The way to do it is to work in either a rent decrease for X months for the work and materials or lock in a low rent for X years based on the work being done.
Another alternative is to do the above and get the landlord to supply the materials.
I’ve done it in the past and it has worked out well though usually for minor things (like replacing generic doorknobs with nicer looking ones, replacing a toilet with a better flushing one, or installing a ceiling fan).
Adding insulation to the attic if it’s missing in spots can also make sense to do if you’re paying the utilities. Though again I would get the landlord to at a minimum to pay for materials or discount it from the rent.
If the upgrades are things that will help make the unit more marketable when you move out, then they’d be dumb to turn it down.
Indeed. I did something like I mentioned above + we replaced the master bathroom carpet (yuck) with tiles for pretty cheap. In return we locked in a 1 year rent reduction to recoup our costs and 2 years at a low rate.
It worked out for everyone. We didn’t have to live with disgusting bathroom carpets, the place looked nicer for the rest of our rental period, it let us save money to put a down payment on a house, and we didn’t have the temptation to move to a “nicer looking” place and spend money and time on moving again.
In the end, the landlord got back a place that was more attractive to future renters.
The key is to ensure your landlord is a decent person (they exist). Ours only had the one house they were renting (used to be their house before they bought a new house in a better school district and decided to rent vs sell).
If it’s a large holding company that is known to screw over tenants? Yeah fuck them, do the bare minimum and move out.
The way to do it is to work in either a rent decrease for X months for the work and materials or lock in a low rent for X years based on the work being done.
Another alternative is to do the above and get the landlord to supply the materials.
I’ve done it in the past and it has worked out well though usually for minor things (like replacing generic doorknobs with nicer looking ones, replacing a toilet with a better flushing one, or installing a ceiling fan).
Adding insulation to the attic if it’s missing in spots can also make sense to do if you’re paying the utilities. Though again I would get the landlord to at a minimum to pay for materials or discount it from the rent.
If the upgrades are things that will help make the unit more marketable when you move out, then they’d be dumb to turn it down.
yea you really want something on paper showing awareness and consent from the owner
Indeed. I did something like I mentioned above + we replaced the master bathroom carpet (yuck) with tiles for pretty cheap. In return we locked in a 1 year rent reduction to recoup our costs and 2 years at a low rate.
It worked out for everyone. We didn’t have to live with disgusting bathroom carpets, the place looked nicer for the rest of our rental period, it let us save money to put a down payment on a house, and we didn’t have the temptation to move to a “nicer looking” place and spend money and time on moving again.
In the end, the landlord got back a place that was more attractive to future renters.
The key is to ensure your landlord is a decent person (they exist). Ours only had the one house they were renting (used to be their house before they bought a new house in a better school district and decided to rent vs sell).
If it’s a large holding company that is known to screw over tenants? Yeah fuck them, do the bare minimum and move out.