Legal Question in Real Estate Law in California
Landlord Raises Rent In Retaliation
There were three tenants in this apartment in El Cajon, California; me, my brother, and our cousin. The rent was $550.00 per month, for three tenants. One of the tenants moved out (our cousin), and was replaced by another one tenant (my son). Rent was not raised. That tenant moved out, and a thrid person moved in as a third tenant (my other brother). Upon knowing this new third tenant, the landlord raised the rent to $650.00 a raise of $100 per month. The rent was raised, according to the landlord, because "Your brother moved out of my other apartment, and it costs me to re-rent that place." The rent increase is "permanent". This is retaliatory. What recourse do I/we have against this retaliatory rent increase?
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: Landlord Raises Rent In Retaliation
I don't know what you mean by retaliation. Unless you have a term lease fixing the rent, our landlord is free to raise it. I assume you are all month-to-month tenants.