moneyhound

moneyhound

Saving Accounts » Article

10 Ways to lower your rent

By Lauren Leisk, Yahoo!7 Moneyhound Updated February 7, 2013, 8:00 am

Easy ways to reduce your rent for the long term and keep your landlord happy.


They say rent money is dead money.


It amounts to thousands of dollars every year, yet many of us rarely think to negotiate on the price of rent.


Lowering your rental payments can be a tricky business, but these tips could help you secure a lower rental rate for the longer term all the while keeping your landlord happy.


1. Get organised


Whether you are presenting your initial application or simply paying rent, always ensure you are punctual and reliable. Also, gain your landlord’s trust by providing any documentation they need on time and in full – it will help expedite your application.


2. Keep up appearances


Landlords often like to drive or walk past their properties on a regular basis, so make sure you keep porches and windows clean, the front rooms tidy (in case they feel like peeking in!) and the front gardens trimmed, tidy and weeded. Do not leave any rubbish outside the front door including broken bicycles or ratty couches. To stop the build up of junk mail and messy papers you can put a "no junk mail" sticker on your mail box.


Related: Rent vs. Buy - Who's in front?


3. Treat it like your own


Think of anything you would do to the house if it were your own, and offer to do it for the landlord for free. Maybe you could offer to repaint a room in the house, put up some curtains, fix a window, fix a leaky tap or mend a broken fence. These little gestures won’t go unnoticed, and it may help at the end of your lease when it comes time to renegotiate the rental price.


4. Make use of all spaces


If you have garage space that you don’t use, it may be possible to offer it to the landlord as a storage space in return for a rent reduction. Alternatively, the landlord may be willing to allow it to be used as an extra bedroom for another tenant, or if you live inner city you could rent out the garage space to someone who works nearby – thereby minimising your rental costs.


5. Sort it out yourself


It’s a great hassle for landlords or agents to call in electricians or plumbers if things go wrong. Offer to sort out problems yourself or contact tradesmen on your landlord’s behalf - perhaps you have a handy friend - to stay in their good books and reduce the chance of a rent increase.


6. Meet the neighbours


It’s always good to get on the right side of your neighbours, particularly if they are owners they'll no doubt report back any suspicious activity or general complaints directly back to the owner. Nobody likes loud neighbours, so keep noise levels to a minimum to avoid any complaints and restrain your dogs from barking. You could invite your neighbours over for dinner from time to time or at least say hi and have a chat when you see them, so you can get to know them. Keep any shared or communal areas tidy and don't park inconsiderately to avoid neighbourly disputes.


Related: How to assess and compare your rent


7. Respond quickly


If your landlord requires maintenance to be done on your property or is seeking an inspection, they will likely need you to be out of your home for a short period of time. Make sure you respond to requests for such maintenance promptly and ensure the property is clean and tidy when you're not there.


8. Pick up rubbish


Always keep your rubbish bins neatly tucked away. Recycle properly and don’t put smelly waste in the bins or around the front door until the day before pick up to avoid complaints. This will help keep the neighbours happy and avoid attracting animals or rodents.


9. Skill swap


If you have a skill, such as hairdressing or accounting, why not offer it out to your landlord in return for a reduction on your rent each month? They may well be happy to knock down the price in return for saving money elsewhere. If you don't have a skill you could ask if they need dog walking, baby sitting, help with grocery shopping, ironing, gardening or require a lift to the city each day.


10. Slash the bills


It’s more than likely that your landlord has always used the same supplier for things like gas and electricity. Offer to use sites such as Moneyhound to research cheaper options and present your landlord with comparison quotes.


Getting your rent lowered doesn’t have to mean packing up and moving to a less expensive area. With a bit of research and a few nifty tips, you can impress your landlord and (hopefully) lower the price of rent or at least keep your current rent rates for a longer term.


Was this article useful? Use the feedback button below or comment and share your tips on our facebook page.



Related reading:
How to reduce your bills and save thousands
Which credit card is best?
How much could you save with solar panels?
How to save money without even trying


Moneyhound Product Picks this Month:

COMPARE & SAVE

Top Saving Accounts

COMPARE MORE

Mobile Phone Deals

COMPARE MORE

Low Rate Home Loans

COMPARE MORE

Personal Loan Offers

COMPARE MORE

Cheap Credit Cards

COMPARE MORE

Switch Electricity Providers

COMPARE MORE

Newsletter

Get the latest deals that could save you money on your monthly bills

Join the Moneyhound mailing list >>

Most Popular Articles

Help me find a savings account

  • Account type

  • State/Territory

  • Anytime access accounts

  • Fixed-term deposit accounts

Help me Save

Use our savings account interest calculator

      • Interest rate (APR*) used : 5.2%

      *APR and APR term suggestions are based on market competitive products listed on this page. Fees and charges are payable. Read the disclaimer

      Moneyhound helps you compare 512 saving accounts from 94 trusted issuers

      Saving Accounts Latest News

      MORE Saving Account News

      Compare more products and services

      Skip navigation
      Skip navigation

      Disclaimer: Yahoo!7 has partnered with RateCity, WhistleOut and SwitchWise for the provision of pricing information for financial, telecoms and energy products. Yahoo!7 has no direct affiliation with any finance, telecom or energy institutions listed here to promote this content. The content of this website has been prepared without taking into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Because of this, you should not acquire any financial products before taking into account whether your selected products are appropriate to your personal circumstances, having regard to your own objectives, financial situation and needs. Whilst reasonable efforts are maintained to provide accurate, true and correct information, it is advised that you confirm the terms of any product or contract and consult the product disclosure statement before making a decision to apply to any product issuer.

      Yahoo!7 Money Hound Pty Ltd | ACN: 151 232 450 | ABN: 20 151 232 450
      Australian Financial Services Licence: 407341 | Australian Credit Licence: 407723 | Credit Ombudsman Service: member M0011954
      Financial Services Guide | Privacy Policy | Terms of Service