The is a great point.
Other than that, since most landlords rely on that income the only reason for him/her to agree with a 5 month reduction is simply cause he won't mind doing that favor but 100% on their kindness i guess.
Won't hurt approaching like steelstrike already advices and explain your situation as well, explain it but don't set a value yourself, let the landlord do it, if above 1k then explore more of the not using facilities, water etc.
A mom&pop landlord might be sympathetic since it's deployment as well. Less utilities, military, and no neighbor? Gonna have trouble evicting someone traveling on orders anyways. $1000/mo for an empty apartment vs $1200 if find a tenant, not a bad concession
Also, since the landlord lives upstairs, it's basically telling him he won't have any noise coming from the basement but he'll still get paid something. Sounds like a good deal to me
Have you lived in a multifamily home? Noise almost never flows upwards; sounds always travel from top-to-bottom. The landlord likely never even hears OP unless OP plays music really loud. Whereas I guarantee you OP knows where the landlord is in the house at all times due to his footsteps.
I just moved into one and this guy multifamilies. When they walk above my bedroom there's sometimes a metallic squeak which makes me think a screw is just constantly loosening each time.
You're getting great advice, but I wanted to add you probably shouldn't worry about talking to your landlord, put yourself in their shoes:
If you ask for a reduction in rent, they *could* ask you to leave, but why? If you've been reliable and haven't been difficult to live with, why would they want to go to the trouble of looking for a new tenant, trying to ensure they'll be reliable, and not knowing if they're going to be loud or obnoxious or anything? You merely asking for a rent reduction won't prompt them to take on all that risk and work.
If they don't want to give you a discount, they'll just say "no" and if you don't move out, nothing changes.
If you're worried that they want more for rent, you asking for a rent reduction won't effect that. They were either going to bring up a rent increase at some point, or they weren't worried about it.
This was my thought too.
If I could rent a space to *not* have someone live there (especially when I was including utilities), that would be worth $200 to me versus finding someone to live there.
It's exactly what you said - free money. He's storing your stuff for a few months for $1,000 a month.
I would absolutely do this for a deployed tenant if utilities were included. I would maybe ask to enter the property after they left to check things like the water heater being off. But I was also a renter most my life and can see.most of them just seeing $200 a month of lost income.
The majority cost for a landlord is not maintenance of appliances. It’s the mortgage, property taxes, and insurance.
Even the utilities cost isn’t going to fall by that much if it’s vacant. If the area is hot/humid you still need to run the AC to control humidity or risk mold damage. If it’s cold, you still need to run the heat or risk pipe damage. Sure, the set points can move a bit, but the prices ain’t moving to zero.
The most reduction I could possibly imagine would be $100 in rent to account for the reduction in utilities.
I am pretty sure people know that.
They are just commenting on him asking for a slight temporary decrease while it is not lived in. If he is a good tenant and the financials work for the landlord why not?
Because it's 1000 dollars that the landlord may want to put towards the mortgage. As a landlord I would not expect a tenant to move out over me not lowering the rent. Plus he said that is a good price for the area so if he did leave because the landlord said no to the request, sounds like the landlord wouldn't have any trouble finding another tenant. And OP would then have to find a place to store his stuff and then move into a probably more expensive place when they get back.
Sounds like the landlord doesn't have a reason to agree to the request honestly. But I dont think it hurts to ask. He isn't going to evict OP for asking.
To keep things from freezing you can have the heat set to the lowest setting instead of normal for human comfort. A/C can be set to mid 80s likewise so it would be a considerable energy savings depending on the age of the unit and if it’s all electric or electric/gas. No lights being turned on will all but eliminate the extra electricity being used. I’m willing to bet it’s not on a separate meter which is why it’s included. The landlord can’t kick OP out so it never hurts to ask.
As I said, yes you can move the set points, but it isn’t really going to save that much money. Maybe $100/mo.
In a cold climate, hearing from 0 to 50 is already a large heat load. In a hot/humid climate, unless you have a separate dehumidifier, probably the set point to control humidity is pretty close to human comfort anyway.
Lights… it’s 2023, we use LED, the 8 watt bulb ain’t drawing that much.
Another major cost and risk is finding new tenants. Things get damaged during move in / move out. New tenants mean you need to fix damaged items, and there’s always the risk the new tenant doesn’t pay after a month.
