The Rent Stabilization Department administers the Maximum Allowable Rent (MAR) for rent-stabilized units in the City of West Hollywood. Each unit has its own specific Maximum Allowable Rent. The MAR sets limits on how much a landlord may charge for rent and when the rent may be raised each year. RSHD may also adjust the MAR for individual rental units to reflect increases or decreases based on hearing decisions, increases or decreases at vacancy, and increases or decreases based on the addition or removal of housing services. The calculation of the MAR for a unit varies depending on when the tenancy began.

There are three types of MARs depending on when the current tenant moved into a rent-stabilized unit:

• Tenants who moved in before 1996;
• Tenants who moved in between January 1, 1996 and December 31, 1998;
• Tenants who moved in on or after January 1, 1999

Read the section of the three listed above that applies to the time period when the current tenant moved into the unit in question.

If you want to confirm the current Maximum Allowable Rent for a rent-stabilized unit, or the amount of the registration fee pass-through, contact an Information Counselor at the City's Rent Stabilization Department. The counselor cannot answer any questions about the MAR for a unit unless you have the following information available:

• Tenant's move-in date;
• Amount of rent the tenant is currently paying;
• Date and amount of the tenant's last rent increase.

If a tenant is being charged rent above the MAR, you should talk to an Information Coordinator about the process for correcting the overcharge or for filing a rent overcharge complaint.