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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Rent reduction

101 replies

Peachplum29 · 01/03/2022 12:36

For the next 3 months I’m going to have a drop in income and I’ve worked out a budget and worked out all my bill payments etc and I realised I’m going to over spend. Would it be unreasonable to ask my landlord for a 3 month rent reduction of £50 to then pay an extra £50 a month rent for 3 months there after to pay it back? What would be the bestway of going about this?

OP posts:
FairyCakeWings · 01/03/2022 16:19

8 months isn’t long enough for the landlord to know that you’re trustworthy, so I wouldn’t ask. If you’d been there at least 2-3 years and always paid on time and you gave a decent explanation then maybe, but even then as a landlord it would make me worry. Especially if your landlord is an individual with only one or two properties.

Ask one of the big companies that you have contracts with if you can pay them less. Phone/water/energy companies are all better placed to absorb the cost of your reduced payment so they should be your first port of call before your landlord.

Doratheexploret · 01/03/2022 16:26

We’ve done it with our tenant before but that’s because he’s a friend. We couldn’t do it again though as his rent has never been increased in 8 years and it only just about covers the mortgage. I suppose you can ask but as others have said it might not look good.

gogohm · 01/03/2022 16:32

Is there nothing else you can cut without an exit penalty - Netflix, sky, reduce phone package, economise on shopping more?

Could you borrow from family or a friend?

MissMaple82 · 01/03/2022 16:36

Some landlords are arseholes other are reasonable human beings. No harm in asking. If I was a landlord, and I had a good tenant I would allow this. Its an unreasonable ask at all. However, you may be entitled to housing allowance for them months. Contact your council or ring universal credit

Sugarplumfairy65 · 01/03/2022 16:37

For a tenant of only 8 months who was on a rolling contract I wouldn't allow this. If you were on a fixed term with more than 6 months left and were a longstanding tenant I would as long as your payment history was good.

Gooseberrypies · 01/03/2022 16:37

@Hankunamatata

I'm not a credit card fan but in this case id put the £50 each month on an interest free credit card then pay back
How? You can’t bank transfer from a credit card and most people can’t just get interest free at the drop of a hat.
Rrrob · 01/03/2022 16:40

Depends on the relationship you have, and the reason for temp drop in income. Can you be sure it will be ok after 3 months and you will be able to pay £100 more than you are wanting to pay in the short term?

I am a landlord and would agree to the request if I felt confident it was a short term problem. Given the demand for rentals at the moment I would look at where else you can cut costs though, as LL may not renew your tenancy and may look for another tenant.

Rosebel · 01/03/2022 16:48

I was told the best bill to be unable to pay is council tax as long as you speak to them.
For example if 5pay council tax over 10 months but are struggling they will allow you to pay over 12 months. People will say they can get you put in prison for not paying but they don't.
Tbh I'd go down that route first.

CognitiveDissolver · 01/03/2022 16:49

Wouldn't be keen, as after 8 months I'd be worried it was the sign of more things to come.

Can't you put some other things on visa?

TokyoDreaming · 01/03/2022 16:53

How? You can’t bank transfer from a credit card and most people can’t just get interest free at the drop of a hat.

You can bank transfer from a CC, maybe not all but I've got three and they all allow transfers to a bank account.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 01/03/2022 16:54

Can you give a breakdown of the expected costs over the next 3 months and see if anyone can make suggestions to cut elsewhere?

BunnyRuddington · 01/03/2022 16:55

I think ,y understanding is that if you’re on a rolling contract they can apply for an accelerated possession order if they did want to evict. So fairly easy to get you out if they weren’t amicable to your offer.

Houseplantmad · 01/03/2022 16:58

As a landlord, I'd say no. It's so little but would bugger up my accounts and the hassle wouldn't be worth it for me. I'd also question your financial reliability going forward, especially with utilities going up.

BunnyRuddington · 01/03/2022 17:00

I was told the best bill to be unable to pay is council tax as long as you speak to them. For example if 5pay council tax over 10 months but are struggling they will allow you to pay over 12 months. People will say they can get you put in prison for not paying but they don't

Please take advice about not paying Council Tax very carefully. Councils have over recent years become much more vigilant when it comes to reclaiming arrears. I doubt much would happen over £150 but as a general rule, it’s definitely not a bill that can go unpaid. Bankruptcy and Attachment of Earnings Orders are becoming increasingly common.

