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Updated almost 8 years ago on . Most recent reply
![Simon Stahl's profile image](https://bpimg.biggerpockets.com/no_overlay/uploads/social_user/user_avatar/560834/1621492618-avatar-simons12.jpg?twic=v1/output=image/crop=872x872@216x189/cover=128x128&v=2)
Is it legal to add a rent increase clause to the lease agreement?
I know Oakland has some seriously tough tenant laws. As far as I know the max rent increase at the moment is around 1% per year, which is a joke. I wonder though if it is legal to add potential future rent increases in the rental agreement. Something along the line "The landlord has the right to increase the rent by no more than 10% per year". That does not mean I would increase it by that much every year, but it would at least enable me to do so.
Something tells me that this would not be legal though. Am I right with that assumption? Are there any loopholes or workarounds that would accomplish the same?
Simon
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![Brian Garlington's profile image](https://bpimg.biggerpockets.com/no_overlay/uploads/social_user/user_avatar/521060/1644554608-avatar-briang72.jpg?twic=v1/output=image/crop=2080x2080@0x301/cover=128x128&v=2)
- Realtor
- Oakland, CA and a Real Estate Investor with Multi-Family Units and a Self Storage Facility
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This year the rent increase is 2%........:-)
A couple of creative ways to increase your cashflow in Oakland or any rent control area after the first year would be.....
1. In the initial lease lease you include an alarm system and monitoring......I bought a used one from SimplySafe and for the first year only I paid the $24.99/mo monitoring......
2. In a duplex I own I get Cable and or the first year I told the tenant it is being provided at no extra charge.....the box itself is only an extra $10.00 per month.
At the end of the first year those are not being provided anymore,....but if the tenant still wants them then they pay an extra $35.00 per month on top of the rent increase.
Also......when the tenant sees that you added value to the property then that can be used as justification to go above the 2% .....I added a fence one year.....and the next year I took up the grass and laid down roundup and a tarp then covered it with Lava Rocks "(No more grass cutting for me!)...
Tenants that have been screened properly and like living where they are living don't mind rent increases and in a sense they almost expect it.....just be a good landlord my man