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Rate
Hikes at Boarding Stables: What Choices Do
Boarders Have?
Q:
Our boarding stable just notified us that it is
increasing its rates by more than 60%. Is there
such a thing as “rent control” for boarding stables?
Are there any laws to protect boarders in situations
like this? What can we do?
A:
Horse boarding is almost completely unregulated (unlike
housing landlord/tenant situations) and therefore the
relationship and its terms are governed by contract.
Whether your boarding stable can raise its rates (and by
how much) depends upon what your boarding contract says.
If your boarding contract is oral rather than written,
the boarding stable can amend it at any time. Most
boarding contracts do not specifically address the issue
of raising rates, but instead have a price list and a
clause stating how the boarding contract can be amended.
Typically, the boarding stable can unilaterally amend
the contract (that is, without your consent) simply by
notifying you.
If
you don't like the price increase, you can try to talk
to the boarding stable owner and work out a solution.
If that fails, your only choices are to accept the price
increase or terminate the boarding contract and move to
another facility. If you do decide to terminate
the contract, you will want to read your boarding
agreement carefully to make sure that you give the
amount and type of notice that the contract requires.
FYI,
many boarding stables in the Bay Area are having a hard
time staying in business right now. We are all
familiar with skyrocketing land values and the pressure
for boarding stables to sell their land to developers is
huge. Less obvious is the impact that high
gasoline prices have had on boarding stables.
Because transportation costs have increased so greatly,
all stable supplies, from hay to shavings, are simply a
lot more expensive than they were a year or two ago.
The cost of liability and property insurance, always
high for California residents, is increasing every year.
Many boarding stables have no choice but to pass some of
the cost increases along to their boarders. The
dwindling number of boarding stables in our area means
that horse owners have fewer choices, resulting in less
competition and higher prices.
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