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Food4thou t1_j1ets9a wrote

My guess is they raised it beyond what rent control allowed or they got sued and are trying to cover their asses.

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ScuttleCrab729 OP t1_j1f6ya3 wrote

Yea that’s my thoughts. Calling them next week to dig into it.

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Rainbowrobb t1_j1fnt16 wrote

Those letters come directly from rent control offices listing the months and overpayment. Do you know how old the apartment is, how many units are on the property and of the owner lives there?

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ScuttleCrab729 OP t1_j1g7y3y wrote

Apartment is only 7 years old. We’re the original tenant in this unit. About 60 units. No way he lives here. He has multiple complexes.

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Rainbowrobb t1_j1gehmq wrote

If it's than ~33 year old, it's not subject to NJ rent control ordinances. It sounds more like he's not at maximum occupancy and want to keep as many tenants as he can

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m9rockstar t1_j1er4ny wrote

Wow. What was it before ?

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ScuttleCrab729 OP t1_j1ere0e wrote

Only went down $21 but it’s still a pleasant surprise considering I was expecting to owe something.

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Snownel t1_j1f7iwt wrote

Wait, your rent was $2191? What kind of maniac landlord sets rent like that?

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ScuttleCrab729 OP t1_j1f9l8w wrote

NJ landlord lol. I’m actually essentially “grand fathered” into this rate and if I were to move out and right back into the same unit my rate would go up $600.

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Rainbowrobb t1_j1fo0l0 wrote

They your unit if not subject to rent control ordinances, as the price is not tenant dependent. If you're unsure, you can reach out to your municipality and ask them.

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blackcap13 t1_j1hfhbj wrote

christ man you're making me glad I bought last year. My mortgage is 1550 for my 3 bedroom in Hamilton nj

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_bekku_ t1_j1hran4 wrote

I hate to admit the bitter jealousy that fills me when I read this. Lololol

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Mundo_89 t1_j1hsq9w wrote

That was a shameless cheap mortgage plug

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Vegoia2 t1_j1ggw08 wrote

Is it a home? 3-4 bedrooms, wth?

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ghostfacekhilla t1_j1f9rn5 wrote

My rent has 67 cents on it haha.

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Zyoy t1_j1ftvjc wrote

That would make me happier because at least it seems like they are basing it on something. Instead of something random.

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ghostfacekhilla t1_j1g4rov wrote

It's based on the max 4%. My town has rent control thank God or this year woulda been brutal

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im-so-startled88 t1_j1hybqm wrote

Our mortgage payment is such a specific number lol. Ie ends in like $XX46.21 or something like that. I have to round up my payments to the nearest whole dollar (5s or 0s only dammit) for my own sanity. My husband thinks I’m nuts, I am, but when we get our statement at the end of the year I get to boast and say look I paid an extra $200 down on the principal just by rounding up! 😆

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Snownel t1_j1fbtv2 wrote

I hope you don't have to pay by check at least

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ghostfacekhilla t1_j1fdeus wrote

Ome thousand seven hundred eighty nine and 67/100. Hard to even fit in the check. It's a great apartment way under market with a parking space. Guess there has to be one wierd quirk.

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storm2k t1_j1g00up wrote

assuming op lives in a town that has rent laws that allow it to only be raised by a specific percentage each year. that number is probably what you get from last year's number + the allowed percentage.

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kayjaypee77 t1_j1gu1mw wrote

Your comment just made me actually laugh out loud. What kind of maniac. Ha

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SpacelessWorm t1_j1f7b3i wrote

Hey even if only $21 thats an extra 3 Taylor ham egg and cheeses a month

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ahappylildingleboi t1_j1f93uw wrote

it’s pork roll ya got damn snart fiffer

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fishingwithmk t1_j1hro6n wrote

If you call a band-aid an adhesive bandage and a Q-Tip a cotton swab then I won't argue with you but if you don't then you're a hypocrite

0

wcs2 t1_j1fbfg9 wrote

Upvote for correctly calling it Taylor ham.

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Torvaldr t1_j1gpjxu wrote

What if it's not produced by Taylor's?

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throw_bundy t1_j1h9o12 wrote

Even if the pork roll in question is produced by Taylor Provisions, it's not "ham" and legally cannot be marketed or sold as such. That's why it's called pork roll.

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_bekku_ t1_j1hri7h wrote

Okay and what do you call Q Tips then?

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Torvaldr t1_j1iqr8t wrote

Q-Tips or cotton swabs interchangeably. Same for Kleenex and the like, it depends on my mood and what’s fresh in my mind, I guess. Though with Q Tips, It says Q Tips on the tin in big letters. It hasn’t said “Taylors Prepared Ham” on the tin since 1906. Taylor’s themselves have called it pork roll for over 100 years on their packaging. That’s all assuming it was made by Taylor’s. Sometimes it’s made by Case or Mercer Meats, in which case it’s not Taylor’s and it’s not Ham.

