Negotiating a long term contract

[FrillyMilly]

We are currently 6 months in to our lease on our first rental property. We love it here and would buy if we could. When our lease is up in 6 months (provided landlord is happy to renew) we would like to negotiate a longer lease. We are thinking 2-3 year lease but ask for a £50 monthly reduction on the rent. Has anyone done this? If you are a landlord would you be happy with an offer like this? We just want security and to feel this is our home.

I havn't done it, but speaking as a LL I would be more than happy with an arrangment like that (presuming £50 off a month isn't a massive percentage of the rent).

I always start with a 6 month ast to make sure they are good tenants (and vice versa), and have previously just moved to rolling contracts, but if I were happy with the tenant I would certainly agree to a longer formal tenancy.

Good luck, I certainly recomend putting it to your LL

I would not offer more than a 6 month lease as it protects me and the tenant better. Not many people can say they can make any guarantees what will happen in 2-3 years.

We just want to show the landlord we are committed to staying here. Our contract is for 1 year but we could be given notice/give notice any time after 6 months. Presumably this would still apply in a long contract but wouldn't intend on leaving the contract early. I'm also aware that the agency charge us every time we renew. If we don't plan on moving why should we pay every year for them to print off some paper.

Yes the same rules would apply on grounds to quit so if you don't pay your rent etc then the LL can apply for possession on a longer contract.

I don't use an agent I let direct so not sure about fees for the agency - they might stick a spanner in the works if they would be losing money, but again I would speak to your LL.

He/she might say no they don't want to do that, but if they are like me and intend keeping the house long term - then the longer a tenant wants to stay the better.

And as a side note, as a LL who has had to evict a problem tenant on a 6mth rolling contract - its a hell of a job and a long and expensive process no matter how long a tenancy is!!! So presuming the LL is clued up about such things the length of term of contract is neither here nor there, unless they want the property back in the near future.

If you have a contact number for your LL speak to them direct, or write to them, bypassing the agent if you can - then you will get an honest response rather than what the agency says on the matter!