Rent increase--how much notice must they give me?

[samclem]

I live in Akron, OH. I rent the bottom floor of a hundred year old house. My landlady is a screaming harpie, but she’s been fair about the rent, etc. She just likes to scream. I’ve lived here for about 6 years. The rent is cheap.

She called me tonight to say she was raising the rent by 20%. Partly because she
's been undercharging, and partly because she’s on a tear.

My question is, how much notice does she need to give me before she raises the rent. Does Akron City law govern this or Ohio State Law?

I assume she has to give a month’s notice, but that’s just me thinking so.

[Otto]

IANAL etc and you should consult a tenant resource center in your area or a lawyer who knows about tenants’ rights issues. That said, from here:

When you have a written lease that begins and ends on specific dates, the rent is generally fixed at the price listed in the lease until the lease is renewed. A landlord can reserve the right to increase the rent during the tenancy in the lease. However, the lease must then include specific provisions that state how rent increases will be calculated, when they will occur, and how you will be notified. If no such clause exists in the lease, the landlord will have to wait until the lease expires before s/he can change the amount of rent. In a year-to-year lease, the landlord can give notice any time before the renewal agreement is entered into, but probably not less than thirty days.

If you have a month-to-month rental agreement, the landlord is free to change any of the terms as long as s/he gives you at least thirty daysí notice. For example, if the landlord decides to raise the rent $50 per month and gives you notice on October 31st, that change will go into effect on December 1st.

If your landlord notifies you that s/he is increases the rent when your initial lease term ends, if you stay beyond the initial term you will be responsible for paying the increased rentóeven if you do not sign a new lease agreement. The landlord can evict you if you fail to pay the new rental amount.

This is in line with the law in Wisconsin.

[astro]

If it’s an informal residential month to month rental (you didn’t indicate any kind of fixed lease term or signed lease with conditions spelled out) it would normally be considered an “at will” tenancy, however, more and more of even these informal rolling leases are being brought under the umbrella of state landlord- tenant codes. Typically 30 days notice is required in these scenarios.

Here are the Ohio Landlord - Tenant statues. A cursory review of the codes doesn’t show any codes pertaining to rental increases.

If 20% more is still cheap and you like it there just suck it up.

[astro]

[QUOTE=astro]
If it’s an informal residential month to month rental (you didn’t indicate any kind of fixed lease term or signed lease with conditions spelled out) it would normally be considered an “at will” tenancy, however, more and more of even these informal rolling leases are being brought under the umbrella of state landlord- tenant codes. Typically 30 days notice is required in these scenarios.
QUOTE]

I should have said "Typically 30 days notice is customary in these scenarios.

[samclem]

Thanks for both answers. I had planned to call the city or someone tomorrow, but wanted some ammunition tonight and had no time to sit here and search.

I will probably ‘suck it up’