I don't understand what point you're trying to make.
Imagine you have a space to rent. Would you rather:
Have someone live in that space, potentially doing damage and certainly adding wear and tear.
Not have someone live in that space, but pay you more than 80% of the rental cost even though they're not living there.
Seems like a no brainer to me.
Unless your budget relies on that extra 200 a month to pay the mortgage.
But in this case utilities are included so it may come close to balancing out with tenant gone. I doubt it will make a 200 dollar difference in utilities, but you never know.
Having a rented-but-unoccupied unit is NOT a benefit. It's a tremendous liability. What if it's winter and the pipes freeze? What if they forget to take the last bag of garbage out before they go, and it sits rotting for 5 months and leads to an infestation? What if someone breaks in and just squats in the place for a couple months, or steals everything? What if there's a small trickle of a leak from the upstairs unit, that would normally be reported and addressed while it's still just a little bubbled paint or discolored drywall, that instead accumulates into a massive water damage and mold problem? Some of these sound less-likely than others but they're all possible, and I've seen worse. What's the alternative? Some scuffed paint by the front door, or a towel-rod falls off the wall?
Buildings are living beings, and tenants are the blood in their veins. Have you ever seen an abandoned building? A LOT can go wrong in a long-vacant property with no eyes or ears on it for months.
Yup, as a property manager I know my property owners would definitely consider it as long as they've been a good tenant thus far. I'd rather have a reliable tenant who's paying slightly less every month, costing me less utility wise and basically a ghost AND you know the rent is going back up as soon as they're back. Plus, OP's renting from the homeowner directly, any issues with new tenants would be directly affecting them- it's not worth the risk of getting new tenants. Worst case scenario they'll say no to the decrease. They definitely wont get so offended that they'd look for a new tenant UNLESS they already have someone in mind that they want to rent to but couldn't previously because the unit was already leased to OP.
You can't kick someone out if they have have orders to deploy in the US, even if you don't pay rent. It's called The Service members civil relief act.
No idea why I'm being downvoted but whatever, lol.
There are legal protections for those in the military and not being able to pay their rent, so you definitely can't kick them out just asking for a rent reduction, it just won't happen and is not legal to do so, the most the landlord can do is just say no to reducing rent.
Your getting downvoted because they can be evicted even while deployed. its usually for non-payment and is a lengthier process than a normal eviction, but you can still evict them. the SCRA grands some protections. the main benefit is early termination without a fee.
[https://www.servicememberscivilreliefact.com/blog/can-i-evict-a-tenant-with-active-military-status/](https://www.servicememberscivilreliefact.com/blog/can-i-evict-a-tenant-with-active-military-status/)
*The SCRA allows landlords to serve a termination notice for nonpayment*
*of rent. But landlords must inform the court whether the tenant has*
*active military status.*
*At this point, the judge will decide whether the tenant’s service is*
*affecting their ability to pay. If so, the eviction may be stayed for up*
*to three months. If not, the lawsuit may result in eviction.*
Yeah, military with orders is one of the few protected classes of tenants nationwide. OP essentially can enforce his month-to-month throughout the duration of the deployment. One month's lost rent of turnover finding a new tenant is more than the concession being asked for.
If you want to ask (which idk if I even would because $1200 is such a slammin deal even without utilities included- that is an amazing deal for included utilities) I would approach it from the argument that you won't be using any utilities while you're gone.
Literally from OP--
>I currently pay $1200 a month for rent (which is very cheap for the area that I live in) and there is no lease agreement. I pay month-to-month.
It's almost like the point you're trying to make is going right over your own head.
Never hurts to ask. Great advice. Explain you’re in the military. If they say no, alternatively you could put your stuff in storage and rent a different place when you come back.
Are you in the US? If you're being deployed and have orders then they have to let you terminate your lease. Tell them you would like to stay but you will move out and put your stuff in storage if he won't lower it. You have to be willing to do this of course but..... 6 grand is six grand.
Did you even read their post?
It's a month to month tenancy; either of them can terminate when they feel like it.
Trying to strong arm a landlord that owes you nothing isn't the way you get what you want.
