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Rent re-negotiation in Limerick City

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  • 22-09-2009 1:12pm
    #1
    tomcollins97
    Closed Accounts Posts: 951 ✭✭✭


    Hi,
    I am living in a 3 bed house (+ attic room) near the Crescent in Limerick City. I am paying 1200 per month & the lease was taken out in March 2009.

    The house has a large kitchen/dining room and a separate living room. There is also a downstairs toilet. Parking for 3 cars and a OK rear garden. House has GFCH and is in good decorative order. The landlord leaves me alone - paid a few visits in the first 2 months to check on things but nothing since.

    I took out a 1 year lease. I am thinking for calling to negotiate a reduction in the rent but I don’t want to sign another lease. Obviously if he says no and I move out he keeps the 1200 deposit. So, splitting this over the remaining months (Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb) I would need to find a place about 250 cheaper a month to make it worth my while moving prior to the lease ending.

    From his point of view I am a good and respectful tenant. I maintain the garden and have caused no damage to the house. The neighbours have no problem with me. There are only 2 of us living there so there is minimum wear and tear. We take care of the house as if it is our own.

    Do you think the landlord would consider a rent reduction? If so, how much of a reduction should I look for? There is nothing to be lost in asking but I don't want him to get pissed off with me for asking!


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    #2
    D3PO
    Registered Users Posts: 7,879 ✭✭✭D3PO


    tomcollins97 wrote: »
    . Obviously if he says no and I move out he keeps the 1200 deposit. !

    why would he keep the deposit if you move out with the correct notice given ?

    anyway 1200 is far too much for this rental. Of course it is likely he will want you to sign a new lease if he drops the price for you , but then again maybe he wont, im sure hes surprised you havent actually asked for a reduction and he would probably be expecting it and willing to drop the rent.

    have you checked other rentals in the area to see what they are going for ? Id suggest you do this to get the price you would like a reduction to. Asking to drop it to 1000 a month however sounds reasonable enough to me.


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    #3
    FutureGuy
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 15,237 Mod ✭✭✭✭FutureGuy


    Anyone who hasn't attempted to renegotiate rent in Limerick in the last 12 months is throwing their money away.

    1200 rent a month is so far beyond reasonable for the property described, its rediculous.

    As you said, you are a good tenant and landlords do not like losing good tenants. If the landlord is paying a mortgage on the property, I am sure he is paying far less now than he was when you first signed the lease.

    You shouldnt be paying any more than 1000 per month.


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    #4
    tomcollins97
    Closed Accounts Posts: 951 ✭✭✭tomcollins97


    Thanks guys. I had 2 others in the house up to last month so the rent was low anyway. But paying it all myself really is hard!

    As the lease is for one year if I choose to leave before this time I will forfeit my deposit.

    I recon that I have a fairly good chance of getting it reduced. He would take the risk of not being able to let it if I leave so I hope he will be reasonable. I will be waiting until a week before the rent is due to make any calls though!

    Daft have a 4 bed for 1400/mth the rest are between 900-1100 per month so I think I am in with a chance. There are 41 4-beds in the Raheen/Balinacurra/Dooradoyle area so I doubt he would want to be competing with that. I probably should have asked last month but sure hindsight is great!


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    #5
    D3PO
    Registered Users Posts: 7,879 ✭✭✭D3PO


    tomcollins97 wrote: »
    As the lease is for one year if I choose to leave before this time I will forfeit my deposit.

    !


    erm march 08 is over a year ago. :confused: and if you leave before you dont just forfeit your deposit your legally libel for the rent for the full period.

    im assuming you meant march 09 in which case it puts a different spin on this whole thread


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    #6
    tomcollins97
    Closed Accounts Posts: 951 ✭✭✭tomcollins97


    I meant March 09!


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    #7
    tomcollins97
    Closed Accounts Posts: 951 ✭✭✭tomcollins97


    D3PO wrote: »
    erm march 08 is over a year ago. :confused: and if you leave before you dont just forfeit your deposit your legally libel for the rent for the full period.

    Where did you get this from? I have never heard this before? There is nothing in our lease explicitly stating this?


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    #8
    D3PO
    Registered Users Posts: 7,879 ✭✭✭D3PO


    tomcollins97 wrote: »
    Where did you get this from? I have never heard this before? There is nothing in our lease explicitly stating this?

    are you serious ? A lease is a legally binding document a contract if you will. If you sign a 1 year lease with no break clause which you must not have given your talking about forfeiting your deposit you are legally bound by the terms of the lease.

    which means you must pay the rent for the full year. Its no different to any other contract.

    what your saying is akin to a soccer player saying "what do you mean i have to stay at this club for another 3 years" when signed up to a 3 year contract

    im shocked that somebody would sign a lease without knowing what it actually is !!!!

    here you go some reading for you

    http://www.threshold.ie/page.asp?menu=70&page=239


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    #9
    J-blk
    Registered Users Posts: 3,906 ✭✭✭J-blk


    tomcollins97 wrote: »
    Where did you get this from? I have never heard this before? There is nothing in our lease explicitly stating this?

    I'm pretty sure it's standard though I guess many people aren't aware of it because even up to last year, the vast majority of landlords would simply not bother chasing up a tenant for the remainder of the rent due.

    However, given how much things have changed now, I'd expect more and more landlords to do so against tenants that break their leases early. The lease is meant to provide peace of mind for both the tenant and landlord. If a tenant could leave whenever, what's the point of a 1 year lease in the first place?


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    #10
    D3PO
    Registered Users Posts: 7,879 ✭✭✭D3PO


    J-blk wrote: »
    If a tenant could leave whenever, what's the point of a 1 year lease in the first place?
    ^
    |
    This


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    #11
    tomcollins97
    Closed Accounts Posts: 951 ✭✭✭tomcollins97


    So, no point asking for a drop in rent then :P


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    #12
    J-blk
    Registered Users Posts: 3,906 ✭✭✭J-blk


    tomcollins97 wrote: »
    So, no point asking for a drop in rent then :P

    You can ask for a drop and he/she may very well agree to it. You can't use the "I'll just leave and forfeit the deposit" argument though in a negotiation... he/she could chase you up for the remaining 6 months or so of rent.


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    #13
    D3PO
    Registered Users Posts: 7,879 ✭✭✭D3PO


    tomcollins97 wrote: »
    So, no point asking for a drop in rent then :P

    theres no harm in asking however if the boot was on the other foot and rents were rising and the landlord asked you would you accept a higher monthly rental fee what would you say ?

    best bet is to print off some similar 3 bed properties and show them to him asying you feel the rental is above the going rate in the market and feel it should be dropped to X

    he might tell you to go and jump, he might say ok, or he may well say ok but if I do this I want you to sign a new 12 month lease.


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    #14
    munstergirl
    Registered Users Posts: 771 ✭✭✭munstergirl


    I would be asking for a reduction or move (and lose your deposit). Lots of discussions already on breaking leases. Do a search. Its a renters market.

    Why.... Limerick is FULL of empty houses & apartments. There are no jobs to be found anywhere, (I know I have been looking and still am)

    At the moment on daft there is 421 available, Students are back and still lots available, Its a renters market in Limerick.
    (South Circular Road x 18)
    (Dooradoyle x 32)
    (Raheen x 22)

    There are still another 800 people or so to lose there jobs in Dell, so even more houses available.

    Few houses on Daft, And thats the asking price..... you can always offer less.

    Log Na Gapcall 4 bedroom €850.
    Courtbrack Ave 4 Bedroom €900.
    Lifford Gardens 3 Bedroom €800

    And if there is only 2 of you, you don't need a 3 bedroom house.

    I would ring your landlord and ask nicely and see what he says, all he can say is NO and then its up to you to decide what to do. If I was a landlord and had a good tenant in Limerick I would keep you, as god only knows when he will get someone else in the house.

    Good Luck..


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    #15
    D3PO
    Registered Users Posts: 7,879 ✭✭✭D3PO


    munstergirl wrote: »
    I would be asking for a reduction or move (and lose your deposit). Lots of discussions already on breaking leases. Do a search. Its a renters market.

    ..

    clearly you havent bothered reading such discussions then otherwise you would realise you dont just lose your deposit if you break a lease :rolleyes:


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    #16
    tomcollins97
    Closed Accounts Posts: 951 ✭✭✭tomcollins97


    D3PO wrote: »
    clearly you havent bothered reading such discussions then otherwise you would realise you dont just lose your deposit if you break a lease :rolleyes:

    If only we were all as clued in as you... :rolleyes:


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