I’ve been dealing with this for years now since my apartment complex was bought by new owners(multiple times now). Every time I renew the lease they want to raise the price $100+ ($300+ during covid). I always try to negotiate by saying I’ve lived there many years with no problems, paid rent on time, etc. Unfortunately I’m only even allowed to speak to the local office manager who is either powerless or pretends to be and doesn’t even pretend to be sympathetic.
Meanwhile, they aren’t even keeping their end of the deal up. The pool and hot tub have been drained and in disrepair since January.(I’ll definitely mention this when negotiating this time).
Lastly, moving is not the answer. Practically every apartment complex around here is owned by one of these horrible companies so there’s no escape unless you happen to find something owned by an individual(which has its own problems). I’m also getting a small discount(gets smaller every renewal) for being in an outdated unit so moving would still raise my rate, be a massive hassle, and I’d have to pay a new deposit.
Long term I will buy a house, but how can I save enough when they gouge me at every turn?
You need a tenant union. There may be tenant unions active in your area which you can contact for advice, or even support. Beware of retaliation though. This is something which needs to be thought about carefully and approached strategically. In this regard, it is no different from unionizing a workplace.
If the corporation is renting 500+ units, that means they are ripping off 500+ working class families / individuals. If those 500+ tenants organize to the degree where they can collectively withhold their rent, they’ve got the landlords by the balls. Individual action can only go so far.