Raising rent

[Lexi]

I am really new at being a landlord. I sent out letters to tenants whose leases were coming up. We tell them what the rent will be. A tenant came in and when I started to write up the new lease they told me I had the rent incorrect. The rent had not changed. When they came in they were charged for certain add ons. Last year the landlord left one of the add ons off. I wrote the letter according to the previous year unaware of the other add on. They informed me I could not add the charge on to the lease because in the letter it said if they resigned by a certain date the rent would be locked in. I explained there had been an error last year and they said that was too bad, it was our fault. I told them this was a new lease and I had to add it on but they are adament about not paying it due to the letter. I can add it on can't I? They paid for it before last year.

[annjd]

if it is new lease and optional that you rent to them you can increase the rent but if you committed to something (even accidentally) and they relied then they probably have a valid point.

Thank you for your reply. This tenant has been here several years. She paid the previous year for the add on but when her lease was renewed last year the add on was not added on to her lease. The tenant was aware of that fact and said nothing to correct it, so in essense she "lied" when she signed her lease. Now she said it is our fault and because of the letter I sent her without adding this add on to the letter she did not have to pay the extra. She admits to the fact that she still has the add on in particular. I think that since she did not say anything last year about it, she would be in violation of the lease.

Lexi

[annjd]

She normally cannot take advantage of a clear error and would likely lose in court.