This article was first published in August 2023.
A tenant will save over $2300 over the next 12 months after successfully convincing their landlord to significantly lower their rent increase.
Posting to the New Zealand Reddit thread, the user, who goes by the name u/BradsDrink, said their current rent is $560 but their landlord wanted to raise it to $630 a week. The user didn't say where in the country they live, nor how many bedrooms their flat has.
In an email they received and posted screenshots of to Reddit, their landlord described them as "very good tenants" but explained that because interest rates had gone up, she felt the rent needed to increase too.
The Reddit user replied that they were surprised to see a proposed rent increase.
"We consider that we have been good, reliable tenants, and had planned to stay here long term," they wrote. "An increase in rent from $560 to $630 is 13 percent, and a 13 percent increase in rent is not something that would work for us long-term!"
The tenant argued that inflation had increased and similar properties were going for $495 and $550 per week.
"We are proposing $585 per week for the further fixed-term if renewal is confirmed. We believe this is the maximum that could reasonably be considered a fair market rental for the property in the current market," the Reddit user said in their email. "We do like living here and we do wish to stay for a long time, but it has to be within our means."
When the landlord responded, she said the two properties the tenant sent through as comparisons weren't similar to their rental. She wrote that their rental was newly renovated and had a good fridge, washing machine, dishwasher, and garage provided.
The landlord sent through her own comparison of another property - a two-bedroom townhouse - that was going for $1000 a week.
But at the end of her email, she accepted the $585 per week offer. With the rent increase now $45 lower than what the landlord originally proposed, it means the tenants will be $2340 better off than if they had accepted the $630 per week offer.
In the Reddit post, the user encouraged others that if you're a good tenant, you should push back against a rental increase.
Others commenting on the post applauded the tenant for proposing a lower increase. One person described the landlord's offer as "unbelievable".
"Good on you for standing up for yourself. We were nervous about our rent increasing, but our landlord just offered to renew for a year with no increase, so we were thrilled," they wrote. "I know that (like your landlord) many are using rising interest rates to justify hurting tenants pretty badly."
Another wrote: "Good on you for challenging them!"
For renters who believe they're being charged a lot more than similar properties in the area, they can apply to the Tenancy Tribunal which could then make an order for rent to be reduced. The tenant must give evidence that their rent is far higher than similar homes in the same area.
