A big bogus rent ripoff. please advise what to do!!!?

[dubh35]

i am a single mother of a minor.unfortunately for the pass eleven years its been really hard financially and ive been livin in the same apt. paying the rent plus the rent late fees each month in this 22 unit apt.building I just found out that five years ago the rent here was reduced to $65 less per unit which means Ive been paying $65 more than everybody else because all but 3 tenants are new. To add i found out that every five years the carpet is supposed to be changed and as well as repainted. not once has the carpet been changed or new paint and i did request a new paint job 3 years ago and still no paint. i have requested some recent minor repairs that have not been answered yet either! so for the past 5 years all the new tenants are coming in paying $65 less than what im paying now. is that legal or should i have been made aware of the reduction and offered the same rate as the new tenants. I payed $780 more per year than everybody else. 780 x 5years is $3,900 of overage that I paid more than the new tenants..not cool i feel like ive been taken advantage of especially when i this place is suppose to be rent control and i also found out one other tenant thats been here a few years more than me is paying $140 less than me and he said the longer u stay the cheaper your rent should be. do i have a case if so on what law and how should approach to owner to let the owner know of this new found information and ask instead of refunding the overpayment just use it toward future rent payments.please advise me i feel so taken advantage of. thank you much

[caspar99]

if you can find the laws about painting and carpeting...they should also state somewhere there who you contact when the laws aren't followed. there has to be some kind of governing body that oversees rental law. we have a residential tenancy branch where I live.

as for the rent difference...though it really sucks and seems wrong...there is no law that each and every tenant has to be charged the same rent in one building. i sell advertising and every person does not get the same price...sometimes new customers, sometimes old customers...get special pricing based on whatever reason is applicable in that situation. there isn't anything wrong with that...what one person pays is of no business to another person.

[matchitisiw]

Usually the longer you are somewhere the higher your rent goes. Why should it go down? As the economy goes down it is harder and harder to rent apartments so the prices drop

[regenweald]

Your rent was not decreased. All 22 units very likely pay a different amount. Your rent is what you agreed to, so it is impossible to be too high. It is none of your business what others pay, the landlord can't legally tell you that. Of course they are not supposed to inform you, it is none of your business. You have no case at all. Rent control supports the landlord, who is allowed to raise your rent every year, they are NEVER required to lower it.

As far as the carpet goes, why was it supposed to be changed 5 years ago There is no law requiring it to be changed, ever. Teh same goes for paint. What entitty determined these things needed to be done? You need to go to that entity, we can no help you, since it is obviously no public entity.

You are not entitled to any money from the rent. Your rent is what it is, and that is not going to change. Move if you do not like it. I can't determine if you are entitled to carpeting and paint since I have no clue why you think they were supposed to change it.

[oz]

Rents are based on what the market will pay. It is VERY common for identical units to be going for different prices. That is entirely legal. No way you're going to get anything out of the landlords on that one. At least once a year you should review your price against similar places on the market.

As for the carpets and paint, unless you have a local law regarding this then it is simply their policy only. The only way you have a legal right to it is if it is stated in your original agreement with them 11 years ago. Read that to find out.