# "But I CAN'T pay the rent!" "But you MUST pay the rent!" **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 22, 2007, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-i-cant-pay-the-rent-but-you-must-pay-the-rent/420118 "2007-09-22T17:34:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![InLucemEdita](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7ab992/32.png) [@InLucemEdita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InLucemEdita)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2007, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-i-cant-pay-the-rent-but-you-must-pay-the-rent/420118/21 "2007-09-22T18:59:44Z")
[QUOTE=CanvasShoes] PS (I’m with the “her nationality has nothing to do with it and shouldn’t have been brought up” crowd) [/QUOTE] Since we’re voting, I’m with the “This is the fucking PIT. If you can’t stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen. Pussies.” crowd. ---
**Author:** ![Baffle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dec6dc/32.png) [@Baffle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baffle)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2007, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-i-cant-pay-the-rent-but-you-must-pay-the-rent/420118/22 "2007-09-22T19:07:19Z")
[QUOTE=5-4-Fighting] Since the law says he, or any landlord, can evict you based on a relative living there, if it’s worth your time, check to see what measures are in place by your local governance to make sure that this is really the case when these claims are made and follow up if there are. [/QUOTE] If the reason for eviction hasn’t been fulfilled within “a reasonable time”, I can complain to a governing board. There are other steps I can take, too. I can pay the increase until April, then give my notice that I’m ending the lease, and then take all the paperwork to the board, show them the illegal increase and get reimbursed by the landlord for it. Unfortunately I really can’t afford to lose that money at this time. (There would, of course, be no provision for the landlord to pay for the additional student loan interest I’d accrue by having to borrow an extra $160 a month to pay for food. I wouldn’t expect there to be such a provision, but unfortunately losing that $160 a month probably means an extra $20 of interest, which doesn’t seem like much but I need every $20 I can get.) About ‘fair market value’: the price I’m paying was fair market value 5 months ago. The cost of living has not increased by 20% since then. This is a cash grab. ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2007, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-i-cant-pay-the-rent-but-you-must-pay-the-rent/420118/23 "2007-09-22T19:09:28Z")
Hijack: Where did the quote in the OP’s title originally come from? It’s driving me crazy! Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Baffle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dec6dc/32.png) [@Baffle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baffle)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2007, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-i-cant-pay-the-rent-but-you-must-pay-the-rent/420118/24 "2007-09-22T19:11:59Z")
[QUOTE=Hazle Weatherfield] Hijack: Where did the quote in the OP’s title originally come from? It’s driving me crazy! Thanks! [/QUOTE] I don’t know the true origin myself. From what I can tell it’s originally a very short single-actor scene, as shown [here](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbXiaHReMhE), or possibly [here](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFXSbyeFKHU). ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Fun\_Ball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_fun_ball/32/17664_2.png) [@Happy\_Fun\_Ball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Fun_Ball)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2007, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-i-cant-pay-the-rent-but-you-must-pay-the-rent/420118/25 "2007-09-22T19:17:40Z")
[QUOTE=Baffle] There’s no rent control. Pay attention, dumbass. [/QUOTE] While I agree **DanBlather** is being a dumbass (what crawled up your ass Dan? You do realize that Baffle’s posting in the pit right?), this sounds like rent control to me: [QUOTE=Baffle] I don’t know what it’s like in your fascist home country, you ignorant bitch, but here in Canada the laws aren’t there for show. You simply can’t increase rent more than once per year. [/QUOTE] ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2007, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-i-cant-pay-the-rent-but-you-must-pay-the-rent/420118/26 "2007-09-22T19:22:11Z")
[QUOTE=Eyer8] While I agree **DanBlather** is being a dumbass (what crawled up your ass Dan? You do realize that Baffle’s posting in the pit right?), this sounds like rent control to me: [/QUOTE] In a sense. Yes, based on what \*\*Baffle \*\* is saying, by regulation, landlords can’t raise the rent more that once a year. But what’s to stop them from raising it from $500 to $5,000 when they do? ETA: Besides, what the market will bear, I mean ---
