Potential Roommate Wants Lower Rent

Quid

So after a couple months of posting on Craigslist I've finally gotten someone to come to my apartment, look at it, and consider moving in. The only issue is that she sent me an e-mail saying she plans on looking at another apartment tomorrow but said she would definitely move in if I dropped her share of the rent from $430 to $330.

I live in a two bed room apartment and while a roommate isn't necessary it would certainly make living a lot easier by freeing up a lot of cash. So while on the one hand $330 is still more than the nothing I get for a room I never use I still feel as if I'm getting cheated out of an extra hundred dollars when the only differences between our living conditions would be that my closet is bigger.

I'm honestly undecided here and would like some opinions on which option to go with. I suspect she might be haggling but if she is haven't the slightest idea how to approach that.

Daenris

Well, first off you should probably try to counter offer. Maybe tell her that you can do 380 or something. It really depends on you. I mean if you really don't need the money and are just doing it so you have extra savings each month, you need to weigh the options. You said you've been posting for a couple months, so it may be a couple more months before you find another person willing to pay the $430. So you can hold out and hope someone will come along to pay that, or you can just take the current possible roommate and make a little less each month.

Personally, I'd try to counter with something like $375-400. If she counters again with something else, I'd probably take that too. If, on the other hand, she is totally set on $330, I might just keep posting it. Though again it really depends on how much you need/want the money quickly.

chromdom

Yeah, it sounds to me like you're being yanked around. The money may not be a huge deal, but do you really want a new roommate who has gotten the first impression they can get their way just by asking? I'd wish her luck, and keep looking. Like you say, you don't need the roommate. Wait to find the right one.

DasUberEdward

I think you just need to return the haggle. If you feel you're being cheated (with reasonable estimates) then you're being cheated. Explain to her what merits the living condition will have and explain that one hundred is just far too much to deduct from the price. At which point provide her an opportunity to make another more reasonable offer.

I'd say that unless she seriously can seriously only afford 330 (which may make payment in the future a liability) it's just haggling. With that in mind you should consider setting a bargain price in your head at perhaps 50 dollar discount AT MOST.

Blake T

Are you splitting the rent 50:50? Point out to her then that the only difference is a marginally larger wardrobe and ask her why it would be fair to let you pay $200 more than her.

DrFrylock

This is known as The Free Market [TM]. In it, the seller (you) and the buyer (her) of a product or service (the rental of a room) negotiate to set the price of that product or service. If you cannot come to agreement, no arrangement is made and you both go on your way. If you can come to an agreement, contracts (leases) are drawn up indicating each party's obligation to the other.

You are not in any way being "jerked around" here. This is straight business. She has opened negotiations and made an implied offer. Now you can accept that offer, reject the offer, make a counteroffer, or whatever you want to do. If you don't want to take less, then say "I'm sorry, but the price is firm at $430." If you'll take less, then say "$400 is my final offer." Or maybe you want some non-monetary consideration, such as a long-term guarantee, instead: "Okay, I'll take $330 but you need to sign a 12-month lease."

An anecdote: I rented two rooms (a bedroom and an office) from my best friend for about two years. When I was moving in, I said "what do you want for rent?" He said "I'm thinking...$800" (which was high and he's sort of an ass about these things). I said "are you kidding, I can live with random foreign students near the university for way less than that. $600." He said "Fine, go live with them. $750." I said, "don't be ridiculous, if you don't rent to me you're going to have to find a random to move in instead and that's going to suck for you too. $700." "Fine." And thus a bargain was struck and we had no problems whatsoever after that.

Negotiation in no way has to be antagonistic or cause a personal problem. Just because we're all used to fixed-price dealing in most aspects of our lives doesn't at all mean that there's something wrong or underhanded about straightforward business dealing.

fallaxdraco

DrFrylock wrote: »

This is known as The Free Market [TM]. In it, the seller (you) and the buyer (her) of a product or service (the rental of a room) negotiate to set the price of that product or service. If you cannot come to agreement, no arrangement is made and you both go on your way. If you can come to an agreement, contracts (leases) are drawn up indicating each party's obligation to the other.

