Recent Answers to Residential Real Estate Lease Agreement Law Questions
Can a landlord increase the rent during the term of a residential lease?
Landlord Tenant
Residential Real Estate Lease Agreement
Washington
I recently signed a residential lease for a two-year term, and I'm concerned about the possibility of my landlord increasing the rent during this period. I have heard conflicting information from friends and online sources, so I am seeking clarification on whether a landlord has the right to raise the rent during the term of a lease. I want to understand my rights as a tenant and whether there are any legal protections in place to prevent such a rent increase.
Merry K.
Under the Washington Residential Landlord Tenant Law, a landlord may not change the terms of a lease during the lease, at least not on his or her own (sometimes landlords and tenants negotiate a change). In addition, a lease is a type of contract, and one party to a contract cannot change a contract on their own. If you live in Seattle or a few other places in Washington, you have even more protection than under Washington state law. Here is a really good place to read about your basic rights as a renter. This website is written and vetted by attorneys for lay people, and I have provided this information to countless people over the years because it is reliable: https://www.washingtonlawhelp.org/topics/housing/renters Here is another website for you. However, I'm not familiar with this one, and don't know how reliable ti is: https://tenantsunion.org/rights Good luck to you!