CHARLOTTE, N.C — The areas of Charlotte, Concord and Gastonia are in the top 10 cities in the United States for numeric growth, according to information from the U.S. Census Bureau. Between July 2020 and July 2021, 31,381 people moved to this area, putting a strain on housing resources.

 

What You Need To Know

  • Between July 2020 and July 2021, 31,381 people moved to the Charlotte area, putting a strain on housing resources
  • In North Carolina, if your lease expires, there is no limit on the amount a landlord can raise the price on that unit
  • Crisis Assistance Ministry offers assistance and advocacy for people in a financial crisis in the Charlotte area

 

Now that COVID eviction moratoriums in North Carolina are gone, landlords are looking for back payments and can raise rent prices to capitalize on the demand for rentals.

In North Carolina, landlords must provide seven days notice of any price increase for tenants who have a month-to-month rental agreement. If your lease expires, there is no limit on the amount a landlord can raise the price to on that unit.

Ayesha Daniels’ lease expired in December 2021. The price on her apartment went from around $1,200 a month to a little over $1,500, an increase of nearly 27%.

She couldn’t make up the difference and had to move to a hotel, then to a friend’s home with her two daughters.

“I know a lot of landlords and places are doing that because they’re trying to recuperate the funds that they lost. You know, people not being able to pay rent and them not being able to evict, but I think that was wrong,” Daniels said.

Daniels went online looking for help and found the Facebook page Connect Meck with Kindness where people can request help for things like storage or buying food.

“That is sad to see, you know, from somebody who is so used to being independent, you know, having to ask for something that’s for myself too. I’m independent and I’ve always figured it out but this, this just had me lost,” Daniels said.

Crisis Assistance Ministry offers assistance and advocacy for people in a financial crisis in Mecklenburg County and reached out to Daniels to help her with a deposit on a new apartment.

If you need assistance, you can access more resources in Mecklenburg County here.