Apartment rent increase "too much"

[SVT Lurch]

A teacher friend of mine is currently paying $730 in rent. The apartments are saying the renewal rate is $831. The same apartment is listed on their web site at $775 for new residents.

The difference in rent is significant in their budget, but moving would cost almost as much as the increase and they don't want to move since other friends live in the same complex. My guess is that's the apartment manager's "game" and most people just end up paying more to stay put because it's easier.

After a brief search, I see Texas has no rent control laws. My question for anyone who has been through this - is there anything that can be done? I called the apartment association of greater DFW, but of course no on can give legal advice (despite the TX apartment association pointing there for assistance...).

[CWO]

I don't think there is much you can do. I do remember reading something about the percentage of increase can only be so much per contract though. Not sure if it was true or not. We moved instead. Ended up with a 3 bedroom house in Frisco for $200 more a month than they wanted for a 1 bedroom apartment in Grapevine.

[Country cracker]

The rent is too damn high! I've went through this and if you raise enough hell they will change it back to the original rate if they have had good rental history with them. The apartments I was at tried jumping $200 a month from $800 to $1000. I went to the office and refused to leave until I got the same rate or I was moving and not paying rent until I found a new place, so they would have to go through the whole process of evicting me. They changed the rate back, but I moved anyway.

[BP]

Shop around and negotiate. You could probably find a place willing to help you move with a new lease.

[Pokulski-Blatz]

She is fucked. Apartments can do whatever they want with rent. My last apartment wanted to increase my rent by about $300 when my lease was up. I told them to die in a fire and bought a house, found someone to take over what was left of my lease, and haven't looked back.

[03mustangdude]

Give notice your moving since rate increase. MOst of the time apartments will fold and try to get you to stay.

[Sean88gt]

I'm sure they raise their rates to the maximum payout of Section 8, not giving a fuck about the residents that actually have to pay out of pocket.

[SVT Lurch]

Thanks for the replies - will try the negotiation. Ultimately they want to stay put so not sure how well this will go. Thanks again.

[DON SVO]

Apartments are in the business to dry fuck everyone that signs on the bottom line to occupy a cubby hole in their mass-living complexes.

[Baron Von Crowder]

Apartments are in the business to dry fuck everyone that signs on the bottom line to occupy a cubby hole in their mass-living complexes.

says the guy that lived in apartments willingly for more than a decade.

[Rick Modena]

says the guy that lived in apartments willingly for more than a decade.

Its the only place he could keep that fleet of Festivas without anyone batting an eye.

[Baron Von Crowder]

Its the only place he could keep that fleet of Festivas without anyone batting an eye.

lol

[Sean88gt]

Its the only place he could keep that fleet of Festivas without anyone batting an eye.

4 to a parking spot.

[Rick Modena]

Everytime I see one, I can't help but laugh my ass off at Fiesteallgo or whatever he calls them, hahahah!!

[Sgt Beavis]

Don't many apartments offer to move you in for free? I would look into that as a way to cut moving costs.

I'm curious of one thing. I read a few days ago that many rental properties, (mostly single family homes but also apartment complexes) are being bought up by investors and used to create securities that are traded on the market. That could be part of the reason rent is climbing so much.