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Apartment lease renewal - is this rate increase normal?
What happened in the past, the rent you paid last year, is in the past.  You shouldn't be concerned with the percentage increase, but with whether you want that apartment at the new rent for the coming year.  If your rent had been half what it was last year and the new proposal were to double it, you would be outraged at the doubling, but really you got a steal last year.   Going forward, you have three options.  You can accept the new rent, you can decline it and move, or you can try to negotiate a better rate.  It sounds like the landlord is hoping you will find the hassle of moving enough to accept the new rent.  If you do negotiate, you should know what your preferred alternative is, which you should use to set your walkaway point.  If you make a counterproposal, it is often useful to show what a comparable apartment is renting for to justify the rent you suggest.