How a Consumer Hired a Lawyer to Draft a Rental Agreement in California

Hello! My name is Damien Bosco, Esq. My law office is in Long Island City, across from Manhattan. Generally, you are correct. For an annual lease with a fixed monthly rate, a landlord cannot increase the monthly rent during the pendency of the lease. Sometimes, the lease may allow for such an increase, but only if there is a provision in the lease that allows for it. If your lease does not include a rent adjustment clause and you believe the landlord is acting improperly, you are within your rights to challenge the increase. Feel free to reach out with any more questions about this.

An addendum to a rental agreement is the same as any other terms and condition that is part of the rental agreement itself. An addendum is binding. If you are concerned about the terms in the addendum, especially since you were not given an opportunity to read the addendum in advance, you should contact the landlord in writing to express your concerns, and note that you were not given the opportunity to read the addendum in advance and do not consider the addendum part of your rental agreement. For assistance, please contact a landlord/tenant attorney.