To ask to lower the rent for prospective LT tenants?

[MolotovCocktail]

Hi, we are looking to rent a property and can pay a maximum of £900pcm on our own. We can stretch to £950pcm with help from my parents.

There is a property to let that has been on the Market since late December '12: it was onfor £995pcm and now it has just been reduced to £975pcm.

It's in an ideal location, has exactly what we need and I'd love to view it. But I'm worried I'm going to love it and it be just that little too much each month.

Is it the done thing to ask for a landlord to consider lowering the rent? To ask to negotiate? We'd want to stay at the property for at least 5 years.

Thanks for any help.

perfectly ok to ask - as with a sale property, a rental goes for what people will pay.

produce references, say you want to stay, and ask for what you can afford. Nothing to lose!

Thank-you. That is reassuring :)

I would never move in to a rented place without haggling - it's probably going to be your biggest outgoing after all!

If it's been empty for a while, the landlord may well be wiiling to negotiate.

Also, when the time comes to renew your contract, don't just accept a rent increase.

Always haggle a price, Im no good at this but DH believes strongly in haggling although I did feel a bit embarrassed when he done it in Sainsburys

When we rented we always haggle, I think most people do.

This is a revelation to me! We've rented for 10yrs+ and have never haggled. Always paid the asking price. This house just seems to suit by the look of it's description and we've narrowed down where we can live, area-wise, due to DDs school catchment.

Thanks again, all!

of course it depends on demand. When my rental property wouldn't let, the tenants who did take it got it for less than the advertised price. When they left about 3 years later times had changed, there was a 'beauty contest' and the next tenants paid more than the advertised price.

OP, not a lot happens over Xmas but the fact that the price has come down a bit indicates flexibility. But never STRETCH yourself - rent should be no more than about 40% of income.

Special, that's a really good tip, thank-you :) I'm going to do the maths when I get a moment and figure out what our max rent should be, then!