Dear Landlord...

I've taken the liberty of borrowing the title of Bob Dylan's song to use as the title of this post because I am, unfortunately, locked in a battle with the leasing company who owns my apartment.  Somehow, the title seems appropriate. 

Last June, I signed a lease that said I would pay $810/month for rent.   The lease stated that the $810  covered the $7.00 charge for trash collection and rent control.   It also included the $10.00 charge for pet rent to cover my kitty.   Everything went well throughout the summer.  On the first of every month, I dutifully paid my $810.00 and every month I was allowed to continue living in my apartment.   Not once did I hear anything about not paying enough rent.

In October, the company who owned my complex sold it to another company.   From that point until now, the new leasing company has been trying to raise my rent in the middle of my lease.  I believe this to be illegal and, at the very least, unethical.

Their first tack was to tell me I haven't been paying the $7.00/mo charge for the trash collection and rent control.   I have been fighting this almost every month and almost every month they have been forced to see where, in my lease, it states that the $7.00 charge is covered in my rent.

Today, once again when I paid my rent, the manager of the property accosted me with the fact that I haven't been paying the $7.00/monthly charge and that I owed them $80.00 to cover all the months that I haven't paid this fee.   We sat down and I showed her where, in the lease, it state unequivocally that the $7.00 fee is covered by my rent.   She was forced to agree.

As soon as she admitted defeat on that front, she started telling me that I owed them for the $10.00 pet rent which she CLAIMED I haven't been paying.   This is the very FIRST time they have mentioned the pet rent.  Together we went over the lease and found in two places where it states, very clearly, that the $810.00 covers the pet rent.   Yet because those clauses were not initialed by the manager at the time, she says they are not legally binding.   However, that is the lease that was signed by me AND the manager of the property at the time and to my understanding it IS legally binding for the new leasing company.

You may think that I'm being petty because I'm quibbling about such small fees.   However, I live alone, have a very small income that barely covers my expenses and I truly can not afford to pay the extra charges let alone the back charges they say I owe.

I've done some research and have learned that the new leasing company is charging $985/month for apartments like mine.   I believe they're angry that I am not paying even close to that amount and are looking for every which way possible to raise my rent in the middle of my lease.   It doesn't matter to them that what they are doing is illegal, unethical and unscrupulous.  What seems to matter is that they have the power to do it and so they ARE doing it.

I can not afford a lawyer, I wish I could.   I would love to fight them legally because I am certain I would win    However, without a lawyer, my chances of winning this battle appear to be slim.   So, in lieu of a lawyer,  I am asking everyone who reads this to pray for me and to pray that the Lord will send the Holy Spirit to work this out for me.   I believe with all my heart that He can resolve this matter for me.   It is my hope and prayer that He will resolve it for me.   After all, David did slay Goliath.