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An attempt to negotiate with the landlord who raised her rent $750 a month has reached a stalemate, Courtney Humphries said this week.
She told that the owner of the Plano house and his property manager have not been responsive to text messages and emails she has sent about new terms for her lease.
“It was the owner’s sole decision,” Ren said. “I was only following what the owner told me to do.”
The price is “reasonable” and not out of line with other rental houses in Plano, she said.
A search on Zillow for rental homes in Plano shows prices comparable to what the landlord is asking Humphries to pay for the nearly 3,000-square-foot-home.
“We do hope that she stays, but I am not going to push anyone to do anything,” she said.
Humphries, a single mother, said she’s decided to stay and pay the increased rent because her son is a Plano ISD senior, and she doesn’t want to move before the end of the school year.
She’s telling her story not to seek financial assistance, she said, but to raise awareness as rental prices for homes and apartments soar across the region.
“Hikes like this could put many families on the street,” she said in a previous message to The News.
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Rent, home prices on the rise in North Texas
Single-family home rental costs in the Dallas-Plano-Irving metro area have risen by nearly 13% in the last year, with median costs $1,814 a month in July, according to a CoreLogic report this month.
D-FW apartment rents also surged 15.5% in September from a year ago, according to a report by Apartment List, which estimates that median rents are $1,140 for a one-bedroom apartment and $1,367 for a two-bedroom.
Home prices in the region were a record 23.7% year-over-year in July, one of the largest hikes in the country in the latest S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Home Price Index.
What if you can’t pay your rent?
Rental prices are expected to level out by 2022, according to a forecast by the Texas Real Estate Research Center. Until then, tenants whose rent is increased to a rate they can’t afford have some options.
Texas Rent Relief program
Whether or not you’re facing eviction, you can apply for assistance with current or past due rent and utility bills for up to 15 months through the Texas Rent Relief program. Landlords can also apply for unpaid or future rent on behalf of tenants.
The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs was close to paying out nearly $800 million of its $1.3 billion in rental assistance as of early September, benefiting more than 124,000 households.
How do I find out more and apply?
- More information is available at texasrentrelief.com or by calling 1-833-989-7368.
Rental relief in Dallas and Collin counties
Dallas County: Renters and landlords who do not live within the boundaries of the city of Dallas can apply for up to $1,500 per month in assistance for up to six months through the Emergency Housing Assistance Program.
City of Dallas: Residents can apply for the Dallas Rent Relief program if they have a household income at or below 80% of the area median income.
Dallas Rental Assistance Collaborative: Headed by United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, the program provides up to $1,500 per month for rent and utility bills for up to 15 months. Applicants are required to live within the city of Dallas, and their household incomes cannot exceed 80% of the area median income.
Collin County: The county and certain cities within it received federal funding from the Emergency Rental Assistance Program. To find out if you’re eligible — and which program covers where you live — enter your address at this website.
Legal assistance
Have a question about your rights as a tenant facing either eviction or unpaid bills? The major legal aid organizations operating in Texas have banded together to offer their legal expertise to renters navigating housing issues through Stop TX Eviction.