WomblingWilma · 01/03/2022 17:11

I wouldn’t be impressed if you were my tenant OP. I’d agree but then issue a Section 21.

You have been there a very short time and having financial issues this early shows you don’t have a stable income and may be erratic. The amount is piddling in todays terms, I’d think you could borrow it or get it elsewhere without involving me and I’d think you were taking the piss somewhat. I’d be more sympathetic if you said you had no income and couldn’t pay any rent until you’d got Universal Credit. You are on a rolling contract so I could issue a Section 21 at any time and I wouldn’t want you to hang about.

Do not ask OP. Better to explain the issue your utilities companies, council tax or any other monthly payments you make and agree reduced payments to them. They will be sympathetic.

CognitiveDissolver · 01/03/2022 17:16

@WomblingWilma

I wouldn’t be impressed if you were my tenant OP. I’d agree but then issue a Section 21.

You have been there a very short time and having financial issues this early shows you don’t have a stable income and may be erratic. The amount is piddling in todays terms, I’d think you could borrow it or get it elsewhere without involving me and I’d think you were taking the piss somewhat. I’d be more sympathetic if you said you had no income and couldn’t pay any rent until you’d got Universal Credit. You are on a rolling contract so I could issue a Section 21 at any time and I wouldn’t want you to hang about.

Do not ask OP. Better to explain the issue your utilities companies, council tax or any other monthly payments you make and agree reduced payments to them. They will be sympathetic.

I would echo the latter point. Large companies and local authorities are far more capable of issuing payment plans than individual landlords.
ChampagneLassie · 01/03/2022 17:20

Definitely not - as others have said its a red flag and even if they say no they might be then thinking to get rid of you. You've only been there 8 months and you're on a rolling contract. Surely you can borrow £150 from somewhere?

Winter2020 · 01/03/2022 17:46

Hi OP,
I would find another way to work around your shortfall if you can.

If you apply for a credit card with a 0% on purchases offer you could put some shopping on it each month for three months and then pay it back. This 0% offer might be for 6/12 or 18 months allowing you to spread the cost without paying any interest.

You will need to make a "minimum payment" repayment on time each month and be careful to not lose sight of your budget and put far more on the card than you meant to.

Girlmumdogmumboymum · 01/03/2022 17:59

Mortgage rates have just risen haven't they?
I think most will be getting a rent increase, so I wouldn't push it.
Cut the cost somewhere- anywhere else.

Your most prioritised bill should be the roof over your head,

LittleGwyneth · 01/03/2022 18:41

If you're a good tenant and you've been there a while I wouldn't think there was any harm in asking. Far better to communicate with them than to start paying late or missing payments. They'll probably be aware that you'd be very tricky to evict and if they're generous they'll say yes. If you're new to living there then I would imagine it will be a no, however.

BunnyRuddington · 01/03/2022 18:47

They'll probably be aware that you'd be very tricky to evict

Interested to know why you think the OP would be difficult to evict, especially when MNers who are Landlords have already said they’d serve a Section 21 if the OP asked for a reduction in these circumstances?

qualitygirl · 01/03/2022 18:48

You could ask, but be prepared for either answer.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 01/03/2022 19:47

I'm a landlord and if one of my tenants asked me this I would do my best to accommodate their request as long as they had a good payment history

So would I, but in this particular case I'd be dubious because OP's only been there 8 months and this comes just as they've moved out of the original 6 months and onto a rolling tenancy

And as a tenant in this position, for the sake of just £50 a month, I'd cut down elsewhere rather than raise red flags by asking

Saracen · 01/03/2022 21:21

Asking for a rent reduction is a bit risky in your position. Even if the landlord agrees, they may see you as financially unstable and look to get a different tenant in. You're on a rolling contract, so you don't have much security if they decide they want you out.

You might then really struggle to find somewhere to go, and the costs of the house move would be hard to meet, e.g. you'd have to come up with a deposit on the new place before getting your current deposit back.

cocktailclub · 11/10/2022 20:30

If you are treating the property well and have been reliable up until now then I would. I'm a landlord (only 1 property) and I have given my tenants a one off cost of living discount which was my suggestion this month of 50% as I know everyone is struggling,