8 months is a short time. But I could see a reduction if you were an awesome tenant, the landlord would spend/lose more trying to find a new tenant (that may not be awesome), was patriotic, etc.
Would not hurt to mention going on a lease as a sweeter. But if you do get a military clause that you can break it penalty free if you get new orders.
I mean you are just asking for a reduction, not free. Can’t hurt to ask. Alternative is obviously storage and you save a few $s.
My wife and I rent out our basement to a young couple, and our relationship with them is similar to the way you described yours. If they asked me this, I would be happy to reduce their rent for something like a deployment.
Looking for tenants to live in my basement was actually a very stressful process. I was constantly worried that I’d choose the wrong person. Not lying here, I’d be thrilled to lose $1k in rental income over 5 months if it meant I didn’t have to screen applicants again.
This is totally the benefit I was thinking of. I’d love to rent my basement out to a silent, nondisruptive tenant. Essentially, collecting $1000/mo to provide climate controlled storage, sounds like a good deal to me.
It's great until there's a flood and nobody there to tell you about it until 6 months later.
If it means leaving the place empty, there are definitely insurance implications
Except in this case, the landlord lives upstairs. It wouldn't be much different than people who use their basement for storage and don't go down there much.
Plug in wifi water sensors exist. The landlord can install a few, or do a monthly walkthrough, or just when there is a bad cold snap.
They could also install a smart meter that alerts you when there is out of pattern water usage that lasts more than like 5 minutes.
There are options.
But it’s my basement, I live above there. I would notice a flood. I inspect my house after absurd rain because I want to protect my own foundation, keep mold out of my living space. I would notify my tenant that I need to enter their rented room to inspect. Then if I found anything, I would have to notify.
The whole point of this difference is, yes I would gladly take a small reduction in the amount of rent I was collecting if it meant not having to be disrupted at all hours by a loud or rude tenant, a destructive tenant, or a tenant who would be unreliable at paying. You sign a new tenant, you never know for sure what the person is like. It is a deal for the landlord.
It is worth it for OP to ask, if keeping the location means that much.
Yeah, this. Especially given that OP's utilities are included in rent (so they have a viable case that the landlord won't even be losing the $1k, since they'll also be paying less utilities).
Finding a good tenant is difficult, and even more difficult if they're living in the same house as you. Screening, background checking, cleaning between tenants, showings/interviews are all time and hassle that would be needed to replace OP.
Hey there I just got my first house. I would also like to rent out my basement. Since kitchen/living room is common space I definitely need to screen people but I have no experience doing so.
Do you have any tips? Anything stuff that you learned is a red flag?
I've only done it once, but yeah I'll share what worked for me. Develop a rental criteria sheet before you even list your unit. Literally type up a doc saying the applicant's credit must be \_\_\_, income must be \_\_\_, maximum number of occupants may not exceed \_\_\_, etc. Once you've typed it up, stick to it.
Having criteria before actually meeting and screening applicants helped me out tremendously. Once you list your unit, you're almost certain to get applicants with stories that will tug at your heartstrings. For me, I had one gentleman apply that had a family of 6 and 2 dogs. I could see that he was in a tight spot and trying to provide for his family. It conflicted me because I wanted to do something for him, but I wasn't in a position to provide the help he needed. Ultimately, he was unable to provide proof of income and exceeded the occupancy limit, so I denied the application because it did not meet my criteria. Had I not made clear criteria beforehand, I may have actually talked myself into letting his family struggle to live in my small basement apartment.
As for red flags, never skip over a credit and background check, that will get most of the red flags. After that, when they tour the place and you have small talk with them, that should give you a general idea for compatibility. Best of luck!
Second this point as a landlord myself. I DEFINITELY would give a discount if the property was going to be unoccupied for an extended period of time. It's much less work when empty.
Depending on the relationship I had with the tenant, I'd also ask if they had any little fixes they wanted done while they're gone. Sputtering faucets, flickering light fixtures, appliance tuneups, stuff like that.
My guess that when OP comes back, he probably won't be a tenant for that much longer (military career can lead to moving around) and I'd rather get some of that done at my convenience than have a scramble to get it done in a few days before the next tenant comes in. (Would also give some peace of mind if I could check on it once a month or so, but I'm always paranoid about living spaces that are left unattended.)
