Hard time letting a room

jozi

We're having a good hard time getting a room let.

Flat mate decided she wants to move into an appartment with a friend about a month ago.

Have had an advert up on Daft for the last month, next week is the end of the rent month and we've only had one visit!

Has it got so hard then or are we doing something wrong?

The room is a double room with en-suite, very big bright room.
The house is very nice, pretty big and in a nice neighbourhood 20mins walk from town and near a lot of major bus routes. Rent was 570 but we've adjusted rent for the other rooms to bring it down to 500. There's a drive for parking and all here as well as a private garden out the back.

Only downside I/we can see is that there are 5 others, which is a lot but everyone works different times of the day and has their own schedules etc.

athtrasna

Price, price and price.

It's a renters market and I can't see why anyone would pay €500 a month to share with 5 other people in a house that's "20 mins walk from town". City Centre maybe but for that far out you're not a million miles from a one bed apartment for the same money.

jozi

Good point. We've never had this problem but then again things have been good for everyone the last few years.

We've already got the rent lowered last year when the lease was up for renewal, doubt the agency will drop it again.

How does this situation leave us with regards to handing back deposits? There wont be a deposit until someone moves in. None of us can afford to be making up the rent for the room.

andreac

Some one new moving in has no bearing on giving the deposit back to the current tenant that is leaving. If they are owed the deposit they should get it back regardless of whether theres a new tenant or not, thats not their problem. Im guessing their deposit has been spent and you need a deposit from the new tenant so you have money to give current tenant back theirs.

Are you subletting the room? or how come its not up to the landlord to sort a tenant?

The price is way too high IMO. 500 for a room is just madness. i wouldnt pay more than 400 for a double ensuite room in the current market.

jozi

We're letting it through an agency and split the rent between all of us when we moved in. No one in the house holds the deposit.

Supposing we don't find anyone and all have to move out meaning none of us get our deposits back or is that not how it works? I should prob get a look at the lease for this...

andreac

When is your lease up? if your lease isnt up for another while then you are not entitled to your deposit back if your landlord doesnt want to give it back afaik.

jozi

We renewed it for 6 months in Feb. It's our 3rd lease term, the 1st 2 were for full years, 6 months because 3 of us are thinking of going traveling at the end of the summer.

I think your prob right on the deposit side of things, I'll have a look for the lease in the morning.

AnonoBoy

That sounds like way too much money to be sharing with that many people.

You'll be extremely lucky to rent it - finding a friend who wants to live with ye would be the best bet I'd say. Can't imagine someone moving into a house with 5 other strangers and laying out 500 a month.

goat2

athtrasna wrote: »

Price, price and price.

It's a renters market and I can't see why anyone would pay €500 a month to share with 5 other people in a house that's "20 mins walk from town". City Centre maybe but for that far out you're not a million miles from a one bed apartment for the same money.

did you mean 500 per month for one room
if so
what planet are we on

goat2

andreac wrote: »

When is your lease up? if your lease isnt up for another while then you are not entitled to your deposit back if your landlord doesnt want to give it back afaik.

you are within your rights to give one months notice
that should shake the landlord up, as he will not be able to fill it
you can say that it is too dear, and you are hard up, due to cuts in salery, he should also take cut
bet he will
as he is on pigs back, while you and others are paying through the nose.
that is too much for anyone
give a months notice all of you
he may strike a deal
then if not, you will find a house cheaper, nearer town

jozi

500 to much, I'm not sure I agree. It's a double room, very big room with an en-suite bigger than some bathrooms I've used in other houses. We've advertised it for couples also.

5 might seem like a fair bit but in reality days can go by when you don't see one or two flat mates. Everyone has their own schedules and life and they dont seem to clash very often. There's rare occasions where 2 people might want to cook at the same time, not had any problems with the bathroom being occupied etc...

One of the girls is going to call the agency later today and see what they say. Pretty much going to say we can't afford pay for the room and what options they can see and take it from there.

andreac

Whereabouts is the house? Have you checked other doubles rooms in your area on daft and the price they are charging?

Unless you are smack bang in dublins city centre then 500 is way over priced.
Why would someone pay 500 to be living a 20min walk from nearest town? I certainly wouldnt.

I rent a room in my house, double room, own bathroom and its only 300 a month.
In case you havent noticed rents everywhere have come down hugely.

I would almost guarantee if you dropped the rent to at least 400-450 you get a lot more interest anf get thr room rented then.

jozi

It's between Drumcondra and Phibsboro just of Iona Road. The area is really nice here and prob means that prices are a little high because of it.

We're near a lot of bus routes, train, 2 tesco's anything you could need/want.

I've not had a chance to find comparable houses on daft yet. We got the rent for the house reduced last year when we renewed the lease because even then it was getting cheaper. Has rent come down even more then over the last year?

Xiney

Price is probably way too high. Have you asked your agency for a rent reduction on the whole place?

Also, depending on the quality of pictures up on Daft, that would affect things.

Lastly, as there are 5 people living in the house, maybe a short one liner about each person in the ad.

blahblah06

ive been in the same boat lately room was 80 a week and have reduced it to 60 a week and ive the pick off who I want to move in now

astrofool

€500 for sharing with 5 strangers is too much. Is it two couples and a single, or all singles? How many beds in the property?

Could one of the current renters move into the big room and pay extra, and then it might be easier to rent a smaller room for a lower amount?

You won't get your deposit back, and may be forced to pay out the rest of your lease if you leave before the 6 months is up, pretty much ignore what goat2 says.

quozl

jozi wrote: »

500 to much, I'm not sure I agree.

Clearly it is or you would have had more than 1 viewing in the month you've had it advertised.

it's that simple.

jozi

I've added to the add that 2 people work normal hours, 2 work different shifts and a student. As well as a little note saying how rare it is we clash in our daily lives.

