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Can you haggle over the rent price?

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  • 12-03-2010 10:37pm
    #1
    Kashkai
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,399 ✭✭✭


    I've been paying a mortgage for 16 years but am now looking for a new place to live and was wondering if its possible to haggle with the landlord over the rent? I mean, there's a couple of properties that I'm interested in renting and they appear to be on the market a while at around €800 per month. So what would the chances be of approaching the landlord and saying that I'll rent it at say €700 per month (or less if I think I could get away with it?). Or should I just ask if the rent is negotiable and let him say how much he's willing to cut it by.

    I haven't rented in years and my last experience of renting in the early 90's was a nightmare with the landlord letting himself in when he pleased and not handing back the deposit even though I left the place immaculate and gave proper notice etc. Have things changed much, i.e. have tenants more rights? If I sign a lease, am I secure in the knowledge that as long as the rent is paid, the landlord can't enter the property? What are my guarantees with regard to getting my deposit back etc? Can I claim any tax relief or do landlords shy away from this?

    As you can see, I've a lot to learn and want my facts straight before I re enter the renting world.


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    #2
    miss luce
    Registered Users Posts: 21 ✭miss luce


    hi prosperous dave,
    we're been renting for years. we've lived in diff places and dealt with diff landlords. some good, and some not so good!!!
    my partner is self employed for the last few years, and it was his accountant who suggested that he claim the rent back in his tax. i dont think this should be a problem for you, maybe if you go to your tax office, they might have a form to fill in, or tell you otherwise.
    also, we've just moved into our house in the last 2 mnths, and it was on for 800 and we got it for 650, and they took our dog. we think that we could have even got it for 600. its a diff market these days, and there are lots of empty houses out there!!!
    it was my partners accountant who said that now is the time to haggle. he said try for 400 a mnth, but we didnt think we'd get anywhere nice for that really.
    good luck in your search for your place. haggle, haggle, haggle!!!


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    #3
    Graces7
    Registered Users Posts: 32,634 ✭✭✭✭Graces7


    Prosperous Dave wrote: »
    I've been paying a mortgage for 16 years but am now looking for a new place to live and was wondering if its possible to haggle with the landlord over the rent? I mean, there's a couple of properties that I'm interested in renting and they appear to be on the market a while at around €800 per month. So what would the chances be of approaching the landlord and saying that I'll rent it at say €700 per month (or less if I think I could get away with it?). Or should I just ask if the rent is negotiable and let him say how much he's willing to cut it by.

    I haven't rented in years and my last experience of renting in the early 90's was a nightmare with the landlord letting himself in when he pleased and not handing back the deposit even though I left the place immaculate and gave proper notice etc. Have things changed much, i.e. have tenants more rights? If I sign a lease, am I secure in the knowledge that as long as the rent is paid, the landlord can't enter the property? What are my guarantees with regard to getting my deposit back etc? Can I claim any tax relief or do landlords shy away from this?

    As you can see, I've a lot to learn and want my facts straight before I re enter the renting world.

    Absolutely haggle... and do it with bravado.

    See prtb site re your rights; the 2004 Tenancy Act changed much. And no, your landlord is not allowed to enter without prior arrangement that is mutually covenient. That extends to the gardens also.

    See
    http://www.prtb.ie/

    and

    http://www.threshold.ie/


    if you leave the place in good condition there should be no problem re deposit. Sadly there often is . We only managed to get part of one deposit back when we bumped into the landlord in town and escorted him to a cash machine; the rest took much longer.

    Good luck


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    #4
    iguana
    Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 12,915 Mod ✭✭✭✭iguana


    I'm going to be looking for a rental place soon and have a huge list of places that look perfect on paper. When I go look at places I plan on telling the landlord/agent of any place I still like once I see it that the place suits me but so do more than a few others. As a result my deciding factor will be the price, if they are interested in having me as a tenant what is their best offer. I don't want to be overly aggressive with a landlord, it's not like buying - you will have to deal with this person throughout your tenancy. But I don't want to overpay for a place.

    Your best bet is to be straight up about where you are coming from. It's business, if there is an oversupply of similar houses then of course the best price is what you will go for, a landlord who doesn't accept that is probably not going to be the most business-like in other dealings anyway.


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