Look at the rent asked against comparables. If your prospective landlord wants $2,500 a month and all the other comparables want $2,000 there is likely to be room for negotiaition. If all the comparables are $2,500 or more then there won't be.

The rental market in Vancouver is quite tight and decent properties at the right price will be rented very quickly. Some people may say that there is nothing to lose by making an offer but, if the property is proced correctly, the lanlord can say "next" just as easily as they can say "no". As Londonuck says, only do it when you are prepared to walk away.

This. That's what I would have done if someone had asked for lower rent. See ya.

Don't ask, don't get.

We got our lovely flat off Lonsdale cos I knew he wanted us. There's something about the English accent that gets em!

when you've got lots of good people to choose from, it just makes it easy to say no.

No they won't. This is just scaremongering... a normal reasonable person will just say "no, that's the price - take it or leave it". If they say "next" then they are a psycho and you don't want to rent from them anyway.

I used to rent in the area exactly where the OP is looking to rent. You don't get queues of people lining up whenever a unit becomes available.

My apartment units are well managed/cared for. I respond quickly to tenants complaints/concerns. I know what rents I can command. I experience an extremely low vacancy rate. There is no negotiating but I have no problem with anyone who tries.

Need a tenant from November/December?

and again - it's not about being a psycho, thanks Alan. If you're looking for reasons to say no to people (as a landlord) why make it easier for a landlord to say no? I don't understand what's 'scaremongering' about that.

Would you really just reply, next, to someone who said can we do this for 50 bucks less a month instead of saying, no, sorry?

Is that what I said? What do you think? Jeeze.

First of all, I need to check out their references, credit scores etc so I'm not saying anything to anyone while they're there. But after that? They're not getting the place, because, like I said about 500 million times it seems like, if I'm looking for reasons to say no to someone because I have lots of good candidates then that's a perfect reason right there. Maybe.

This is not rocket science.

OP is looking for a managed rental in coal harbour - she is not going to some dodgy private landlord.

I just don't believe that asking for a discount is something that a rational person would use against somebody. If that is used, then it's just a cipher for the real reason - maybe they look like smelly pikeys or something.

Well, first of all people aren't rational. Stock market crash, anyone? HOusing bubble? etc?

Secondly, if all your candidates are good then how do you pick? It's much harder than you think - speaking from experience - and hard to say no to good people. I'm not as cynical as you I guess. I don't think people are looking for a reason to discriminate by dressing it up as something else - sometimes it's just as simple as it seems.

Depends purely on the market conditions at the time. As others have said it depends if the asking rent is the market rent. I don't know about Vancouver but I've seen enough houses heavily discounted here after being advertised at a high initial rent not to necessarily take asking rents as reasonable.

The first house we rented here we paid the asking rent. After a disagreement on something the landlord said we could accept their conditions or leave without penalty. We called their bluff and found a nicer house quite a bit cheaper. Their house sat empty for 3 months and we now know the replacement tenants pay 20% pm less than we did.

As with any negotiation, the person most prepared to walk away gets the best deal. If a tenant has three aprtments to chose from then go ahead and negotiate for the price of the first two. If there is one apartment and the landlord has three prospective tenants then negotiate at your peril.

I know from business, and life in general, that some people will accept what is fair as fair and get on with things. Others are always looking for a "deal" and will haggle about everything. There is absolutely nothing wrong with trying to get a bargin but I choose not to do business with people like that. They are harder work and less profitable.

I don't want them as tenants either.

Given the choice between two prospective tenants who are otherwise equal and one asks for a deal and the other doesn't then the other gets it. Sorry, but it's my property and I am a selfish *******.

Honestly, private landlords in this thread, just listen to yourselves...

Again: OP is looking to rent in a managed condo in coal harbour. These places have a high turnover and they will just take the first person that meets their criteria because they probably have a dozen or so units to fill that month and spending lots of time interviewing people is out of the question. Asking if the price is negotiable will just be met with a no - it won't cost you the rental. Jeez.

(I know this from experience btw)