Rent Price

Dave_W_5

Me and my girlfriend have found a flat we both like on a new development. We are renting through an agent and I wondered if the price we see in the papers/on the net for the monthly rent is negotiable at all?

Has anyone had any luck in negotiating the price down with an agent? Or is the price you see the price you pay?

tsstss7

Quick answer is yes - I negotiated a discount on my rent when I moved 4 years ago - only 50 a month but made it affordable for me at the time and they kept the property for me for 2 months as my last LL had slipped a 2 month notice clause into the last 6 month AST agreement which isn't standard at all!!

Does depend on the agent and LL though and an agent will prob up the rent every year anyway (most do a set percentage) so I'd go for a big cut if I was you and be prepared to cut and run if they put it all back on on renewal! Also look out for section21 notices as I believe it is becomin almost standard to serve notice at the beginning of your AST now (I'd never heard of one of these b4 reading these threads - certainly never been served one)

Best tip though is to shop around - I've been prepared to look at 2 properties a day for 2 weeks to get a good deal/place to live - it shouldn't be taken any more lightly than buying really as if it goes well you could be there for many years and since you cannot make substatial changes to structure it should suit you as it is - the only thing you are likely to be able to change is paint colour - you will have to live with heating, boilers, carpets etc chosen by your LL so don't compromise too much.

PROFESSIONAL_LANDLORD

tsstss7 wrote: »

Quick answer is yes - I negotiated a discount on my rent when I moved 4 years ago - only 50 a month but made it affordable for me at the time and they kept the property for me for 2 months as my last LL had slipped a 2 month notice clause into the last 6 month AST agreement which isn't standard at all!!

Does depend on the agent and LL though and an agent will prob up the rent every year anyway (most do a set percentage) so I'd go for a big cut if I was you and be prepared to cut and run if they put it all back on on renewal! Also look out for section21 notices as I believe it is becomin almost standard to serve notice at the beginning of your AST now (I'd never heard of one of these b4 reading these threads - certainly never been served one)

Best tip though is to shop around - I've been prepared to look at 2 properties a day for 2 weeks to get a good deal/place to live - it shouldn't be taken any more lightly than buying really as if it goes well you could be there for many years and since you cannot make substatial changes to structure it should suit you as it is - the only thing you are likely to be able to change is paint colour - you will have to live with heating, boilers, carpets etc chosen by your LL so don't compromise too much.

Yes of course my favourite shades are TANGERINE & LIME GREEN ! please feel free to paint the radiators , light switches/sockets, skirting boards and the door frames you can post back here later when your EVIL LL keeps your deposit



Back to the post! It depends simply on the amount of available property in the area, if there's a lot , sure make them an offer nothing to lose.

tsstss7

PROFESSIONAL_LANDLORD wrote: »

Yes of course my favourite shades are TANGERINE & LIME GREEN ! please feel free to paint the radiators , light switches/sockets, skirting boards and the door frames you can post back here later when your EVIL LL keeps your deposit



Back to the post! It depends simply on the amount of available property in the area, if there's a lot , sure make them an offer nothing to lose.

lol can sometimes be the other way u know - my house was bright pink, yellow and yukky green when I moved in ...nice big pot of magnolia paint called for I think....! anyway at end of day if LL does not like paint job they can always pre-approve colours or as most do ask 4 it to be returned to original when u leave (although god knows where I'd track down that shade of luminous yellow now!)

x.

santashelper_2

it depends on how many people are looking at the same property in my experience sometimes you risk the chance of loosing out to someone else especially on new properties as these are always more desirable.

It really depends on whether you have any other properties as a back up in mind

Generali

With the current place I rent, Mrs Generali and I found 2 houses, both on at £1400.

Both would have been prefectly suitable for us so we offered £1050 on both. Both came back as a yes.

There seems to be more 3-4 bed houses up for rent in my area than prospective renters (except students/sharers).

Badger_Lady

Quick answer - you can offer a lower price and see what happens.

Whether it will be accepted / negotiated will depend entirely on market conditions and the landlord's attitude to price, but there's no harm in asking :-)

tr3mor

PROFESSIONAL_LANDLORD wrote: »

Yes of course my favourite shades are TANGERINE & LIME GREEN ! please feel free to paint the radiators , light switches/sockets, skirting boards and the door frames you can post back here later when your EVIL LL keeps your deposit

Obviously serves you right for taking on drug fuelled insane tenants!

Most landlords won't mind you painting as long as it's not a hideously offensive colour and you get the majority of the paint on the walls not the carpet.

coal9011

Were the flats on this new development for sale as well? If "yes" then I would say that there is a strong posibility (because of the slow property market) that the developer is having trouble selling them all and the prudent (Gordon Brown's favourate word!") thing to do in the short-term is to rent some out rather then have them stand empty.

Also being a new development, your flat(and others) may well be owned by buy-to-let owners - who may be running a little scared at the moment - so my advice to you is test your negotiation "skills" and have a go at trying to win a reduction in rent. Don't be greedy though, even evil landlord's have to make a living,

"If you don't ask, you won't get!" .......................... Good Luck!