Q: Can owners raise rent as much as they want when tenant vacated?
A: It all depends upon the details - how long had the tenant been there when he/she vacated? Did the tenant voluntarily leave or was his/her tenancy terminated and if so, for cause or without cause? How old is the dwelling unit? Is/was there any sort of rent subsidy or was the rental otherwise part of any sort of affordable housing governmental program? The answers to these and other questions could determine or alter the answer(s) to your question. The general rule, which may or may not apply here, is that a landlord may not increase rent more than 10.3% over any 12 month rolling period and may not increase rent at all during the first 12 months of a tenant's occupancy. IF this becomes a serious consideration for you, consider taking everything to a local landlord-tenant attorney for review and possibly even filing a suit on your behalf seeking damages from the landlord. Good luck.
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