Leasing a new place, is haggling the done thing?

John_Mc

Hi,

We're in the process of viewing places to rent at the moment. I'm just wondering is it the done thing to try and negotiate the rent or is that not the done thing?

Also, a place we viewed yesterday said bank statements would be required as well as employment and previous landlord references. I have a big problem with this yet the estate agent insisted it was normal.

Why should a landlord expect to see the details of my bank account?

RobAMerc

Bank details yes - statements I don't think are normal.

Making an offer is now the done thing, expect the agent to tell you of a better offer - ignore it, twice it happened to us - once the agent came back the next day saying the other peoples refs didn't work out ( rubbish ) and the other place was still on the market 3 months later !

for info - we offered 1300 for a 1650 place and got it. There is lots of options now - in dublin at least!

John_Mc

RobAMerc wrote: »

Bank details yes - statements I don't think are normal.

Making an offer is now the done thing, expect the agent to tell you of a better offer - ignore it, twice it happened to us - once the agent came back the next day saying the other peoples refs didn't work out ( rubbish ) and the other place was still on the market 3 months later !

for info - we offered 1300 for a 1650 place and got it. There is lots of options now - in dublin at least!

Yeah no problem with giving bank details as we'd need to setup the standing order/direct debit but I think bank statements would be a total invasion of privacy.

Thanks for the info, hopefully it helps us grab ourselves a bargain

The Big Red Button

I've never heard of anyone looking for bank statements in this situation! As long as you can pay the deposit and rent, your personal finances are none of their business.

My friend and I are in a similar position to yourself OP!

We're currently looking for an apartment in Dublin. Our maximum budget is €900 before bills, but there are far nicer apartments advertised on Daft for about 1000-1100. Is it worth our while going to look at these?

And are we more likely to get a better deal with an agency or a private landlord, or does it make a difference?

Also if anyone has any tips about negotiating/making an offer, they would be much appreciated. Seriously, I wouldn't know how to go about it at all, and I'm paying far too much in my current accommodation as a result

Thanks!

John_Mc

chatterpillar wrote: »

Also if anyone has any tips about negotiating/making an offer, they would be much appreciated. Seriously, I wouldn't know how to go about it at all, and I'm paying far too much in my current accommodation as a result

Thanks!

I installed DaftMonkey into Firefox yesterday and it's fantastic. It shows you the history of a Daft listing, so you know if and when it was dropped in price, how long its been on the market etc. These should help you identify if the landlord is eager enough to rent the place out that he/she will accept lower than asking.

That's what we're hoping anyway!

3DataModem

Asking fir bank statements is unusual.

Asking for a bank REFERENCE is totally normal.