All Forum Posts by: Jane Jones

 Not barking up the wrong tree. Rentals can be and have been negotiated in my area. Did it twice when I got my current place. Last time the property manager was happy to make a call to the home owner and get their ok on my price offered....no big deal and no 50.00 fee required. Most things in life can be negotiated. Buying is not an option right now. Only here for a few more years...maybe longer..not sure.

Home I'm currently in is beautiful and I've kept it up well and paid on schedule each month. I had rent on bill pay so it is sent to him automatically each month. I have a great landlord and he feels so bad that I'm having to move. He said I've been a great tenant. I will be a great tenant any place I go because I have respect for people's property and would care for it like it was my own. I told that to my current landlord before moving in and have lived up to what I promised.

I still think it crazy that a property management company want 50.00 of mine just to ask the owner if they would accept my one offer. Ask the danged question and if they say no, then I move on. If they say yes, then they have a great tenant that they will see from my great pay history and references. But like I said, since they require this fee they lose out. They may get someone that tears the place up, doesn't pay on time if at all and is loud with many animals in the home. But so be it, they got their 50.00 from the people up front.

Sorry, but I want terms met with both parties before parting with any of my money. Don't want to 'bother' the owner but don't feel bad about taking 50.00 from a potential tenant? That makes no sense. Probably if I posted this in a 'tenant' forum, more people could see a different side but people in this forum are going to stick up for property managers. I get that.

Thanks again everyone for your input.

haha. I need to proof my posts better. lol I didn't mean rich or poop, but rich or poor.

 If a property management company is going to list your rental, I like the idea of the home owner giving the company their lowest price they'd accept. Then if the potential tenant want to offer a lower rent, the company can say this is the lowest price the owner is willing to negotiate and then the potential tenant can decide if he/she wants to proceed or move on to other rentals. That way, the tenant has no need to pay 50.00 and the owner need not be 'bothered'. Absolutely crazy to pay 50.00 and perhaps not get the rental in question. That's too big a gamble for 50.00....no matter if you're rich or poop....that's just crazy to take a potential tenants money like that up front when it's not a for sure deal.

 Nope, they aren't getting my money. I've dealt with property managers in the past and they were happy to talk to me and happy to relay my price to owner and to get back to me for free. If terms were agreed on, then I paid any fees required but not before terms were agreed on. If this company can't answer a darned question without me paying 50.00 then they lose out on a good tenant that would have stayed a good while, paid on time each month, kept the place looking immaculate, had no animals, etc. Tenants are people too and need some respect also. 

Even when buying a home, if interested in a place, you put up earnest money to show you are serious. If the deal doesn't work out because of financing, don't you get that money back? 

If buying a car, does the dealership ask for money from you to keep before negotiating? 

Down here in the south, rent is negotiated for all kind of reasons. Maybe the market is slow, people are in a hurry to rent a place, etc. Rent IS negotiated. 

I have moved on and won't use that property management team. After reading reviews of the company, I probably should stay away and happy I didn't pay 50.00.

Thanks everyone for your input.

Right now I'm looking for another rental since I learned last week or so that the one I'm currently living in is selling.

I found a place that I'm interested in. I went to look at it but it's a little more than I want to pay but I do know that you can negotiate rent. I've done it a couple of times with no problem when looking for the house I'm currently living in. One place I was considering was even with a property management company. Agent simply called the owner and owner said that would be fine and that was all there was to it....no fee required.

The property management company I'd be dealing with with this place says they won't talk to the owner of the condo until I submit an application with the 50.00 app. fee. They won't budge.

All I want to know from the owner is if they would accept the amount I'm willing to pay. If they won't then I'm moving on. It just seems odd that they require me to pay 50.00 before just asking the owner that simple question.

When asking, they say that the 50.00 will qualify me for all their rentals so if I didn't get the one I like, there are others. I'm not interested in any of their other listings...they don't even have that many listings and most are in a different area than where I am looking.

50.00 seems awfully high to just ask one question. I'd definitely qualify...over 800 credit score, rave reviews from my current landlord, etc. I don't have wild parties, don't have any kids or animals and keep a nice place. It would be just me living there.

Does this seem normal that a property management team requires this type fee just to ask the owner a question?