i am moving, i am looking to rent a condo - most of the condos i like are 1200 a month, but i am only looking to spend 1000 ... can i place an offer to the buyer for 1000? or does it not work that way when renting?
ABSOLUTELY!!! Everything in life is negotiable, except death. Even taxes are negotiable!! Make your offer, make it contingent on no more then 10% increase in the lease terms and that the lease is renewable as long as you want it to be. In today's economy, any landlord would be foolish to refuse your offer. In all likelihood, the landlord is making sufficient income to pay his mortgage and have a tidy sum left over. One thing I suggest -- don't make unnecessary calls for maintenance. Do the small repairs yourself; if necessary, paint the insides yourself -- it only takes a couple of gallons of paint ($6 gallon at Walmart) and a little effort. Water leaks are usually as simple as a rubber washer and/or a little caulking. Get a good Better Homes Gardens Do It Yourself repair manual and do the repairs yourself. You'll lean a lot about keeping up your future self-owned home. If you don't call him for every little thing, you can negotiate, securely, the next year's rental. You are no trouble, so you shouldn't have to pay extra!!! What better negotiation issue can you have -- I didn't cost you anything, so why do you have to increase cost? Good luck! you sound like a sensible person!!!
don't lose anything by trying.
With the housing market in such sad shape, you as a prospective tenet may be the only thing keeping it from being foreclosed on. Go ahead and make the offer, the most they can say is no. There are a LOT of property's for sale /rent.
