patrick.net

cj says

One commenter said something about a renter finding himself with no place to live. I don’t see a shortage of rentals, so I don’t know what that’s about.

I think what he is saying is that when the market is bad, there are more foreclosures, and the people whose houses have been taken away have to rent, meaning the competition for rentals is higher. I've been seeing increases in rent, and fewer good properties for rent and as a serial renter, it's very frustrating.

EVERBODY thinks of themselves as a model tennant.
(It's the neighbors that are the problem.)

Never hurts to ask - but I would be willing to bet that for a large managed complex, your chances of success are slim, unless you have a true hardship.

Has anyone else been able to get a rent reduction in the last 5 months? How did you do it?

Like any business deal you negotiate it when you are willing to walk away, just don't be insulting or condescending (which usually causes people to not want to deal with you). Simply present them a deal, if they have empty apartments and you are willing to walk away than they will reduce the rate. It is a simple business transaction.

And moving expenses are pretty low. At least in LA any U-Haul place you walk up to there are illegals standing there waiting for work. ($100 will move your entire house, you can be more generous if you like)

ChrisLA says

Like any business deal you negotiate it when you are willing to walk away, just don’t be insulting or condescending (which usually causes people to not want to deal with you). Simply present them a deal, if they have empty apartments and you are willing to walk away than they will reduce the rate. It is a simple business transaction.
And moving expenses are pretty low. At least in LA any U-Haul place you walk up to there are illegals standing there waiting for work. ($100 will move your entire house, you can be more generous if you like)

Yes moving expenses are cheap in So Cal with the illegal alien helpers. Just make sure you save all the moving supplies (boxes, tapes...etc) to be ready for the next move

chinzo says

First I went out and actually filled out some applications so the landlord received phone calls for references

this is a great way also but more work. really works for the landlord who's not paying the mortgage , work a deal on his weak position. see folks both scams aren't illegal.
I love America!

I live in a luxury townhouse community in Florida. It was quite easy to ask for a rent reduction as the exact same models were going for less in rent, and the supply was there. I simply asked if I extended my lease a year longer could I have 100 off per month, and my wish was granted! I currently rent for apx $500-700 a month less than what the owners in this community pay for mortgage & hoa (the hoa is 500mo and going up). I think the key to getting a lowered rent is #1. to have comparables in a close vicinity #2. ask in terms of dollar amount (100 less per..) #3. have a fall back plan, move to a cheaper place, and right now that isn't really hard! It's a win win situation for renters!

More ideas please

Great letter! Approach is everything - and the letter is respectful, while precise as to request, and not overwhelming the landlord with too much info all at once. The real negotiating can take place later. Also, the importance of committing the request to writing and mailing is essential in my personal opinion. As for the rental situation where I live - once again, there are so many empty houses and vacancy signs for apartments everywhere - certainly deals can be made to ensure that the landlord (who pays hefty property taxes here and other fees) does not lose all income to keep the property afloat.

Indeed and agreed.

I am currently trying to find a client a rental house here in FL and they are all rented before we can even see them. I know. I know. The listing agents really just want to get the whole commission so they're lying to me.

This is a very polite letter. Unfortunately this would not work where I live.

My Landlord (God I hate saying that word) is a property management company for a large billion dollar corporation named Lyon Communities.
Knowing how business works in the corporate environment; my best guess feeling is Lyon Communities puts constant non-stop pressure on these people to increase profits. I can come up with no other explanation for the high turnover other than a typical corporate master who wants more, more and more. When you are making people feel like their jobs are at stake they take risks. And where I live I feel they don't seem to care of someone is a good long term tenant. They just want to raise your rent.

I've lived here 3 years. I’m a long term tenant with a flawless history and a high income. I've never been late or missed a single payment in my entire renting history. I also have never had any problems whatsoever.

Things I've tried to show them are:

1) Using basic common sense math to prove it's not worth raising my rent $200 at the end of every lease.
2) Showing it's more expensive to replace a tenant than keep a good one.
3) Showing that since I'm single (alone) it's only one more body in the building vs. couples and families.
4) Showing them other people’s prices for comparison.
5) Showing I require little to no maintenance requests.
6) Showing I am very clean and take care of the unit to the point of being a germaphobe.
7) Pointing out seasonal declines.

I really don’t get why they always raise my rent. I make a high income. I'm quiet. I always pay my rent on time. I stay long very term. I get along with all my neighbors etc.

The only real option is to move. Which I'm considering doing at the end of my lease. I know what others are paying. They charge everyone a different rate. I will not tolerate being taken advantage of.
The only thing is, moving is a pain. It's costly, time consuming, and you have to deal with the movers all day which, let's face it, are mostly criminals and low life’s. It's a very common job for someone out of prison. Moving is a pain and they know it.

You would think common sense and basic accounting would be enough. Not to mention the benefits of having good tenants in your building. Instead my building seems content with constantly raising rents and cleaning people out. The building is on the beach in LA. There are 18 floors and 216 units. I recognize 10 people (out of 216 units) after 3 years.

Any readers got suggestions for improvements on this letter?

In the first sentence, I might replace "you keep up the property very well" with something like "people get along well." Two reasons why:
1) Unless you are a building inspector with access to all of the building systems, you don't really know how well the property is kept up. If next month your ceiling collapses on you because of a previously undetected leak, you won't want to have said that the property was kept up very well.
2) Although flattery may get you somewhere, in fact from a landlord's perspective the larger concern is people who take good care of the property and don't cause problems. Most landlords don't want their properties to appear regularly on Cops or the evening news. Neighbor disputes can become incredibly destructive, including gunfire through structural elements. So, saying that people get along well is a way of praising the building while also saying you share the landlord's interest in people getting along amicably. If you are going to flatter the landlord, saying the landlord has chosen good tenants is a way of saying the landlord is a good judge of character; everybody likes to think they are a good judge of character.

APOCALYPSEFUCK is Shostakovich says

Balance of terror makes for a durable peace.

The British say, "There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing." I say there is no such thing as bad neighborhoods, only bad construction. Brick walls, thick acrylic windows, and an underground garage with steel doors are the best way to handle today's drive-by shootings. When you hear a rain of bullets bouncing off your ceramic roof, just think of it as another hailstorm.

ordertaker says

I am currently trying to find a client a rental house here in FL and they are all rented before we can even see them.

I find that VERY hard to believe.

But I have to say that's a great line for a commercial just add an over moused hairstyle and a fake smile and BANG!