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Fair Rent Commission orders phased rent increase after appeal, citing hardship and comps
Summary
After a tenant challenged a landlord’s $300 rent raise as unaffordable on Social Security income, the commission found the full one-time increase would be excessive and ordered a four-step phase-in to $1,250 by Oct. 1.
The Bristol Fair Rent Commission reconsidered a prior decision allowing a landlord to raise rent and heard from a tenant who said the proposed $300 increase would be unaffordable on her Social Security income of about $1,400 per month. The tenant said she had lived in the unit for years and that while some repairs (including a sink) had been made, the proposed sudden increase would leave her unable to pay basic costs.
The landlord presented comparables and two signed leases from the same building showing higher rents (cited between $1,300 and $1,400 for one-bedroom units), and said the building’s recent purchase and associated costs were the reason for increased rents. The landlord also said she had offered the tenant options including additional time to move and the opportunity to leave the lease under negotiated terms.
Commissioners discussed the 13 criteria the commission must weigh when deciding whether a written lease or rent raise is "harsh and unconscionable." Several commissioners expressed sympathy for the tenant’s circumstances and noted the difficulty of balancing landlord costs against tenant hardship in the current housing market.
A commissioner moved that imposing the full proposed increase immediately would be excessive and that the increase should be phased in. The motion set the following schedule: Jan. 1 to $950; April 1 to $1,050; July 1 to $1,150 (transcript records $1,001.50, which appears to be a transcription error); and Oct. 1 to $1,250. The commissioners approved the phased approach by voice vote.
Commissioners emphasized that the commission’s authority is limited to a one-year decision window and suggested staff collect additional records — including tax, call-volume and building-permit data — to better inform future hearings. The commission also discussed improving intake materials so tenants appear better prepared to address the 13 statutory criteria at hearings.
The commission’s phased order modifies how the landlord may implement the increase for the tenant’s unit; other tenants and leases are unaffected by this specific order unless separately appealed.
