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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Is it normal to offer less rent than the house is advertised at?

91 replies

Preschoolermum · 10/03/2020 08:32

Or not? The house is nice, and competitively priced. There are other interested parties. Is it normal to make an offer anyway? Do most people make offers? I thought that was the practice if buying but not renting, but maybe I am wrong.
Thank you for your views!

OP posts:

WalkingDeadTrainee · 10/03/2020 08:34

I never did and haven't heard my friends did either. I wouldn't especially if more parties interested. If it was overpriced, I just walked away and got similar flat for normal price around the corner.

Clawdy · 10/03/2020 08:34

I've never heard of anyone making offers for rent before, but I could be wrong!

Piffle11 · 10/03/2020 08:34

No you can make an offer. I used to work with a rental agent years ago and they would often get offers, and many would be accepted. I guess it depends on how much a person wants the house, especially if there are other people interested and it is already competitively priced.

twoheaped · 10/03/2020 08:35

No.

lynzpynz · 10/03/2020 08:35

It depends!

If other parties, new to market and you really want it - I wouldn't personally.
If its been on market a while, no bites - definately chance it.

Really depends on your gut feeling, your agent should be able to advise you best but given there are others interested etc. I probably wouldn't here personally.

Owlandthepussycatwenttosea · 10/03/2020 08:35

Yes it is quite normal to make an offer. If you were the only interested party and it had been on the market for a while you may be accepted.

SinglePringle · 10/03/2020 08:35

Always offer less. We pay £400 less than the listed price for our house.

StCharlotte · 10/03/2020 08:36

Given how incredibly difficult the rental market is for tenants, I think offering a lower rent would have you/them laughed out of the letting agents. There will be plenty of others in the queue.

Actual letting agents may prove me wrong!

NoMorePoliticsPlease · 10/03/2020 08:39

I am a landlord and have never taken a lower offer

TheFastandTheCurious · 10/03/2020 08:39

We actually offered more to secure the house we're in currently as there were so many people wanting it

Namechangeymcnamechange11 · 10/03/2020 08:39

It would depend on your competition for renting! If several people want it and you're offering less, you're more unlikely to get it!
Personally I've never offered less, although for one place, the letting agent told me that it was advertised at £450, but the LL would accept £395. Still didn't rent it as it was a hole.

InglouriousBasterd · 10/03/2020 08:41

Yes, it’s common around here. Stupidly high rent anyway though!

thecatsthecats · 10/03/2020 08:44

We made and had offers accepted on both our rentals. Fifty quid off a month which amounts to £600 a year.

Rental prices are very overinflated in some areas, and as model tenants with great references, we were a safer bet I guess than someone offering the full whack.

(Both times the flats in question had barely been listed and I think we were more or less the first in the door.)

CherryPavlova · 10/03/2020 08:45

We’ve accepted offers for rent reduction where the potential renters were likely to be good tenants and cause minimal wear and tear. One was a competitive international sailor who wanted a coastal base over the summer. He was out most of the time and just wanted somewhere to sleep. Much preferable to take £50 a month less off him than have a family with three children move in.

Sewinginscotland · 10/03/2020 08:46

I rented my flat out after I moved in with DH (then DP). Every person who came to view it tried to haggle on the price. I had priced it competitively and couldn't lower it as I would be losing money, the people that I rented it to in the end accepted the advertised price. I'm sure I also tried to haggle on price when I was renting.

It doesn't hurt to have the conversation so long as you're not cheeky about it. But if there are lots of people interested, it will probably make you less attractive to a potential landlord. Plus you'll probably have more luck with a private landlord than a rental agency.

Batqueen · 10/03/2020 08:49

I’ve been advised by the letting agent to make an offer in the past as it was slightly over our budget and in a student area. It was accepted as we were two professionals and therefore preferred.

dottiedodah · 10/03/2020 08:49

I havent heard of this before TBH. Maybe worth a shot,but if other people interested then unlikely to be accepted .Market forces dictate price !

puds11 · 10/03/2020 08:50

You could offer. I wouldn’t take it but no harm in offering.

SirChable · 10/03/2020 08:52

I'm a landlord and have taken offers from 'desirable' tenants, ie those looking for longer term lets.

HenHarrier · 10/03/2020 08:52

Yes (we have before) but if it’s already competitively priced and there are several interested parties then it’s unlikely you’ll get a reduction.

MySonIsAlsoNamedBort · 10/03/2020 08:54

I've heard of people offering slightly more to try and get the property. But not less! I guess it makes sense if the property has been available for a while, but usually the rental asking price gets dropped down anyway if that's the case.

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 10/03/2020 08:54

Presumably a lot will depend on local supply and demand.
FWIW we accepted a slightly lower offer because the prospective tenants looked like a good bet, and so it has proved.

It was a very nice flat and not at all overpriced for the type or area, so we could have held out for a bit more, but just wanted to get it done and dusted.

BonnesVacances · 10/03/2020 08:56

It depends on the demand. We offered £200 less on the first house we rented after relocating and argued our case that we were also LL so would be impeccable tenants.

But on the house we are LL for, the last change in tenant resulted in 10 viewings, one couple who offered less but were eclipsed by a bidding war with the other interested parties who were all offering more than the advertised price.

We went with the couple we liked best who paid the market rate. I was dubious about the ones who were happy to pay more as eventually they would decide they were paying too much and would move on. But the point is that it was a LL's market and the prospective tenant who had offered less had little chance of securing the house.

WalkingDeadTrainee · 10/03/2020 08:59

I always rather negotiated to have the flat newly redecorated and in top notch condition and some furniture changed. I think it also depends on area you are in. We were renting in city centres and market there moves fast unless the landlord is super unreasonable.

mumwon · 10/03/2020 09:03

it is happening more now - but from the LL viewpoint much depends on how they view you as a good tenant - but it needs to be a reasonable offer & be prepared that they may counter offer between - but some LL maybe turned off - you have to gamble (& note also how quickly rentals in general go in the area & how long the specific rental you want has been on. Also compare like for like) Personally I would rather have a reliable tenant for slightly less (although its always a gamble - for both sides).

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