Landlords citing everything from “nice round numbers” to a tenant’s housekeeping habits as reasons for increasing rent have sparked a discussion on Reddit, with renters sharing some of the most unusual explanations they have encountered during lease renewals.
The discussion began with a Reddit user asking: “What’s the most absurd rent increase excuse you’ve heard?”
The post acknowledged that some rent hikes are justified by factors such as higher property taxes, major renovations, or genuine market shifts, but questioned the rationale for arbitrary increases.
“Some are legit like property tax increases, major renovations or genuine market shifts. Others sound like they were made up before the renewal notice went out,” the user wrote, inviting tenants to share their experiences across cities and rental markets.
One user recounted that their landlord initially agreed to a 5% increase, which translated to a ₹1,500 monthly hike, but later decided to round it up to ₹2,000.
“My landlord was like ‘, We agreed on 5%, which comes to 1500rs increase. So let’s round it up to 2000rs,’” the user wrote. When they pointed out that the increase amounted to nearly 7%, the landlord reportedly responded: “Yeah, but it’s a nice round number.”
Another Redditor described a more unusual experience, saying their landlord had visited the property and was surprised by how clean the tenants kept it compared with previous occupants. As a result, the landlord increased the rent by only 5% instead of the planned 10%.
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Landlords entitled to increase rent as per their wish?
Not everyone viewed rent increases negatively. One commenter argued that landlords were entitled to set rents as they wished, given their investment and ownership risks.
“Landlords are free to increase rent by whatever number. It’s their property,” the user wrote, adding that tenants dissatisfied with the rent could consider moving out or buying a home.
Another Redditor attributed steep annual rent hikes to location and demand, saying they had seen rents for flats in prime neighbourhoods increase by 15–20% year-on-year.
“Small flat but still huge demand,” the user wrote, pointing to the role of location in driving rental prices.
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The discussion highlights the varied factors, some rational, others seemingly arbitrary, that tenants encounter when negotiating rent renewals, while underscoring how demand, property quality and landlord expectations can influence rental decisions.
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. Hindustantimes.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them)