I lease a rent-controlled apartment and consider myself fortunate. "Techies" are moving into Oakland. Oakland is becoming the place to call home.
Expecting an annual rent increase on the anniversary date of my tenancy, I waited for a rent increase notice and was surprised when I didn't receive one. To ensure that the notice wasn't "lost in the mail," I called the property management company and they confirmed that no rent increase notice was sent.
While I felt grateful to have my rent frozen at it's old rate, I also know that my landlord can "bank" the allowable rent increase and send me a notice of a whopping rent increase in the future.
Here's a snippet from the Oakland Rent Adjustment Board website:
"A property owner can raise rent above the CPI rate [Consumer Price Increase] rate...One justification [for this increase] is “banking”.
“Banking” refers to deferred allowed annual rent increases. These annual rent increases are determined by the City and are also known as ...annual general rent increases. Annual rent increases that were not given, or were not given in full, can be carried forward to future years. Subject to certain limitations, property owners may defer giving annual general increases up to ten years. General increases that were not imposed within ten years expire. If challenged, evidence of the rental history of the subject unit is required."
So, what can you do to prepare for a banked rent increase? You can set up a savings account to bank the increases that you could be paying and collect interest on the money, leaving it untouched for as long as you are living in your rent-controlled apartment. Or, you could put the money into a low-risk interest earning investment.
For more about banked rent increases, click on the following links:
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