Big Money Win: Clawing Back $150/month in Rent

A few weeks back, I found myself sheepishly asking if anyone had received their rent renewal offers yet. Why exactly? Maybe to commiserate. Maybe because I wanted someone to share the story of how they toppled their property management company with the help of the townspeople.

Yes...it's possible I was asking for too much. But I knew that there had to be a way for my husband and I to fend off a whopping $500/month increase.

If you are dealing with ma and pa landlords, you may be able to offer dog walking services or promise to mow the lawn. Otherwise, you have to negotiate with the following in mind:

• Your value as a good tenant. (Do you pay your rent on time each month? Do you have an example of how you notified management of a building problem when it was still cheap and easy to fix? Bring that maintenance request history out.)
• The cost to replace you.

My husband and I were able to bang out an email in 40 minutes that saved us $150/month. (We asked for $250 to be taken off the $500 monthly increase, and although we didn't quite get that, we got something substantial.)

I have included the email we wrote down below so that you don't need to tinker for 40 minutes. This exact format might not work for you, but I hope it's a starting point.

When one of us gets a concession on rent, all renters benefit.

Good morning [use a real first name if you can],

Thank you for sending the updated offer. Although we were anticipating some increase, we were surprised to see a ~##% change.  

We really enjoy living at [building name] and fully intended on making it our home for the coming year. However, this increase prompted us to entertain other options in the area. We have toured nearby apartments with rates comparable to the one in the new lease but with more comprehensive amenities. That being said, our preferred option would be to stay at [building name]. We believe that the consistency we offer as stable tenants lends itself to flexibility.

Would it be possible to consider $####/month instead?

In addition to offering stability, we believe we provide added value by pointing out issues in their early stages. (For instance, we reached out about our leaking kitchen sink because it could have impacted the ceiling for the apartment below us. We also alerted management of a hole in the back entryway that was inviting rodents.) 

We love this location and community and want to continue being able to live here and also take care of it.

Please let us know if the rate of $####/month can be workable. Thank you!

All the Best,

[Your Shameless, Confident, Proactive Name Here]