I live in an apt. building and pay $480 A month but that's everything included. Power, water, trash, cable, everything. Two days ago they tell us that they are raising the rent $50. So that's brings my rent to $530. We have live there for 2 1/2 years and only signed one lease. Can they raise my rent? I have a feeling it is yes but it doesn't hurt to ask.

Yes, they can.

I've lived in a place for awhile and we keep signing leases, and every time we do it goes up at least $15.

I'm not sure of the laws and everything (there is a real estate law section and that has each law by state) but I'm sure it says something about it in your lease as well.

I assume that the lease you signed 2.5 years ago was for a 1 year period. After that lease expired, you became a month-to-month tenant. But all of the provisions of the previous lease still applied, except for the term.

If this is the case then the landlord has the right to increase your rent with 30 days advance notice. In fact, if the landlord wants to they can increase your rent every 30 days. Of course you don't have to accept it. You can give the landlord your 30 days written notice that you intend to move.

The only situation where the above would not apply is if your original written lease contained a provision saying that the lease would be automatically renewed for another year if you didn't give the landlord notice ahead of time that you didn't want to renew. If that's the case then the landlord can't increase your rent unless the written lease allowed them to.

So you're going to have to carefully read your previous lease to see if it says anything about automatic renewals.