Plano woman’s rent skyrockets by $750 a month amid increasing demand for housing in North Texas

A $750-a-month increase on a house that a single Plano mom rents has left her wondering where she, her son and her dog are going to live.

“My rent was $1950 and in less than 45 days, will be $2,700,” Courtney Humphries wrote in a message to The Dallas Morning News. Her message also displayed what appears to be a notice from her landlord.

She said she’s concerned other renters could face a similar fate.

“I was recently notified by my landlord of a 38% increase in my rent that will become effective November 1, 2021,” Humphries wrote. “For a single momma, this is significant. … Hikes like this could put many families on the street.”

The price hike on the house that Humphries is renting on a month-to-month basis goes into effect Nov. 1, she said. If she decides to leave, she must give a 30-day notice. She is also being asked to sign a one-year lease.

Landlords have the right to raise rent based on current market value. Texas has no state law that limits the amount a landlord can increase the rent when a lease is renewed, according to the Texas State Law Library. Cities can establish rent control measures only under certain circumstances, such as a state of disaster or a housing emergency, according to the law library.

“Rental rates are always a derivative of what housing prices are,” Marc Moffitt, a University of North Texas adjunct professor of real estate, told KXAS-TV (NBC 5). “All of this is a function of supply and demand and this is where the rubber meets the road.”

Humphries told NBC 5 that her “jaw dropped” when she learned of the rent increase. “I was like, ‘Am I reading this right?’ ”

“When you don’t have salaries increasing and you have increases like this for your shelter, it’s a big concern,” she told the TV station. “There should be some kind of regulation on it.”

NBC 5 was unable to reach the landlord for comment, but Humphries told the TV station she is a good tenant and paid her rent on time.

“I feel major trouble on the horizon for many renters like me,” Humphries wrote in her message.