TULSA, Okla. — Issues about raising rent have become a topic of discussion during the pandemic.
Viewer, Rhett asked, “Can my landlord raise my rent even when he hasn't fixed issued like broken appliances, leaky pipes, or kept up the property?”
Tulsa Apartment Association Executive Director, Keri Cooper, said repairs and rent hikes are two separate issues.
“The only time that rental housing provider can raise the rent is going to be at the time when you renew your lease,” Cooper said.
She adds if you're unhappy with the way the property where you live is being maintained, you don't have to sign a new, more expensive lease.
“If they feel like the rent that's being asked is too high, then they can walk away and find a new place to live,” Cooper said. “So, that is one of the benefits of the fact that your lease has expired, and it is opportunity for the resident, as the customer, to make the decision. Do they want to enter into a new contract where they are happy with their service, or do they want to find someplace else that they might be more satisfied with?”
Cooper said if the landlord sells the property during the time you're a lease-holder, your rent can't be raised just because the property was sold.
Under Oklahoma's Landlord-Tenant Act, the new owner has to abide by the terms of your current lease. Your rent can't be raised until that lease expires and you decide to enter into a new lease with the new owner.
CLICK HERE for more information from Tulsa Apartment Association.
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