Should we ask for a rent reduction when renewing contract?

random10

I live with my boyfriend in a 2 bed apt in Dublin. We are very good tenants in that we pay rent on time and theres never any hassle. Last yr when we were renewing lease she wouldnt give us a rent reduction but gave us one month half price, should we ask again this year? My logic is that if we moved out it would take at least one month to get a new tenant in which is a loss of 850euro for her so if she gave us that reduction over the year its roughly 70euro a month!! we've both taken big pay reductions but I know that's not her fault either, my question is do most people ask for rent reductions when renewing their lease and were you successful???

quozl

There is no harm in asking, you just need to decide what you're going to do if she says no.

IE, if she says no are you going to stay or are you really going to the hassle of moving? You may well decide that you're better off staying where you are even without a reduction.

Now she presumably wants to avoid the hassle of trying to re-let it and the risk of getting a poor tenant instead of you.

I did this last month and we got a reduction from 1600 to 1500 - 6.25%. We're good tenants and our landlord would have lost at least that much from re-letting it and would have had increased risk from a random tenant versus us. I think we could have gotten a little more off but we value the cordial relationship we have with our landlord, it is also of value to us and we felt 100 euro was fair and were happy with it.

odds_on

This is probably the best time to ask for a rent reduction. A landlord in general is not worried that you have had a your pay reduced - likewise, you would not be worried about the landlord's mortgage being increased (or can he ask for a rent increase if this happens?!).
If you are a good tenant, (have proved it over the last year) most good landlords will want to keep you to avoid any void in renting the property which has been stated previously may cost the LL more than a month's income.
There is no harm in asking - put your good points forward and see what happens - the LL can only say no.

not even wrong

There is no obligation on you to sign another fixed-term lease; you already have security of tenure under the Residential Tenancies Act. If you don't want to sign it just say no and there is nothing your landlord can do to force you to sign -- in particular, they cannot tell you to move out.

So if your landlord wants you to sign up for another year I would definitely insist on some incentive.

The Good Agent

You most definitely have the right to request a reduction in rent, however you don't have the obligation to receive it.

I think it would be in your best interest not to demand it but more so, subtly suggest it. From reading your post, it would appear that neither party wants to end this relationship so therefore both should be on for giving a little to continue it. In the case of a boom, she might request that the rent goes up by 40EURO a month, or in a recession ye might request the opposite.

It's not a overly demanding request and I think if she is a logical person she will accept that everyone is making cut backs and she is going to have to do the same. As well as this, you would assume she isnt going to want to go through the hardship of trying to locate two new 'good' tenants.Just try not to make it out to be an ultimatum, more of a little tweak:).

www.thegoodagent.ie

djmcr

yes

danthefan

I'm coming up to the end of a 6 month lease and was going to ask this very question. I like the apartment and my landlord is a very good guy but I could easily save 100euro a month on what I'm paying currently, within a 5 minute drive of where I am now. I'm paying 495, I think I'll ask for 450.

chicken fingers

Don't ask. Tell her you want a reduction of 100 per month or you will be leaving.
If she gave you 85 euro per month off last year, this year she can do better.

mikemac

Your pay reductions is not your landlords issue and don't bring it up. It's irrelevant

Your main bargaining chip is what similar places are going for.
Get onto daft and check your street or estate or complex.
If you find places €100 a month cheaper definitely ask for the reduction

You might not get it but then you still can choose to stay or to leave.

Always ask.
Your landlord haggled with the seller, the bank, the tradesmen and for the furnishings.
So you can haggle too.

not even wrong

mikemac wrote: »

Your pay reductions is not your landlords issue and don't bring it up. It's irrelevant

while this is strictly true, you should still mention it because it'll make the landlord feel that there's a real risk of you leaving, also they're more likely to have sympathy for you if they think you're asking for the reduction because you're in financial difficulty rather than just chancing your arm. Basic negotiating techniques.

You might not get it but then you still can choose to stay or to leave.

And don't forget your third option, stay on but don't sign the new lease.

oflahero

We asked for a reduction in time for our annual fixed-term lease renewal through our agent. Haven't heard back, and the previous term has just expired, so it looks like the landlord didn't fancy it and so we've just rolled on to a month-to-month Part IV tenancy, which suits us just fine in lieu of the (small) reduction we were looking for.

The fixed term lease had a few finicky above-and-beyond things like requiring that the carpets be 'professionally cleaned' before moving out, stuff designed to get around the 'normal wear and tear is acceptable' provisions of the Act, in order to justify some deposit-snaffling.