**Author:** ![Baffle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dec6dc/32.png) [@Baffle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baffle)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2007, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-i-cant-pay-the-rent-but-you-must-pay-the-rent/420118/27 "2007-09-22T19:23:07Z")
Fair enough. It is a kind of control on rent. But there’s no price control, no limits on the amount the increase can be, and no limit on what a landlord can charge at the start of the lease. This doesn’t exactly fit the normal definition of ‘rent control’, which involves a price ceiling. ---
**Author:** ![Waverly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/57b2e6/32.png) [@Waverly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waverly)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2007, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-i-cant-pay-the-rent-but-you-must-pay-the-rent/420118/28 "2007-09-22T19:30:35Z")
[QUOTE=Baffle] Listen, you ignorant flake of dandruff from a Czechoslovakian slut-whore’s sandpaper cunt, it’s a horrible shame you ever had the opportunity to crawl out of whatever backwater, inbred-sister-loving peasant town your parents dropped your ugly ass in… [/QUOTE] You must be thinking of a different Czech Republic. Nearly every Czech girl I have ever met has been extremely nice, and extremely hot. I’d go back to Prague in a second. Sucks about the lease though. If you are sure that something illegal is being done, you’d better spend a few dollars on a lawyer. It’s impossible for us here to tell without knowing the content of the lease. ---
**Author:** ![Baffle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dec6dc/32.png) [@Baffle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baffle)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2007, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-i-cant-pay-the-rent-but-you-must-pay-the-rent/420118/29 "2007-09-22T19:33:22Z")
If you really want to look up the acts and regulations involved, you can check out [the Queen’s Printer web site](http://www.qp.gov.ab.ca/index.cfm). It clearly states that it doesn’t matter if I even have a lease. The landlord’s actions break that law. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2007, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-i-cant-pay-the-rent-but-you-must-pay-the-rent/420118/30 "2007-09-22T19:37:15Z")
[QUOTE=Baffle] If you really want to look up the acts and regulations involved, you can check out [the Queen’s Printer web site](http://www.qp.gov.ab.ca/index.cfm). It clearly states that it doesn’t matter if I even have a lease. The landlord’s actions break that law. [/QUOTE] Then fight it and I’m behind you all the way. My landlord tried to pull that on me – vaguely talkin’ 'bout he and his family moving into the building (NYC) and I just had to move out. I outlined what I would do to ascertain if this was all true and the followup I would pursue. That was five years ago. No eviction, no further tak about it and, oh, no family – he’s single. ---
**Author:** ![scotandrsn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@scotandrsn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotandrsn)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2007, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-i-cant-pay-the-rent-but-you-must-pay-the-rent/420118/31 "2007-09-22T19:37:23Z")
Here are [Alberta’s laws](http://www.qp.gov.ab.ca/documents/Acts/R17P1.cfm) regarding notice of rent increase: > [@](#): > > Notice of increase in rent > > 14(1) A landlord shall not increase the rent payable under a residential tenancy agreement or recover any additional rent resulting from an increase unless the landlord serves on the tenant a written notice of the increase in rent > > ``` > (a) in respect of a weekly tenancy, at least 12 tenancy weeks, > > (b) in respect of a monthly tenancy, at least 3 tenancy months, and > > (c) in respect of any other periodic tenancy, at least 90 days, > > ``` > > before the date on which the increase is to be effective. > > (2) A notice under this section must indicate the date on which the increase is to be effective and must be dated and signed by the landlord. > > (3) If the residential tenancy agreement provides for a period of notice longer than the period specified in subsection (1), the landlord must give at least that longer period of notice before increasing the rent payable or recovering any additional rent resulting from the increase. > > (4) A landlord shall not increase the rent payable under a residential tenancy agreement or recover any additional rent resulting from an increase unless the prescribed amount of time has passed, which shall not be less than 1 year. > > (5) A tenant under a periodic tenancy who receives a notice under this section and who fails to give to the landlord notice of termination effective on or before the date the rent increase is to be effective is deemed to have agreed to the increase in rent. > > (6) A notice of increase in rent that does not comply with or is not given in accordance with this section is void. > > (7) A tenant who pays increased rent pursuant to a notice of increase in rent that does not comply with or is not given in accordance with this section may recover the amount by which the rent was increased in an action in debt. > > (8) A period of notice required by this section may be modified by a regulation made under section 70(1)(c.1). ---