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WaltzThinking t1_j1fyw5t wrote

Were they illegally overcharging you before? (It's probably not Christmas cheer)

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ScuttleCrab729 OP t1_j1g7c2j wrote

That’s our thought. Going to follow up next week to see if they actually owe us.

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Zhuul t1_j1g57qj wrote

My rent's a weird ass number because there's a percentage cap for how much they can raise it every year. When I moved in it was a tidy $1150.

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WildMajesticUnicorn t1_j1essp0 wrote

Thank goodness for small miracles. My first thought is maybe they violated rent control with the last increase.

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BoujeeMomme t1_j1eu2xj wrote

That's absolutely wonderful and I'm so happy for you!!

I can only imagine how you were feeling when you saw a letter from them and having to open that letter!?!? I would had butterflies in my stomach!!!

At least it was a pleasant surprise I'm sure l!! A great way to start 2023 🙂

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ScuttleCrab729 OP t1_j1f6wj8 wrote

Yea. Definitely expecting it to be a bill. Very relieved.

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[deleted] t1_j1f7i4k wrote

[deleted]

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cagonzalez321 t1_j1f9jbb wrote

Damn…that’s more than my mortgage.

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soingee t1_j1fzefd wrote

Same. I'd probably knock off at least 5 years from my mortgage if I was paying $2100 a month.

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ScuttleCrab729 OP t1_j1g8dyb wrote

Been here 7 years. We’d have a pretty nice house half way paid off by now.

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ScuttleCrab729 OP t1_j1g8b5g wrote

Yea. No wonder we struggle to save up 20% for a down payment.

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amplifiedgamerz t1_j1glxgi wrote

You don’t need 20%, look into FHA loans. Can put as little as 3.5%, which means your monthly payment will be high of course between the low down payment and mortgage insurance until you hit 80% LTV, but still. You have first time home buyer options ! (I’m assuming you don’t know this already… sorry for bothering if you do. Happy holidays!)

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ScuttleCrab729 OP t1_j1gv8vo wrote

Yea sadly we’ve been on/off looking for 4 years now. We originally were content with the FHA/4%. But between our house goals and last years cash offers ours down payment goal has significantly increased. I do regret not settling on something simpler years ago but live and learn. We’ll get that house eventually.

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kamikazeknifer t1_j1i376y wrote

Ignore the "mortgage or bust" people. I can't find a similarly sized house that, after mortgage, PMI, property tax, etc, is cheaper than my current apartment in a multifamily home. It's always at least $600/mo more, often more than $1k more. Maybe if you move to East Bumfukkit in South Jersey, but at that point you might as well move out of NJ entirely.

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amplifiedgamerz t1_j1ig3bd wrote

I’m not a mortgage or bust person. OP said they wanted to buy a house.

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ScuttleCrab729 OP t1_j1ira78 wrote

Yea we shopped for a house the past year. For what we’re currently paying we’d get a rundown 2 bed 1 bath shack in the sticks that’d probably need a new roof within the first week. Rent is expensive but still the better choice until rates come down or we have a major down payment.

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TheRoadWarrior28 t1_j1fazce wrote

Every year my landlord doesn’t raise the rent I consider it a small miracle.

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nosalt69 t1_j1ext5r wrote

Your rent is a function, in part, of property taxes on the unit. Municipalities often estimate annual property taxes at the beginning of the year, and make corrections to the landowner's final tax bill of the year.

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Playitsafe_0903 t1_j1eydic wrote

This is true but 99.9% of landlords don’t change rents to reflect their increase or decreases in taxes. This landlord for sure increased to much and is trying to cover himself

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ScuttleCrab729 OP t1_j1f6q0m wrote

That’s what I think. Last renewal they tried to raise our rent something like $189. We call and complained and they only raised it like $80. I feel they got caught but other tenants and are now trying to “fix” it. We noticed the letter on quite a few doors today.

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jdubs952 t1_j1h9are wrote

I lowered my 2 of my tenants rent by $300/ month during covid. I have not increased it back. I have never raised their rent. I cannot possibly do that due to inflation now. I could use the money, but they could use it more.

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ScuttleCrab729 OP t1_j1i2l5b wrote

You sound like a rare gem. Keep being a good person. But also look after yourself.

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newwriter365 t1_j1euh12 wrote

I smell a recession.

Do you smell a recession?

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Swoah t1_j1f0q2z wrote

No I can't get past the smell of what the Rock is cooking

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magolmaethor t1_j1fg42n wrote

They’re gonna change this date to a State holiday

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TrishDaDish51510 t1_j1gk30z wrote

That's like unheard of in NJ. Cherish it lol. I'd frame that bad boy lol

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PopeInnocentXIV t1_j1fhq6p wrote

Since I've been in my apt my rent has gone up either 3% or 3½% per year (though there have been more than a few years where it didn't go up at all). But this year it went up like 8%.

