Regularly raising the rent keeps your properties in line with market rate. But you can’t just issue a rent increase willy-nilly—the first step is finding out if it’s even possible. When a tenant is in a lease, the rent is fixed for the term of that lease and cannot be raised until after the lease is over. This is why rent raises are most common upon the renewing of one’s lease.

Before we dive into the rent-increase details, a quick caveat on compassion: With the economy struggling and the pandemic still devastating Americans, it’s important to consider your tenants’ circumstances. That doesn’t mean you can’t raise rents—but keep compassion in mind as we recover from COVID-19.

However, month-to-month rental agreements typically allow you to raise the rent at any point, as long as you give enough notice. Usually, that means 30 days—but sometimes 60 days’ notice is required. Check your local landlord-tenant laws. (Read more at https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/rent-increase)

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