Landlord attempts to raise rent at lease signing

[Tom_in_MA]

We saw an apartment, agreed on rent with landlord, left a deposit for the agreed amount of rent. We go to sign the lease the following day and the landlord asks for higher rent at lease signing. Is this illegal since the we had orally agreed on rent? I'm in MA if this helps.

Thanks.

 

[LL]

When you left a deposit, did you get a receipt showing what the deposit was for?

 

[Tom_in_MA]

No receipt from the the landlord but I probably could request one from the broker. Would that help?

 

[LL]

The whole idea was, you paid a deposit to secure some agreement, if you had a receipt showing what the agreement was, and what was the place of the deposit in the agreement, then there would be no dispute.

Never give money without getting something to show exactly what it was for?

Now, you can still ask the broker, but they will probably make up a receipt to reflect what they want it to show.

Get the idea? The oral agreement, unless you can prove that there was a definite promise and what it said, probably isn't worth much. Without an agreement (and any agreement is worthless if you cannot prove that it existed and what it said) they can probably change the details all they want.

But they have to answer to, what was the deposit for?

By the way, I don't know anything about MA law.

 

[mary hartman]

Well does the broker have the rental listing?.. Get a copy from the broker

Was it advertised in the newspaper? get a copy of the newspaper....either one would be PROOF of an agreed rental price.

 

[LL]

I don't know about MA, but in CA the ad is not proof of anything other than a limited time offer. The landlord has no problem negotiating the asking price, including upward. Also, a newspaper ad does not usually have room for all of the details. Rental prices are individually negotiated.

Mary, by any chance, are you from NY?