The whole house is 2000 a month (used to be 2500), the 2 biggest rooms 570 (1 en-suite 1 a very big attic room) and the box room is very cheap cause it's 2x the size of a bed - and not a bit bigger.

EDIT: 5 rooms, all with 1 person except for the big attic room which I share with my girlfriend. I can't see any of the other flatmates taking the room but I'll put it to them.

blahblah06

570 is crazy money to be spending on a room. Max id spend is 300 nowadays

jozi

We've brought the en-suite room down to 500 and increased the prices of the other rooms.

starfish12

i live in the same area, i'm renting a gorgeous 1 bed apt for €650 and have it all to myself, another friend is in a house with 2 others and are paying 300 each just off lindsay road...there is no chance of anyone paying that amount for a room in a house regardless of how little they see the other flatmates unfortunately

andreac

PLease have a look at this, no wonder you arent getting any viewings charging 500 euro:rolleyes:
http://www.daft.ie/searchsharing.daft?s%5Bcc_id%5D=c1&s%5Ba_id%5D%5B%5D=272&s%5Broute_id%5D=&s%5Ba_id_transport%5D=0&s%5Bstreet_name%5D=&s%5Btxt%5D=&s%5Bmnp%5D=&s%5Bmxp%5D=&s%5Broom_type%5D=double&s%5Bgender%5D=&s%5Bmove_in_date%5D=0&s%5Bavailable_for%5D=&s%5Bo_oc%5D=&s%5Boccupants%5D=&s%5Bdays_old%5D=&s%5Bagreed%5D=&more=&tab=&search=1&s%5Bsearch_type%5D=sharing&s%5Btransport%5D=&s%5Badvanced%5D=&s%5Bprice_per_room%5D=&search.x=29&search.y=11

Majority are all under 500 euro.

phili_g

Have just seen your ad on daft and there is no way I would pay 500 euro for that room.

Living with 5 other people, one of which is a student, and the person moving must also like a cat???

I was living in a nice 4 bed house in Harolds Cross and at the peak we were paying 625 each for double rooms. I've moved out since but the rent is now 450 and even at that the current tennants find it almost impossible to fill rooms when they become available

I would recommend that you try and renegotiate, or else see out the lease and move else where for considerably cheaper. The landlord should know that the days of him getting 500 euro plus per room are long gone

andreac

Plus 2000 for a 5 bed house is mad money too. There are 5 bed houses in that area going from 1400-1700 so 2000 is way over priced, you are being ripped off by looks of it!

Xiney

Take better pictures of that room. It looks like a hole right now!

Make the bed up with a better duvet cover and pillows. Take down the crap that's on the walls and that awful mirrored wardrobe. Try to make it look more modern.



Frankly, there's simply no way I'd pay 500 euro for that room.

jozi

I've taken some new photo's (better ones) and will upload them asap.

The car pretty much sleeps and feeds here he's out a lot of the time. It's something that could put you of but he's converted quite a few cat haters to lovers over the past few years.

I'm the student and believe me, I have anything but a "student" life. I'm not in the house from 9-9 or later pretty much every day, not the party type before you think it.

Going to look on daft for a bit and call the agency.

jozi

Spoke to the agency eariler today and told them the situation and that unless rent comes down we'll prob have to move out. She'll get back to us.

She had a look on daft at 5bed houses and while there are 1 or 2 ver cheap there are 2 other which are more expensive than ours.

We'll see what the out come is. Not a good time to have to move out if it comes to it a week before final handup of my thesis.

D3PO

jozi wrote: »

She had a look on daft at 5bed houses and while there are 1 or 2 ver cheap there are 2 other which are more expensive than ours.

So what. Asking rent and recieved rent are 2 different things. Also ask youself why the 2 that are more expensive arent let ? Its exactly becasue they are asking for 2 much.

You drive the negotiations not the agent. You tell them what your willing to pay dont let them waffle to you.

jozi

We asked her for a reduction

tenchi-fan

I looked for a room in drumcondra this time last year. The house was pretty modern, 20 min walk from the city centre, sharing with 2 others (one was never there). Garden. No cats. €395. And it was still too much.

I moved out a few months later even though they offered a significant reduction (forget what it was, maybe 340... but I still wasn't interested)

Anyway, if I was searching daft tomorrow I'd probably enter the following parameters:
Sharing with : 2 - 3 others max
Price : €420 max (and even then only if it was en-suite)
Owner occupier: No
Students: Prob no
Pets: Definitely not!

Your listing would not even register.

rightwingdub

I'm paying €400 for a double room in South Co Dublin, I got the rent down from €450 a few weeks ago and apparently in 2008 the landlord was charging €520 per month for the room, €500 is still way too much gewt it down to €400 maximum.

My flatmate has a double ensuite and she's paying €430 per month, I think her rent peaked at nearly €560 at the height of the madness. I reckon I'm still been overcharged by about €50 per month.

waxon-waxoff

Im in the same position as the OP. Started a thread on this before but somehow it got hijacked by peoples rants about owner occupiers.

Its true that rents have dropped but i think theres also much less people looking now, job cuts etc. Im getting about 2 viewings a week, three years ago it was 5 or 6 per night. I moved in a few months ago and now the other dude has moved away so im trying to get somebody but im getting worried. If i cant get someone ill have to go and lose my deposit i suppose.

The other posters here keep saying its too expensive and they wouldnt pay that much, but it depends what your priority is. I am willing to pay a bit more for a good location for the quality of life it brings. What good is saving a hundred quid if you have to share a bathroom with three others, in a depressing estate miles from anywhere, where you have to drive to get to a shop and spend half an hour on a bus to get to town. Ill be in the suburbs long enough when i get married :rolleyes: