An anonymous landlord says he owns a mortgaged duplex in a fast-growing city and has not raised rent on one unit in five years to avoid forcing a single mother and her four children to move. He wrote in a Sept. 3 Reddit post that he charges $1,200 a month for a three-bedroom unit that includes a private garage, basement, deck and yard, and that this amount covers most of his mortgage.
Why He Refuses to Raise Rent
The landlord explained his reasoning simply: while raising rent would increase his income, it could also displace a family with four children and potentially disrupt their schooling. He said the unit currently produces healthy cash flow, so he sees no moral or financial justification for pushing this tenant to pay more just because surrounding rents are rising.
"It genuinely makes me sick," he wrote, criticizing investors who overpay for properties and then try to pass those costs on to renters through high rents and frequent increases.
Verification and Local Context
The post does not name the city, and the landlord’s account has not been independently verified. Without a location, it’s impossible to assess whether $1,200 is below, at, or above the local market rate. The anecdote is illustrative of one landlord’s choices, not proof of broader local conditions.
Broader Market Trends
Renters nationwide have seen substantial increases in housing costs in recent years. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ index for rent of primary residence rose by almost 29% from July 2021 to July 2026. That increase contributes to household budget pressure: the U.S. Census Bureau found that in 2023 about 49.7% of renter households were spending more than 30% of their income on housing costs, the federal definition of being "cost burdened." In 2024, median gross rent (rent plus utilities) reached $1,487 per month, up 2.7% from the prior year after adjusting for inflation, and renters continued to spend a median of about 31% of their income on those costs.
Fees, Bundles and Federal Scrutiny
The landlord later edited his post to warn about mandatory internet or bundled service fees becoming a common lease requirement. That concern is already part of recent enforcement and policy activity: in 2024 the Federal Trade Commission alleged that tenants at Invitation Homes were charged mandatory fees for services such as smart-home technology, utility management and internet packages that they could not opt out of. In March 2026 the FTC opened a rulemaking process to examine potentially unfair or deceptive rental charges, including mandatory fees that may not be clearly disclosed in listings.
Takeaway
While this Reddit post is anecdotal and unverified, it highlights ongoing debates about landlord ethics, housing affordability and the growing scrutiny of additional rental fees. It also serves as a reminder that individual landlords’ practices can vary widely: some prioritize stable tenancies, while others may prioritize returns that shift costs onto renters.
