What should I say if I want to lower the rent?

In 2007, housing prices across the country increased significantly. In the city where I live, housing prices rose by as much as 50% in the first half of last year.

Friends who know that I own a house for rent usually don’t talk to me for more than 10 sentences, and they will ask me: “Has the rent of your house increased?” At first, I would say: “No. , because we are long-term tenants, we get along well, and the rent is less.”

In September last year, I had a tenant who wanted to lower the rent. To be honest, the rent I paid him was not high. Although the room was only 45 square meters, the rent of 1,300 yuan/month was not expensive in the same area. I began to hesitate.

I know the situation of that family quite well. The old couple are almost 50, and they have a son and a daughter, both of whom work here. The family of four does not have a household registration here and their education is not high. The family's monthly salary adds up to only 5,000 yuan. The old couple are from the Northeast and are very nice people. We rented the house to them at a slightly cheaper price because we liked their character.

Faced with their request for a rent reduction, we did not immediately respond whether we agreed or disagreed. I discussed this matter with my husband. We discussed it together for nearly an hour, and my husband and I reached a consensus:

1. That family is very good, and they deposit the rent on time every month. . If the rent cannot be deposited in time, they will take the initiative to explain. This family is trustworthy. If we don't lower the rent and stop renting to them, it will be difficult to find such tenants again.

2. Even if we lower the rent, it is impossible to reduce it by a lot. Where the market price is, neither they nor any of us know it clearly.

3. Their life is not rich. If we lower the rent a little, it might be of some use to their family. They can benefit from it.

4. If we lower the rent for our tenants, our family will have less money. For us, the quality of life will not change much. Our lives at that time would not change just because we had a little less rent. If we don't come down, they won't feel good. When the contract expires, they will look elsewhere. Of course we hope to find long-term tenants, so that everyone can save worry and effort. They no longer rent. Maybe we can find other tenants and the price can reach 1,300 yuan/month or higher, but the house may be vacant for a while. If it has not been rented out for two months, and the management fees have to be paid by yourself, then it is better to spend less and let the existing tenants stay. It may seem like we are losing money by lowering the rent, but in fact, we are making money. We have time to focus on other things and can make more money.

5. Considering their family’s financial difficulties, we gave them a monthly allowance of 100 yuan. The rent of 1,200 yuan/month is really not expensive, but the return on investment in our house is not low either. Not only did we keep their hearts, but we also saved ourselves a lot of headaches.

After discussing it with my husband, who is a "diplomat", he came forward to tell the family and reduced their rent by 100 yuan a month. The family members were grateful on the left and grateful on the right. It seems that 100 yuan is really a lot of money for their family. This is the issue of "marginal utility" in economics.

Since then, our relationship with our tenants has become more harmonious. The more understanding each other has, the more pleasant the cooperation will be. Before the contract expired, the family said they wanted to renew the lease.

Reducing the rent for tenants is a win-win situation for both us and the tenants.