Student flat win

Dannypeck96 · 13 February 2018 at 12:10PM

First post so please be nice?
I was looking for a student flat for the second year of my uni. I needed 1) a whole year lease as I don’t have anywhere for the summer and 2) my own whole flat as I’ve been massively burned by the “quality” of my flatmates this year that the university lumped me with. So off hunting I go. Found a lovely little flat above a shop in what we call the student quarter (five minutes walk from the uni), so I sat down with the agent, and started haggling. I’ll admit, I completely winged it because I’m a student, I’ve never haggled before and I didn’t even know what to try. So, It bounces back and forth between me and the agent, I say I can’t live in this place with a cooker that old, etc.
What am I getting out of this?
£10/pw rent reduction, new kitchen (okay the LL was gonna need to do it soon anyway) free unlimited internet (if you’ve ever had the “pleasure” of dealing with KCOM you’ll know how hard that is) halved agency fee, no deposit (although I do have an almost perfect credit score) oh and a fridge full of beer. Specifically, all dark real ales from Yorkshire (I’m a cheeky !!!!!! apparently when haggling):p
Total saved?
£75 p/m, £65 on the agency fee, and a fridge full of beer. :beer:
Not bad for a student renting a property with a list price of 480 :cool:
So, MSM’ers, how did I do for a first time? Can you top it (students or otherwise)

LandyAndy · 13 February 2018 at 12:15PM

On the down side, you are in Hull.

Comms69 · 13 February 2018 at 12:40PM

It depends on who the landlord is.

need_an_answer · 13 February 2018 at 12:44PM

All very well with negotiating but I guess time will tell if the promises made are actually fulfilled.

The agent can have as many discussions with you as you want and agree to whatever terms you ask for,but it is the LL who will need to deliver these "promises"
You winged it but whats to say the agent didn't do a spot of winging themselves.

Expect the agent to backtrack a little as I am sure they would not hold the ability to promise a "new kitchen" without serious discussion with the LL who is the owner of the property.

Don't celebrate until your propositions are fully documented in writing or indeed the promises actually fulfilled.

jbainbridge · 13 February 2018 at 12:58PM

Get the promises in writing. Better, part of the contract.

If your new kitchen appears I'll eat my hat.

buggy_boy · 13 February 2018 at 1:08PM

Yeah have to agree, I think you were talking with monkey rather than the organ grinder...

I don't know what state the kitchen was in so the landlord may have been planning to do the work anyway soon. Ive been known to change a carpet or two on request but generally nothing more than a month or so rent. If the kitchen, cooker etc was ok unless desperate (Got to ask then why) given your demands in the year there would be no profit for the landlord.

I mean good luck, but personally if unreasonable demands like a fully stocked fridge of beer is asked for my answer would be on your bike, but you might have the upper hand if the landlord is desperate, these days though with all the new taxes and landlords leaving the market I find tenants are scrambling for my properties (But then I do make sure the property is in really good condition)

Pixie5740 · 13 February 2018 at 1:11PM

An almost credit score according to whom? Not an institution that lends money or lets property.

Well done on your haggling. I don't know if it's pessimism or experience that makes me think there is something wrong with the property that you have yet to discover such as really !!!!!!, noisy neighbours.

The last place I rented I ended up offering an extra £20 pcm just to secure the tenancy because competition for rental properties was so fierce in that city and at that time. No agency fees for me though because I live in Scotland.

gettingtheresometime · 13 February 2018 at 1:40PM

If any of that materialises ....I run in my local half marathon

Pixie5740 · 13 February 2018 at 1:53PM

My bad, I thought you already had the keys to the property and were sitting down enjoying one of your cold Yorkshire ales albeit at too low a temperature.

Don't count your chickens just yet.