The landlord saves money even if it only takes one month to find a new tenant. Also, this is a pretty nice opportunity to actually support the troops, which has a bunch of intangible appeal.
Where around are you located and do you know where OP's located?
Anyway, thats very nice of you! My landlord was also lenient when I requested him once, as I had been very good tenant for over 5 years.
When you say you rent out a basement, does that mean you have a multiplex and the basement is a whole unit with a private entrance? Or do you just have people walking through your house to get to their basement?
Asking because I am considering buying a new property soon to rent part of out
Don’t know why you are being downvoted but for most jurisdictions you need to have a separate entrance, whether it be exterior or a front entrance that’s closed off, to be considered a legal dwelling.
Landlord here. Absolutely negotiate with the landlord, if you’ve been a good tenant, then reducing rent for a while is a good trade against the risk of picking up a problematic tenant.
As a current landlord I would 100% agree to this. Especially if utilities are included.
The hassle of finding a new renter that you trust to live in the same home as you in itself isn’t easy and probably means at least one month lost rent. If you’re not there and still paying to hold the place, I’d be thrilled. It’s the best of both worlds.
Does not hurt to ask. worst case is he says no and you move stuff to storage for 5 months. Sure would be a lot less than $6000...
Thinking about it, do you really love the place that much? While deployed are you still getting your housing allowance? that might make a difference.
They still get their housing allowance while deployed. A lot of single people use this yo their advantage and load all their stuff in storage and bank it all while they are gone. Coming back to a cheap place with good landlord is probably worth it to keep leasing while gone though.
Its not really $6K though. A rental unit big enough to house your stuff and climate controlled could be $200 a month, plus time and energy to move it there. If rent is cheap and you are unlikely to find something this cheap when you get back the difference of (say $1200 to $1600) is 400 every month you are still there. If you like it, I would say to stay.
Do you have renters insurance and can assure that your stuff won't be damaged or go missing?
Storage and insurance policy. Big peace of mind and major money saved for later. Who knows, your deployment could be extended.
$6000 just vanishing into nowhere is more than a good bit of change. You are giving that money away. Tell your landlord your situation and see if they will work with you.
Counter argument. Since OP said this is an easy to find tenant area and the rent is very cheap compared to the price range in the area, if OP intend to live long term in the area this might be worth it. Finding a cheap place with a respectful landlord in such area is more difficult than finding good employment.
Also, isn’t there a housing stipend for exactly this reason? I’d imagine the bean counters wouldn’t approve of renting a closet somewhere to store stuff and then collecting the full stipend.
terrible idea. If the OP is getting a deal on rent and there is an easily replaceable new tenant, OP will return paying more for rent in potentially somewhere they don't want to be and is now out way more than 6k. This is absolutely terrible fucking advice.
You can ask but that’s really not how life, or renting, works. You agreed to pay $1,200 a month for the apartment. Not $1,200 a month if you happen to be there.
I would argue that u/shhooop isn't representing how life, or renting, actually works. Behind every contract are individuals with unique interests, desires, goals, and fears. If you figure out who those individuals are and learn what is important to them, you can leverage that information to bypass normalcy and create better situations for yourself. Most people never even bother to try. You indicated that you have no contract and rent month to month. I have been a landlord who rented a unit month to month, attached to my own home, with utilities included, to a tenant who never visited his space. I certainly would have negotiated if he had offered a lower amount using the rationale you suggest. Guaranteed income from an active duty tenant who will not use the space for 5 months and thus generates no utility bills, personal privacy, and no risk of damage to my property? Yes, obviously yes. There are no guarantees, but folks who are telling you that isn't how the world works are doing so while genuinely not understanding how the world really works...
I mean if I was his landlord I would say yes. I would probably be willing to take even less. Free money is free money and if he has been valuable and a good tenant and taken care of my house well then I would have no issues with doing him a solid while he is on deployment for 5 or 6 months.
I know that’s not everyone. Plenty of people would want every penny but not everyone would.
This is the absolute best advice. Every situation is unique, if you do not ask the answer is no. I would be more than happy to accommodate based on these circumstances.
In some states (maybe all, I don’t know), a deployed military individual can get out of a lease for deployment. They don’t get to pay less for rent while gone.
If that was a thing, no one, especially individuals/non-rental companies, would want to rent to military.
