Comments on: Bill would reduce legal rent increases to the rate of inflation

By: Karen Mata

Karen Mata — Thu, 01 Jan 2015 01:06:00 +0000

You posed a flippant question sir, reread it.

I answered in a manner that even you could understand, which seemed to provoke you.

Now I suggest that you return to reading the ICR comments from 2 months past. As my son would add, haha. Get a life, you pathetic thing. I love it.

Sir you’d be better off keeping your mouth shut, as to not confirm what we already know.

And I’m certain that your mother was wrong. You WILL someday amount to something (Maybe even this year)

Carry on sir, and with your impressive deeds, an expat to behold.

Happy New Year…and you know the little guitar player in downtown San Jose has passed on….I believe you’d fit that bill.

By: expatin paradise

expatin paradise — Wed, 31 Dec 2014 16:12:00 +0000

I read just fine. You are logically challenged. Your statements don’t add up. Also, why is inflation measured against the USD?

As for flippancy, you take the cake. Actually, you have transcended into outright hostility. There was nothing flippant about my question. You can’t make such wild statements about inflation rates (which turn out not to be accurate) without stating your basis for measurement.

By: Karen Mata

Karen Mata — Tue, 30 Dec 2014 23:44:00 +0000

Not at all pally. Your flippant response was if my figures were based on some international scale, or cosmic definition..haha
My response was on point… reread it.

By: Karen Mata

Karen Mata — Tue, 30 Dec 2014 23:38:00 +0000

You can’t read.
Try rereading my statement. And over those 12 years when the dollar doubled twice in exchange value it averaged 12% compounded growth, of course inflation must of been much more than that.

By: expatin paradise

expatin paradise — Mon, 29 Dec 2014 23:09:00 +0000

You’re no statistician, yourself. Mid 90s to now is not 12 years. If you’re cherry picking years, you can make about any point. Likewise if you cherry pick your currency for comparison. If we stick to the USD and the past ten years, inflation has been about 25%.

My real question was re your standard of measurement, Your response reflects that it is the USD over a twelve-year period from the mid 90s until about 7-11 years ago. Hardly scientific.

By: Karen Mata

Karen Mata — Mon, 29 Dec 2014 21:34:00 +0000

Moving to CR in the mid 90s the exchange rate was in the 125 range. 12 years later it is 500. Doubling each 6 years.

I know you’re probably not an MIT grad pally

By: expatin paradise

expatin paradise — Fri, 26 Dec 2014 23:07:00 +0000

What is “true inflation?” Is this based on some international scale or a cosmic definition?

By: expatin paradise

expatin paradise — Fri, 26 Dec 2014 23:04:00 +0000

In most places, if one has a rental agreement, the agreement states the amount of rent, and that remains the amount for the term of the lease. Here, your lease states amount, but the law allows the landlord to increase the rent at his caprice up to 15% per year. This makes no sense to anyone familiar with landlord-tenant rights, as it creates a unilateral contract in favor of the landlord.

Capping increases at the rate of inflation still gives the landlord the right to change the contract terms unilaterally, but caps the amount of the rent increase by the official inflation rate. This still gives the landlord an advantage not enjoyed by most landlords in the developed world. In most places, if the contract states one amount and the economy tanks or the inflation rate skyrockets, both parties are still obligated to the rent amount and other terms of the contract. Here, many landlords are predatory and increase rent unreasonably, especially in poorer areas, because they know that their tenants are trapped because they don’t have the funds needed to move their possessions and start elsewhere. This law will limit the landlord’s predatory practices, but landlords still maintain an upper hand.

My preference is that a rent amount is good for the term of a contract, but I have suggested that increases should never exceed the rate of inflation. This change is one I have advocated here before, so I am very glad to see it.

By: Karen Mata

Karen Mata — Fri, 19 Dec 2014 15:15:00 +0000

True inflation is probably 12%. COL doubling each 6 years.

By: mhogan

mhogan — Fri, 19 Dec 2014 05:34:00 +0000

There is so much wrong with this concept of increasing rents to “recorded annual inflation” or capping any increase, I don’t know where to begin. Why should we believe any figures put out by this government–they are experts at manipulation; Even if 5.2% were true, it is a generality, like saying a man ate 6 meals on the first day and none the next–it does not mean he eats 3 meals a day. Similarly, Landlording can not use the generalities of inflation (rice and beans may have gone up a mere 0.1% but has little to do with the exponentially increased property taxes or electricity charges or labor cost increases to repair a roof — all for which the landlord may be responsible.) Whilst most security deposits adequately cover for repairs, what of the loses when a destructive tenant trashes the place? What of the laws that favor the tenant when trying to get delinquent tenants out of your property (happening more and more as the economy slumps) — even if it’s 3 months, that’s 3 months of loss … does the government compensate for that? And should the inflation rate exceed 10% (in reality, not manipulation by government), who eats that loss? IMO, if “some” landlords (and not as a generality like figures on inflation) substantially increase rents, pass the word around about that landlord and he’ll feel the brunt of his greed; but government should stay out of private business. It’s not a matter of “let the market dictate” but let the landlord have a reasonable return on his investment, like any other business. This is price fixing, by any other name.