Is it possible to talk down the monthly rent price with the landlord before signing the lease?

curtisports2

Certainly you can negotiate. Success rate is extremely low.

R P

You can ask, but expect the answer to be "no."

Anonymous

No!

Pascal the Gambler

You mean try and negotiate lower rent? You van always try, doubtful it would be successful.

Slabberdasken

Possibly, everything is negotiable.

sunshine_mel

If you have a valid reason why it should be lower, such as comparing it to similar properties in the immediate area, you can certainly try.

Slumlord

Sure, really no harm in asking. Say something like there is another unit I am looking at which is about $50 cheaper (or whatever you are hoping to gain) and can you match that price. They will say yes or no (actually probably no or counter your offer) but you really haven't lost much. It may be difficult to get them to budge on the price (then either take it at full price or dont) but may happen.

SCATTY c

Is it possible - yes Is it likely ? - probably not. Your best chance of success at this, would be to offer to pay 12 months up front. So you could say, if I pay 12 months in advance, would you accept say £50 less a month in rent. They might accept that, because it would guarantee them 12 months rent 'hassle free' as it were. Because, with all tenants, the landlord runs the risk of them not paying and the hassle that that involves. So he might think the discount is worth peace of mind for a year.

linkus86

Absolutely, everything is negotiable, but you have to bring something to the table too and that is often where the disconnect begins. If you don't have anything to trade, you don't give the landlord any reason to lower the rent. In the beginning you aren't in the position to negotiate until you are first qualified as a worthy tenant, so you need to go through the application process. Afterwards you need to figure out what the landlord values and have what is valued to offer in return for what ever you are asking of them. For example to a landlord, someone with stellar credit whom has a long stable lifestyle (like renting at the same place for a long time, and having a stellar reference from that previous landlord) making you appear as a great tenant because great tenants are rare and make the landlords life/business so much easier. Or maybe you could offer a willingness to sign a longer lease and offer a higher security deposit in return for a smaller rent. Or maybe there is a lot of vacancy in the neighborhood and you can pit other landlords against the one you are negotiating that may offer a similar units or ones with better amenities to solicit a lower rent would gain your commitment to choose theirs. You have to bring something to the negotiation table. Be creative. Often the best time to negotiate with a landlord is when you have already proven to your landlord that you are a great tenant after fulfilling your original lease. This is much more common to find landlords accepting much lower rents from existing tenants than is what is charged to new tenants because good tenants are not easy to come by and the thought of losing a good tenant to the competition or just the hassle and expense of having to prep an apartment and remarket it for a new tenant enduring a month of vacancy is not a good fiscal decision.

real estate guy

of course you can ask. Really depends on how hot (or not) the area market is.

Judy

would probably just mean they'd rent to someone else. If they're having trouble renting it, maybe

Maxi

Of course it is possible, price can be part of any negotiation.... eg offering to sign the contract for 2 yrs or paying several months up front or the place has been on the market for several weeks/months without a tenant...... the property is better rented and the landlord getting rent than being empty

J

depends on if its a large business ran thing or a private owner who is renting out. if its a private owner then ya you can try and talk the rent down but unless they are hard up for finding renters its not likely going to work it can also very easily lead to them turning you away so yea it can be done but better to expect a high failure rate

nt

Anything is possible I guess but I doubt most would come down. Unless its a mom & pop with one property that's been on the market for a few months without being leased.