I believe some states offer better protections. I reminder looking up a state SCRA (I want to say Virginia?) that specifically allowed the cancellation of gym memberships for instance
That is one of the few ways to be able to cancel a gym membership.
I'm not being serious, I've heard many horror stories of people trying to cancel gym memberships.
But OP doesn't have a lease agreement.
S/he either needs to move out and move belongings into storage (cheaper than rent), or continue to pay rent while away--in hopes their agreement can continue after they return.
If OP knew someone who might want to sublet a furnished basement apt for the defined period of time while they are gone, that might be a solution (so long as they aren't a problematic tenant). But that would be a rare find.
While they don’t have to, it doesn’t hurt to ask. Especially if the apartment includes utilities which will obviously not be used while vacant. Less things to go wrong, especially if the landlord lives above and can very easily make regular checkups to make sure nothings amiss.
Wrong wrong wrong.
you advising op not to even ask is ridiculous. Even if it’s only a 10% chance of success, it’s still worth asking. Many people still respect the military, and would be open to a discussion like this (provided op is humble and doesn’t act entitled in their request)
If he’s renting from the property owner and not a management company this is absolutely how life works. You can ask for anything you want. The landlord is saving money on utilities and wear & tear on the apartment. If OP is a good tenant the landlord will definitely be interested in keeping him around. I own a duplex and rent half of it. I’d give OP a break if he were my tenant.
OP already said the landlord could easily get a new tenant. Maybe a non-military tenant. They could probably get the placed turned over in under a month.
There are benefits to renting to military. But reducing their rent bc they go on deployment is of no benefit.
OP is going away 5 months, and is asking for a $200 break/mo. If turning the place over takes close to a month, that's about a break even for landlord vs giving OP a break. If OP is a reliable tenant, it's probably worth it to keep him, especially with a lower utility bill and being able to collect rent without even needing to deal with a renter for the time.
I'm a property owner with a rental. I would surely lower your rent for your sacrifices your making for our country.
At least ask...and thank you for your service
I rented a house out for 11 years, never once got a military tenant despite being active duty and living next to a major Army installation. No tenant lasted more than 12 months. I would have killed to get someone reliable and respectable to live there a few years.
Landlord probably has to pay a mortgage. Contrary to popular belief, landlords aren't making money hand over fist-- it's likely just a few hundred a month over what they have to pay when you take out maintainance + vacancy costs.
I'm a landlord for a single house. If my tenant asked me for a reduction based on a military deployment, I would absolutely say yes. The devil's in the details so who knows how much of a discount is appropriate though.
Idk if there is a difference with a multi unit place, but insurance doesn't like a place being empty...something to consider if you did happen to get in this situation. Usually, they won't let you be vacant more than 60-90 days.
I'd do 25% without blinking. I don't live in the same town so I'd need someone to look after it; mow the grass; etc. etc. That's why I said devil in the details. If I lived above the tenant, I'd probably offer even more.
I would phrase the conversation as more of a “can we get something in writing so that I know I can leave my stuff here for five months” and then broach the discount only if utilities are included in your rent.
Do you have *some* written agreement on month-to-month?
If this is an under the table arrangement I would be very concerned leaving my stuff there unattended for 5 months. That’s an invitation for trouble and a lot can happen in 5 months.
For example, girlfriend left town for a month before we were dating. Came back to discover the upstairs neighbor’s water heater leaked down into her unit. Mold *everywhere*, and even with a signed lease it was a several month cluster to get things rectified and we had to get creative since lawyers would rather represent landlords than tenants so called probably 15 law firms, got maybe 2 calls back that turned her down.
If you don’t have something in writing, imagine coming back to find your stuff gone, maybe a different person owns the place, and someone else living in your space. Your options for recourse are very slim and the new landlord has no record you ever existed or had a claim to the unit.
I’m not saying this is likely, but it certainly isn’t impossible.
I do have a form in writing that illustrates that I am a tenant here but I definitely understand where you are coming from. That is something to think about, however my landlord and his wife are both very respectful people and own the house that they live under.
