Reply to: Negotiating with letting agents

[kingcook]

Any low notice period would suit me, from either side of the deal. I have my main residence elsewhere in the country - i'm just looking for something very local to client for Mon-to-Fri sleeping. If they want to come along and say they want me out next week that is fine with me, i'll just carry on staying at Ibis or Travelodge as I have been doing.

I've put the idea on hold now until after xmas, it's been impossible trying to find a letting agent who's interested in < 6 months. Also, the project i'm on could possibly be canned due to some internal politics going on at client co

[SuperZ]

You can always negotiate. As others have said you don't ask you don't get.
You're probably more likely to get a shorter lease if the agent is acting as a finder only where the landlord will take on management of the property. They might not even put your offer to the landlord if they're going to be managing the property.

I have once before negotiated a shorter lease (3 months). Some landlords would rather have a tenant than none. At the moment landlords might rather wait for another tenant given how buoyant the letting market is.

A few things you can try are offering more money for a shorter lease and/or paying full rental up front. I'm working with a client who this time only offered a 3 month extension and I had to find a new place to live. As it's a nice holiday place I offered the full 6 months payment up front but knocked 10% off. So even if I leave client half way though I will see out the lease and might even just take a few months off to enjoy the location.

Some would have the attitude that they could leave at any time if they really had to, but you'd lose your deposit and to be fair to the landlords should expect to lose a months rent which might make them happier knowing they still have income covering a period while the property is empty but during which they can market it again.

[ASB]

An ast can be for less than 6 months. The potential issue is that the tenant can unilaterally choose to extend it in effect be ause none of the grounds for possession will apply for 6 months.

[northernladuk]

As an aside - If the agreement is under 6mths, the landlord may be unhappy because it wont be an AST.

A good point but you are getting it the wrong way around. The landlord won't allow anything but an AST it's the OP that will be unhappy

[GettingBy]

As an aside - If the agreement is under 6mths, the landlord may be unhappy because it wont be an AST.

[TykeMerc]

WRT negotiating, I think I may be on to a loser.

Here's how fast stuff goes in this town.... flat goes on the market on Thursday so I phone to book a viewing for Monday next week (it's the earliest I could do in this case). Let has been agreed by late Friday/early Saturday

This has happened to me twice now within a week. Got an appointment for a couple of others on Monday but I get the feeling that someone else will be right behind me to agree the let without bothering to negotiate terms/price.

Ah, in that context you've bugger all negotiating room, that being said you can always ask.
The landlord may be in favour of flexibility, the only way to find out is ask.

[kingcook]

WRT negotiating, I think I may be on to a loser.

Here's how fast stuff goes in this town.... flat goes on the market on Thursday so I phone to book a viewing for Monday next week (it's the earliest I could do in this case). Let has been agreed by late Friday/early Saturday

This has happened to me twice now within a week. Got an appointment for a couple of others on Monday but I get the feeling that someone else will be right behind me to agree the let without bothering to negotiate terms/price.

[TykeMerc]

Never be reluctant to negotiate.

The letting agents won't be a lot of help in that regard as they tend to work to the instructions they have and so don't feel much ability to be flexible, but they should be willing to either act as a conduit between you and the landlord for negotiations or if practical put you in direct touch. The tricky bit with trying to negotiate is a surprisingly large percentage of landlords in some cities are based abroad, all of the landlords my eldest rented from as a student in Manchester were in Pakistan.

It's an old and well tested maxim, "If you don't ask, you won't get".

[SueEllen]

I looked at spareroom.com a few weeks ago. I only managed to find one flat attached to a house but it was a bit too far away. Defo not into lodging/house sharing (done it before, didn't like it)

Stuff comes on that site all the time. It does help if you are near a city or large town.

[kingcook]

www.spareroom.co.uk

Has details of self contained units like studio flats in people's basements, annexes and such. Usually all in with no bills too.

I looked at spareroom.com a few weeks ago. I only managed to find one flat attached to a house but it was a bit too far away. Defo not into lodging/house sharing (done it before, didn't like it)

[kingcook]

I only have 6 month contracts and then go on to a rolling month. Gives me flexibility to get them out. I use two different letting agents and they both offered 6 months as standard. I could have put it up to 12 but it puts some tenants like yourself off. One of my long termers asked for the option to keep renewing the 6 month instead of going on rolling month, couldn't complain, she was there 10 years in the end

I think it is down to the landlords rather than the letters, or it was in my case. I guess they see it is a buoyant market at the moment so they are taking the opportunity to lock people in longer. The fact there is lots of students in makes sense as well, a year would be standard for them and why have a 6 monther when you can lock them in. Remember the letting agency work on behalf of the landlord. Giving the letter their fee still leaves the landlord out of pocket. All you might do there is get the letter on your side to try and bend the will of the landlord but at 10% a month I am sure he wants the landlord long term, not just for quick buck. Worth a try though.

When you say negotiate what exactly have you got to negotiate with? You willing to pay more? Can't see what else you have unfortunately. You could offer to pay the whole 6 months up front I guess but that would open you to a huge risk.

I would say try find a property that students might not be so willing to live in so the landlord may be running the risk of having it empty when all the students have settled possibly. More willing to take someone on for 6 months than having it empty for the year waiting for the next batch of students possibly? Dunno what type of property that might be though.

Hmmm, I never bothered to think what the landlord might think. Might be worth offering a few more £££ per month and/or pay X months rent up front, in exchange for offering a lower initial fixed term.

[Sausage Surprise]

www.spareroom.co.uk

Has details of self contained units like studio flats in people's basements, annexes and such. Usually all in with no bills too.

[ASB]

Check the terms of an assured shorthold tenancy. There are some elements in their which may help. It is possible you may have to do a corporate let to get the flexibility you want.

[expat]

...
My idea is say to get into a 6 month fixed-term letting contract but have some sort of break clause allowing me to break the letting contract if my IT contract is terminated
...
Any tips?

That seems like a reasonable idea. Whether the agent or landlord will think so is another matter. In some countries you wouldn't need to negotiate that, it's the law.

[northernladuk]

I only have 6 month contracts and then go on to a rolling month. Gives me flexibility to get them out. I use two different letting agents and they both offered 6 months as standard. I could have put it up to 12 but it puts some tenants like yourself off. One of my long termers asked for the option to keep renewing the 6 month instead of going on rolling month, couldn't complain, she was there 10 years in the end

I think it is down to the landlords rather than the letters, or it was in my case. I guess they see it is a buoyant market at the moment so they are taking the opportunity to lock people in longer. The fact there is lots of students in makes sense as well, a year would be standard for them and why have a 6 monther when you can lock them in. Remember the letting agency work on behalf of the landlord. Giving the letter their fee still leaves the landlord out of pocket. All you might do there is get the letter on your side to try and bend the will of the landlord but at 10% a month I am sure he wants the landlord long term, not just for quick buck. Worth a try though.

When you say negotiate what exactly have you got to negotiate with? You willing to pay more? Can't see what else you have unfortunately. You could offer to pay the whole 6 months up front I guess but that would open you to a huge risk.

I would say try find a property that students might not be so willing to live in so the landlord may be running the risk of having it empty when all the students have settled possibly. More willing to take someone on for 6 months than having it empty for the year waiting for the next batch of students possibly? Dunno what type of property that might be though.