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ScuttleCrab729 OP t1_j1g86b9 wrote

Yea we’ve been here 7 years. Almost every year was around 3% then back in June they tried to raise it about 8% as well and we called them out on it and they dropped it back to about 3-4%

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turry92 t1_j1fvztf wrote

I have literally never heard of that happening! Clearly 2023 is going to be your year! Definitely need to pick out those lotto numbers. :)

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funkie44 t1_j1gdru2 wrote

It’s a Hanukkah miracle

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PM__ME__YOUR_TITTY t1_j1gsb6j wrote

June 26th is my 23rd birthday! That is all the relevant input I have

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chubbyburritos t1_j1i2w34 wrote

In this market, even no increase is a net win

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averagelifeoflosers t1_j1fnll1 wrote

Do you live in a town/municipality with rent control laws? A lot of assumptions about your landlord breaking some law but very few places in NJ have any laws about increasing rent. There is no statewide law. Fuck landlords but it’s a weird assumptions to make for NJ.

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Freudntheslips t1_j1fvjut wrote

Wow mine just went up almost $100

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ScuttleCrab729 OP t1_j1g7oo1 wrote

Oh ours goes up almost $100 every year. I have a feeling they over raised us last year leading to this reduction.

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Independent-Light833 t1_j1gc5e9 wrote

My rent is $2850 for a 3 story condo. It’s weird how low some properties are.

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macroslax t1_j1gl97v wrote

rent goes down 21 dollars. fees go up 21 dollars.

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Nytim t1_j1gq7zc wrote

This happened to me once because the landlord accidently overcharged on a rent stablized apartment and I couldve taken him to court and got back 3X what I paid in rent

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Able-Bottle-8876 t1_j1hxghi wrote

We pay 1600 such a robbery eveything here is falling apart but we don’t have the funds to move out again all of here works and contributes I would expect a second bathroom for the price we pay

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yeldellmedia t1_j1i0ay2 wrote

Im in new jersey also… my rent is 2350

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haironfireagain t1_j1i5dqg wrote

Perhaps municipal property tax decreased (yes, it does happen) and the landlord is making the legally required adjustment.

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Prestigious_Cry742 t1_j1ihv6y wrote

Wow bought in 2020, my mortgage is 1900, 3 bedrooms

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ScuttleCrab729 OP t1_j1iqwf3 wrote

Yea we missed the boat on buying then. Hopefully next year we’ll get out of the rent life at a somewhat reasonable rate.

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Dick_Zanderson t1_j1ikrla wrote

Is that a single bedroom or 2?? Rent is so ridiculous and it's been that way forever

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Internet_Two_Cents t1_j1ip0eq wrote

Surprised by the cheap rent prices I’m seeing in comments.

I own a 2 family, granted in nice neighborhood and it’s new construction, but my tenants pay 2500 and 3000 respectively.

Edit: FWIW, that barely covers the mortgage and leaves me with about $150 “profit” which is spent in repairs or snow removal and the cost of that goes well over that amount.

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Jamie-22-11 t1_j1i0dsh wrote

buy a house a pay a mortgage .. you'll get another unexpected surprise by paying less then that and owning it at the same time

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kamikazeknifer t1_j1i76df wrote

Good luck finding a mortgage under $3.5k in my area unless you put 50% down.

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[deleted] t1_j1gj3ds wrote

[deleted]

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OkSwitch470 t1_j1gpyf3 wrote

Because owning a house is just more than a mortgage for Maitnenance of everything. I’m a single person paying $2k in rent, if i was to buy a property that has a $2k mortgage it will 100% need work on it in my area. I’m lazy my dad busted my ass in back yard growing up , I’m done doing lawn work anymore, for me to take care of a whole house and lawn by myself would be too much for me honestly my apartment is good enough if I buy I’d buy to rent out and not to live in

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glitterpumps t1_j1gzv6i wrote

We pay $2200 to rent a house in Jersey City. If we bought a house, we’d realistically be able to afford one in CNJ (MAYBE) with a 45 minute commute both ways. (Adding extra time for dropping kids off at day care/school)

We’d rather save those three hours a day in commute time to spend time with our family than putting equity into a house in the burbs.

Absolutely it’s short-sighted. But it makes sense in terms of time. There’s only so many hours in a day ya dig

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race-likeapisshorse t1_j1gtkty wrote

From a late-20s point of view:

When you’re paying $2k/m rent, where do you have space to save for a house down payment, closing costs, etc?

The student loan pause helped so many young people save significant money for the first time ever - then the housing market skyrocketed. Now, house prices are coming down, but interest rates have skyrocketed.

It’s eerily just out of reach for many people my age due to these factors and even as we progress in our careers, it becomes just slightly more out of reach. unless you have parents that can gift you the down payment, you’re stuck struggling

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ScuttleCrab729 OP t1_j1gwcgf wrote

We rent a 2 bed 2 bath with garage for 2.2k. A similar house in the area including property tax, insurance, interest rates, etc… Easily 2.5-3k. And thats a house built 60+ years ago needing a lot of maintenance (which is free in an apartment). Also consider good luck saving for a down payment while paying 2k a month. It’s not easy getting out of the life if you want to. Also the rent life definitely comes with benefits for those that don’t mind paying rent and never gaining equity such as the no lawn care, maintenance, repairs, etc.

1