Haggling with rent?

oohlala

Can anyone advise me on tips or etiquette for negotiating with rent? I'm looking for a place for my daughter and i on the rent allowance scheme and having no luck whatsoever. So i've emailed a few places that look nice asking them to reconsidder not accepting rent allowance and i've started looking at more expensive places in the hopes of getting rent reduced. I'm looking in the d6w area as i work nearby and my daughter is at playschool there. Thanks for any advice

The_Conductor

Unfortunately- its a case of supply and demand. D6W is one of the more sought after areas- and has not had runaway development over the past few years, which means supply is constrained.

If you consider broadening your search parameters to take in other areas (obviously heading towards D6 and D4 will also result in a constrained search) you might have better luck.

Its not that Landlords don't want to take rent-allowance- its that the perceived redtape, paperwork and too'ing and fro'ing with the DSFA simply isn't worth the hassle- unless they don't have other options. In a lot of cases a landlord might be willing to reduce the rent if- you have recommendations from previous landlords and are willing to sign a longer term lease.

You really need to broaden your search unfortunately.

ricman

CROSSCARE AND FOCUSPOINT put out a list each day of flats advertised that take ra.
I THINK the limit for a single mother renting on ra is 1000euro per month approx.IN high demand areas the rent may be above 1000, or simply i i have ten people looking to rent my house ,i might not bother going to the forms,etc involved with ra.THERES always lots of landlords that,ll take on single mothers ,you could put an ad on daft.ie,buyand sell house wanted areas x,y to rent must accept ra.
she could go to crosscare or ring them for advice.They help people on welfare find accomodation,get deposit etc could she get a house in city centre and just change her creche ?IN my experience about 40 percent of landlords accept rent allowance.
its not practical to limit yourself to d6, and id say theres few houses there under 1000e anyway.ITS not exactly full of 3bed semi ds.
you could probably find an apartment for rent 2bed well under 1000euro that accepts ra .

The_Conductor

Ricman- there is no obligation on the part of a landlord to accept rent allowance, contrary to what you are asserting.

The limits were all reduced in December- and are being reduced again now. Further, the limits vary from Council to Council. If you are certain that the limit for a single parent in DCC is EUR1000 a month- fine- but if not, please do not post misleading information here.

The fact that the prevailing rent may be above the rent-allowance level in certain areas is a big problem- as the person is not allowed to topup the rent due to the higher level (over and above the local scheme limits).

D6 is an issue for the OP- yes. I agree with you- she needs to broaden her search area- while D6W may be convenient for her, ultimately its only convenient if she can afford it, and at present that is not the case.

I'm curious about the statistic of ~40% of landlords accepting rent allowance- in my experience it would a good deal lower- but of course it would vary greatly from area to area. A lot of landlords are happier to let to the HSE scheme than rent-allowance- as they don't have the vagaries of having to chase tenants for rent, and they have a guaranteed income stream, regardless of occupancy. Of course that boat has sailed, but it was a great idea when it was out there.

S.

ricman

I checked today the latest limit is 930euro for a single mother ,you may get a bit more if you have 2 or 3 kids.
I SPOKE to some one i know who works for a housing charity they said its unlikely a single mother could find a house in rathmines for 930 that accepts ra.
I NEVER said any landlord has to accept rent allowance ,they can just refuse
it for various reasons,they have a choice.
Focuspoint run a flat/house findfinding service in eustace st in the focuspoint coffee shop monday/saturday 6 to 8,or 9pm.Not sure of end time.
THEY use phones / internet. small ads to find flats,house s for anyone who is eligible for rent allowance .
ON todays list they had 9 houses for rent ,that take ra, in marino,drumcondra,rathgar etc 3 or 4 bed .
mostly aimed at single mothers ,id say
they issue a daily list along with crosscare ,accomodation avaidable for rent allowance customer.they use ads from the net and from print newspapers to source data.

She said in rathmines there s apartments, or large 2 bed flats that accept
rent allowance ,ie if you want rathmines, you should not be looking at houses ,its probably a waste of time.
i doubt a single man on welfare is gonna rent a house on ra .

eg a landlord may divide a building in 2, the bottom half may be structured as a self contained unit 2 bed avaidable for rent alowance ,
the buildings in rathmines tend to be large anyway.
in my previous post i said approx 1000, i was off by 70 euro, and the welfare officer
looks at each case ,depending on how many kids you have.
for single mother 1 child in dublin its 930euro per month max rent allowed.
i pesume you could get the list emailed to you , if you find it hard to get to 14 a eustace st temple bar . 671255 is their phone no.
crosscare will help you too ,they are in cathredral st ,just off ,oconnell st.

oohlala

Thanks so much for all the help. Unfortunately while i know being limited to one area isn't the best way to find a home, i'm not in any huge rush as i'm staying with my mother for now so still have a roof although its a little claustrophobic! I don't drive and have family and work and babysitters in this area so all a good support to me and my daughter is settled with friends. I'm hopeful to find something eventually. I am a nice tenant, obviously with my daughter i am very hygeine conscious and keep place clean and there is no wild parties and would be happy to take on a long lease for a suitable place, etc. -is there any effective way to communicate this to a landlord? Or does it even matter to landlord to have a nice tenant who looks after the home?

Do you think there is an option to negotiate when you're using rent allowance or is it only when you're paying yourself?

Thanks again for info and comments, all readlly helpful, i will get in touch with that organisation

ricman

Rathmines is a high demand area ,i think its unlikely you could negotiate on a ra allowance .Theres not much point if you rent an apartment, or 2bed unit ,the hse pays 90 per cent of the rent approx.Single mothers are allowed to earn approx 150 a week, and still keep all their benefits and rent allowance.
you could put an ad on daft.ie 2bed apartment or studio wanted rathmines must take rentallowance.
Or advertise on gumtree.ie,buyandsell.net free.
something like this would suit you,
http://www.daft.ie/searchrental.daft?id=866250
go to daft.ie or myhome.ie
search maximum rent 950euro.
I know some landlords they rent just to single mothers cos that s the easiest way to get max rent for a house in area x.
I doubt if its possible to rent a house in rathmines for 930euro even for someone working full time.And put an ad up in local supermarkets notice boards.
the primary objective at present is find a suitable place on or under 930euro.Concentrate on studio 2beds or apartments , a studio unit may have acess to a back garden which is nice for some1 with a child.