You are not in any way being "jerked around" here. This is straight business. She has opened negotiations and made an implied offer. Now you can accept that offer, reject the offer, make a counteroffer, or whatever you want to do. If you don't want to take less, then say "I'm sorry, but the price is firm at $430." If you'll take less, then say "$400 is my final offer." Or maybe you want some non-monetary consideration, such as a long-term guarantee, instead: "Okay, I'll take $330 but you need to sign a 12-month lease."

An anecdote: I rented two rooms (a bedroom and an office) from my best friend for about two years. When I was moving in, I said "what do you want for rent?" He said "I'm thinking...$800" (which was high and he's sort of an ass about these things). I said "are you kidding, I can live with random foreign students near the university for way less than that. $600." He said "Fine, go live with them. $750." I said, "don't be ridiculous, if you don't rent to me you're going to have to find a random to move in instead and that's going to suck for you too. $700." "Fine." And thus a bargain was struck and we had no problems whatsoever after that.

Negotiation in no way has to be antagonistic or cause a personal problem. Just because we're all used to fixed-price dealing in most aspects of our lives doesn't at all mean that there's something wrong or underhanded about straightforward business dealing.

there is, however, a difference between a straightforward business dealing, and using emotional manipulation or deception to gain an advantage over people.

Such techniques are commonplace and not worth getting worked up over in the dog-eat-dog business world, but when you are choosing someone you will have to live with, you would be wise to avoid anyone "savvy" in that way.

VisionOfClarity

Never play the haggle game. If she thinks she can find better for cheaper let her try. If you haggle her on this soon it'll be "Well I can only pay $20 a month for utilities," or "So I'm moving out next week." Which brings me to my next point, sort out utility payments and make sure you have whoever rents the place sign a lease with the length of the stay and all the payment terms listed.

When I sublet I did both of these and asked for first and last up front to mitigate any damages I might end up with if she decided to skip out without notice. It ended up working out well when she decided to leave a month early and wanted to get out of her utilities. That and the fact that I can be very intimidating when someone owes me money.

Æthelred

What's manipulative and deceptive about asking for a lower rental figure? If Quid was selling something and this came up, none of you would bat an eyelid.


Quid: think of the mathematics. Are you going to have trouble finding someone else to take the apartment for the full $430 a month? If you assume your roomate will stay for 12 months:

12 x $430 = $5160
12 x $330 = $3960

5160 - 3960 = $1210 less over the year.

1210 / 430 = 3 months


Therefore, if it'll take you three months to find someone to take the apartment at the full rent, go for the girl who's haggling with you. However, if she stays longer than a year, you'll end up losing even more money, remember. Like other people said, counter her offer first.

Fireflash

Well I assume Quid wants half of the rent because there's no reason 1 person should pay more than the other if they both share the place equally. If you're willing to let her come in for significantly less than half the rent, you should make sure that she knows that you're only renting her the room, not sharing the appartement. This would mean that while she may use the rest of the appartement at her leisure, you have the final word in all decisions concerning the shared rooms, and you always have priority on the use of the living room.

TexiKen

Fireflash wrote: »

Well I assume Quid wants half of the rent because there's no reason 1 person should pay more than the other if they both share the place equally. If you're willing to let her come in for significantly less than half the rent, you should make sure that she knows that you're only renting her the room, not sharing the appartement. This would mean that while she may use the rest of the appartement at her leisure, you have the final word in all decisions concerning the shared rooms, and you always have priority on the use of the living room.

This makes the most sense. If she won't go 50/50, you get majority rule. Unless she brings in things that balance out the lower rent, such as a better TV for the living room or another game system.
And make sure she knows this if you go let her go less than what you asked for, so we don't see you on Judge Judy or something.

Quid

So there's a brilliant update. I was contacted today by another woman looking for an apartment. She checked out the room and immediately agreed to pay the full share of the rent as well as sign on to the lease rather than as just an occupant.

So it's another problem solved thanks to the internet.