1) There is no recovery for "pain and suffering" in commerical contract/lease cases.2) In a  commercial lease, when the lease expires or when an increase is otherwise permitted by the lease, the landlord may ask for any size increase he wants (limited only by any limitations or restrictions in a then-still-in-force lease); there is no protection against the landlord increasing the rent beyond affordable levels.3) If there is absestos and if the lease continues, then the landlord may have to remediate (i.e. remove and correct) the absestos; however, if your father does not sign the lease renewal, that would be moot, since he will not be renting there, anyway.