**Author:** ![Spezza](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a698b9/32.png) [@Spezza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spezza)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2007, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-i-cant-pay-the-rent-but-you-must-pay-the-rent/420118/32 "2007-09-22T19:40:14Z")
Have you tried your school’s [legal aid](http://www.ucalgary.ca/residence/node/157) department? ---
**Author:** ![Baffle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dec6dc/32.png) [@Baffle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baffle)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2007, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-i-cant-pay-the-rent-but-you-must-pay-the-rent/420118/33 "2007-09-22T19:41:33Z")
There are also regulations which make this section even more specific. > [@](#): > > Rent increase > > 3(1) Despite any agreement, declaration, waiver or statement to the contrary, for the purposes of section 14(4) of the Act, a landlord shall not increase the rent payable by a tenant under a residential tenancy agreement in respect of a periodic tenancy or recover any additional rent resulting from an increase unless at least 365 days has passed since > > ``` > (a) the commencement of the tenancy, whether the tenancy commenced before or after the coming into force of this section, or > > (b) the last increase in rent, > > ``` > > whichever is later. > > (2) Despite subsection (1), a landlord shall not increase the rent payable by a tenant under a residential tenancy agreement in respect of a periodic tenancy after the landlord has served a notice of termination on the tenant under section 12(2) of the Act or for the reason prescribed in section 2(2)(c)(ii) of this Regulation. > > (3) Despite any agreement, declaration, waiver or statement to the contrary, a landlord shall not increase the rent payable by a tenant under a residential tenancy agreement in respect of a fixed term tenancy for a term of one year or more or recover any additional rent resulting from an increase during the term of the tenancy. > > (4) Despite any agreement, declaration, waiver or statement to the contrary, a landlord shall not increase the rent payable by a tenant who is occupying the same premises under 2 or more consecutive residential tenancy agreements in respect of fixed term tenancies each for a term of less than one year or recover any additional rent resulting from an increase unless at least 365 days has passed since > > ``` > (a) the commencement of the first of those tenancies, whether the first of those tenancies commenced before or after the coming into force of this section, or > > (b) the last increase in rent, > > ``` > > whichever is later. > > (5) Despite subsection (4)(b), if the 365th day occurs during the term of a fixed term tenancy, the landlord shall not increase the rent until the expiration of that tenancy. ---
**Author:** ![Baffle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dec6dc/32.png) [@Baffle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baffle)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2007, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-i-cant-pay-the-rent-but-you-must-pay-the-rent/420118/34 "2007-09-22T19:43:06Z")
And this is the section (same regulation, Alberta Regulation 211/2004) that allows the landlord to kick me out for a ‘relative’. > [@](#): > > Terminations of periodic tenancies > > 2(1) In this section, > > ``` > (a) “major renovations” does not include painting, the replacement of a floor covering or routine maintenance; > > (b) “relative” includes any relative by blood, marriage or adoption or by virtue of an adult interdependent relationship. > > ``` > > (2) For the purposes of section 6(1) of the Act, a landlord may terminate a periodic tenancy for any of the following prescribed reasons: > > ``` > (a) if the landlord or a relative of the landlord intends to occupy the residential premises of the tenant; > > (b) if the landlord has entered into an agreement to sell the residential premises of the tenant in which all conditions precedent in the agreement have been satisfied or waived and > > (i) the purchaser or a relative of the purchaser intends to occupy the premises, or > > (ii) the agreement is to sell one detached or semi‑detached dwelling unit or one condominium unit, > > and the purchaser requests in writing that the landlord give the tenant a notice to terminate the tenancy; > > (c) if the landlord intends > > (i) to demolish the building in which the residential premises of the tenant are located, or > > (ii) to make major renovations to the residential premises of the tenant that require the premises to be unoccupied; > > (d) if the landlord intends to use or rent the residential premises of the tenant for a non‑residential purpose; > > (e) in a case where the landlord is an educational institution and the tenant is a student of that institution, if the tenant is no longer a student or will no longer be a student when the notice period for terminating the tenancy has passed. > > ``` ---
