Find out if the unit is covered by the rent increase guideline
Question & Answer
How much rent can a landlord charge?When you rent a place, it is important to know if you will be protected by the rent increase guideline. Most rental units are covered, which means that the landlord can only raise the rent a certain amount each year.
You are not covered by the guideline if you are renting a unit, which is sometimes called rent-geared-to-income (RGI) housing. RGI housing has other rules about how much rent you have to pay and how much you get if your rent is going up. Your rent is usually based on your family size and income.
Some newer rental units are not covered. You are not covered by the guideline if your unit is:
- in a building, mobile home park, or land lease community that was first occupied for residential purposes after November 15, 2018,
- in an addition to a building, mobile home park, or land lease community, and the addition was first occupied for residential purposes after November 15, 2018, or
- a self-contained unit created after November 15, 2018 in a house that contained no more than two residential units at any time up to November 15, 2018, and meets certain other conditions.
You are also not covered by the guideline if you must share a kitchen or bathroom with the landlord or their close family members. Your landlord can raise your rent as much as they want and whenever they want, unless your rental agreements says they can't.
By the end of each August, the government announces the percentage for the following calendar year. For the year 2024, the guideline amount is 2.5%. In 2023, it was 2.5%.
