security deposit because he was keeping the kids 2 days more a week than he was. The kids are both really well behaved, and they havent messed up a single thing in the house. They dont go around running and screaming through the house or writing on walls or jumping on the furniture. This is a very small town in Texas. Its very hard to find places to rent here.

    What he is wanting to know is:

    #1 is the landlady raising the rent this often and adding on additional security deposit (esp since she stated the first rent increase was because he was keeping the kids so much) legal? If it isn't outside of moving, what options does he have?

    #2 Since the first payment $300 was supposed to cover water gas and electricity if he moves out before the 3rd of October is he legally obligated to pay for those bills, and if so, does he have the right to see the bills?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Michigan
    Posts
    28,906

    Default Re: Rent raised for 3rd time in past 4 months

    Raising the rent due to the presence of his children may constitute a Fair Housing Act violation. I am not aware of any Texas limits on rent increases, but he is still entitled to proper notice. In most states that would mean a full rental period's notice. There's a lot of information on tenant's rights in Texas available here.

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