**Author:** ![AndyPolley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@AndyPolley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndyPolley)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2007, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-i-cant-pay-the-rent-but-you-must-pay-the-rent/420118/35 "2007-09-22T19:49:55Z")
[QUOTE=Waverly] You must be thinking of a different Czech Republic. Nearly every Czech girl I have ever met has been extremely nice, and extremely hot. I’d go back to Prague in a second. [/QUOTE] I’d never insult the land that brought us [Petra Nemcova](http://www.webwombat.com.au/lifestyle/fashion_beauty/nemcova.htm). ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2007, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-i-cant-pay-the-rent-but-you-must-pay-the-rent/420118/36 "2007-09-22T20:21:14Z")
[QUOTE=Baffle] There’s no rent control. Pay attention, dumbass. [/QUOTE] Hey turd for brains, if the govt controls how often the rent can be increased then it’s rent control. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2007, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-i-cant-pay-the-rent-but-you-must-pay-the-rent/420118/37 "2007-09-22T20:29:26Z")
[QUOTE=Eyer8] While I agree **DanBlather** is being a dumbass (what crawled up your ass Dan? You do realize that Baffle’s posting in the pit right?), this sounds like rent control to me: [/QUOTE] Calling me names is fine, but I just don’t see what the nationality of the landlord has to do with squat. The bit about the third grade education is off the wall as well. Sounds like a priviledged college student acting all snotty about someone who is actually trying to work for a living. I guess I side with an immigrant that manages to make something of themselves rather than a self important student who thinks they are better than someone born in eastern Europe. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2007, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-i-cant-pay-the-rent-but-you-must-pay-the-rent/420118/38 "2007-09-22T20:34:40Z")
[QUOTE=DanBlather] I guess I side with an immigrant that manages to make something of themselves rather than a self important student who thinks they are better than someone born in eastern Europe. [/QUOTE] Whether he breaks the law or not? Would it be OK for non hardworking immigrants to break the law? How about natives? When can they break the law? ---
**Author:** ![Ermes\_Marana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b77776/32.png) [@Ermes\_Marana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ermes_Marana)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2007, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-i-cant-pay-the-rent-but-you-must-pay-the-rent/420118/39 "2007-09-22T20:44:24Z")
[QUOTE=DanBlather] Calling me names is fine, but I just don’t see what the nationality of the landlord has to do with squat. The bit about the third grade education is off the wall as well. Sounds like a priviledged college student acting all snotty about someone who is actually trying to work for a living. I guess I side with an immigrant that manages to make something of themselves rather than a self important student who thinks they are better than someone born in eastern Europe. [/QUOTE] It looks to me like **Baffle** is the one working full time and getting loans. The landlord is the one breaking the law. Just to clear up your confusion. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2007, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-i-cant-pay-the-rent-but-you-must-pay-the-rent/420118/40 "2007-09-22T20:52:17Z")
[QUOTE=DanBlather] Hey turd for brains, if the govt controls how often the rent can be increased then it’s rent control. [/QUOTE] Except this is a far cry from what NYC-ers complain about when they talk about rent control. Using the term ‘rent control’ evokes a situation where landlords are not allowed to raise rents to match market value based on the location of said building/apartment. The OPs landlord is allowed to raise the rent as much as he wants, but only on a yearly basis. Frankly, this sounds perfectly reasonable. If I’ve signed a lease for a year at x dollars a month, it’s pretty ridiculous for the landlord to expect to be able to raise that rent at his or her whim. How could a tenant trust a landlord who would do such a thing? The law in Alberta as cited protects tenants from moving into a place at one rent, and then having the landlord turn around and change the rent after the tenant is ‘locked in’ to the lease. Rent control it is not. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-i-cant-pay-the-rent-but-you-must-pay-the-rent/420118.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-i-cant-pay-the-rent-but-you-must-pay-the-rent/420118.md?page=3)