We are trying to move into a two bedroom unit from a 1 bedroom unit. We turned in an application last week (8/13’ish) and today we were chosen. However, the landlord wants us to move in tomorrow, and pay rent for the remainder of the month. We can’t even begin to move until this weekend, although this would give us more time to move our stuff. Our current landlord is not likely to give us a prorated refund either, as he probably couldn’t find a tenant until next month at the earliest.
My thoughts:
If he’s dicking us around now, what does that bode for a future relationship?
We were likely chosen because my wife and I don’t have kids and our credit rating is somewhere around 810. In other words, we’re nearly ideal tenants: quiet, DINK’s, healthy, financially sound, and young. We should get some sort of concessions because we’re great renters.
My thinking is to offer him 1 week of rent for the last week of August that would overlap the rent we already paid to our current landlord, since we can’t do anything until August 21 anyway. Also, it appears that the apartment was unused the past month and needs to be cleaned anyway (which I suspect he’ll want us to do.) Also, it will probably take at least a week to get the electricity and cable set up (there’s one connection in the living room, but I would like to get the two bedrooms wired too, even if we don’t use it. Most likely, the cable modem will be in one of the bedrooms.)
I don’t know if I’d say “unethical”, you are free to just not sign the lease with him (I assume you haven’t yet). It is pushy, and maybe a little sneaky if he didn’t tell you this when you looked at the place. But either way you’re still free to not deal with him, and turn down the apartment.
I think last week of August would be a fair compromise. If I really liked the place I would pay an extra half-month, and I have in the past. But getting a bad feeling about the landlord is reason enough to not like the place.
Everything is negotiable. Your position on the last week is very reasonable and a reasonable landlord would go along. Landlords are always trying to cover every open day. I don’t expect it bodes badly for future dealings. With this economy, you do have power depending on vacancies in your area.
Cleaning is another thing. The place should have been prepped before even showing it. If you have to clean anything, that’s still another bargaining chip. However, if the place has been painted and carpet cleaned, the other minor stuff from sitting a month is picayune.
If your rent on the one bedroom is paid up through the month and you told the landlord you want to take occupancy of the two bedroom on the first, he is being unethical and also illegal.
My guess is that the place is cleaned and ready to go. It’s probably been empty for a while and he needs to get people in there. My suggestion would be that if you can’t afford it, simply tell him no. Mention that you can’t afford to overlap the rent for the two weeks. There’s a chance that he might let you move in early for free in that case. It’s just going to sit idle anyways.
If you can afford it, I’d say “Well, we can’t afford an extra half month rent, how about this, let us move in today and we’ll give you a weeks rent for this month, we can swing that since we’ll be getting our deposit back on the place we’re in now” I suspect this will work. As my grandfather would say “It’s better to sell a half a loaf then no bread at all”
Or just flat out say no and see how he reacts. The OP implies you’re already concerned about his ethics. If he tells you that you either have to move in tomorrow and pay the rent or you can’t have the place, I’d reconsider.