Rent Increase Calculator

Enter the current cost of rent and the previous cost of rent into the calculator. The calculator will display the percentage increase of rent year over year. This calculate can also determine what your new rent will be and your total increase given the correct inputs.

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Rent Increase Formula

The following formula is used to calculate the percent increase in rent from year to year.

%R = (RF-RI)/RI *100

• Where %R is the rent increase percent
• RF is the current rent
• RI is the initial rent

Rent Increase Definition

A rent increase is defined as a percentage increase in rent over a certain time period, most often a year.

How to calculate a rent increase?

The following example follows the steps required to calculate the percentage increase a rent has gone up year after year.

First, you need to determine your initial rent cost from the previous year. Depending on what you analyze you can include utilities and other bills in this cost if you want to look at the increase from a total cost of living perspective.

For this example, the initial rent from the previous year was found to be $1000/month.

Next, determine the current cost of rent using the same factors.

In this case, the rent for the current year is found to be $2000/month.

Finally, calculate the percentage rent increase using the formula above:

%R = (RF-RI)/RI *100

%R = ($2000-$1000)/$1000*100

%R = 100% increase

A 100% increase is extremely unlikely for real-world situations, but the process for calculating the increase is the same as above.

What is the most a landlord can raise your rent?

The amount a landlord can raise your rent is determined by local rent control laws, state law, and the terms of your lease (if any such laws cover you). In most cases, there is a limit to how much the rent may be raised in any given year - typically 1 to 10 percent. 

How much should rent increase per year?

While it is most common for rent to increase at 1/60th of the value of the property per year, it is not uncommon for this to be a smaller percentage or even a fixed amount.

One should also take into consideration any improvements made to the property by the landlord, as this is sometimes taken into account when deciding how much the rent should be increased.

Can rent be increased during a lease?

A tenant's rent may be increased during a lease, depending on the circumstances. In most instances, the landlord must give proper notice prior to an increase.

Generally, for increases greater than 10%, the landlord must receive a Public Service Announcement (PSA) from the Department of Revenue prior to the end of the current lease period. The Tenant is required to pay any additional amounts into the landlord's account no later than 30 days from publication of a PSA. 

What is an excessive rent increase?

In general, an excessive rent increase is one that is contrary to or grossly disproportionate to the market value of the rental property.

A rent increase that raises the total annualized cost of the tenancy by more than 10%, or the equivalent dollar amount for periodic tenancies, is generally considered excessive.

For rent-stabilized tenants, a housing board of review must also approve all increases in excess of 7% over the prior year's legal, regulated rent level without regard to the consumer price index in order to maintain rent-regulated status.

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