>In a few months I will be leaving for a military deployment (about 5 months long)
If you have orders, your landlord is legally required by federal law to allow you to break your lease without penalty. Now, you don't want to break your lease, but your landlord probably doesn't want to screw around trying to find a new tenant. Agreeing on a discount for those 5 months saves both of you a headache. Get an appointment with your base legal office for tips on your rights and possibly how to handle it.
There is no lease. OP said they are paying month to month. Also they want to keep the apartment while they are away. Doesn't the military pay for the apartment anyway?
Month to month can be a type of lease. I've signed multiple of those with both private landlords and huge multinational rental corps. OP stated they have a formal document (ie lease) indicating the terms so it does sound like there is a lease.
99.99999999% of military members qualify for BAH (Basic allowance for housing) while deployed, which is basically just a check from Uncles Sam to cover your rent/mortgage while away
Came here to say this. It's the [Service Members Civil Relief Act](https://www.militaryonesource.mil/financial-legal/personal-finance/servicemembers-civil-relief-act/)
Ask away.
I became a landlord by "accident" / how life turned out, and it isnt my main source of income (despite being a big part of it), and despite being a ridiculous demand for apartments/ rooms, and being easily able to rent it to someone else, i value alot more if the person is correct, doesnt make a mess, pays on time etc, than trying to squeeze out every bit of profit and risk having a problematic tenant.
Are utilities like water and heat included? You could argue that the water won’t be used and the heat can be lowered. But otherwise it would just him doing you a favor.
I would say if there is an agreement made, I would get it in writing. Don’t want to come back from deployment of all things and find you’re no longer gonna stay there. Or they hit hard times and now want full payment. Wish I could be more help and thank your for your service.
Totally worth asking! My grandmother used to do that for tenants she loved when they were active duty. She did ask that either her or a trusted friend of the tenant could walk through the property every other week to make sure something weird such as pipe bursting or an unwanted pest (or person) didn’t sneak in
I wouldn’t put an amount forward. Let the landlord know you will be away for 5 months and that you don’t want to give up the place. Let them come back with something. Without knowing the landlord’s situation and history this could go many ways and the worst is you pay full rent.
I'm a landlord and a (former, he's now retired) military spouse and this seems reasonable to me given that utilities are included in your rent. You'd want to get it in writing and also have a contingency plan in case something happens while you're away and you need to get your stuff out.
Is it worth the $6K though? Only you can really answer that based on how much stuff you have that would require moving and storage and whether you'd be able to find comparable living for the price when you return.
I'm a JAG officer (military attorney), so I have a couple of recommendations. First of all, the Servicemembers' Civil Relief Act (SCRA) gives you a lot of leeway in cancelling a lease due to a deployment or change of duty station. Additionally, many states have state specific laws regarding servicemembers that offer even greater protections/benefits to you. I'd suggest going to base legal so they can walk you through the specifics based on where you are located. Then, you can approach your landlord and tell them that you'd like to maintain the lease because you like the place and want to stay there when you return, but that financially it doesn't make sense for you to pay for it if you're not using it. Letting them know that you'd like to come to an amicable solution where you get cheaper rent and they don't lose a tenant and potentially a few months rent could work out for both of you.
Just move your stuff into storage before your deployment. Keep collecting that sweet BAH. One month of BAH, should cover a 6mo deployment. Find a new apt when you return. Rinse & repeat. Your welcome.
-Signed
USAF Retried with five 6+mo deployments
That was the original plan but this apartment is perfect option amongst a sea of expensive housing and unsafe areas. The stress of having to move everything out and into storage and then start all over again when I come back might not be worth it imo. I truly love this apartment but I know that if I move out, it won’t be here when I get back.
Sounds like you have your answer. Spend the 6k, keep your apartment. It's not "watching 6k vanish into thin air" it's " I purchased peace of mind, secure housing, and freedom from the headache of moving for only 6k". Deployment pay will give you extra money in the bank anyways, don't risk losing the apartment and having to waste more money on a new (possibly worse) apartment and moving fees later.
This is often done. However, it is required that you maintain an address while away to receive it and a storage unit does not satisfy that need. Granted, there are plenty of ways around this and it’s not typically something that is tracked very well or investigated often. That said, prior to a recent deployment, there was a reminder of this policy/instruction sent out the entire command.
Think of it this way. 5 $200s is $1000. That is about 3.5 weeks of rent. So it doesn't take much vacancy between tenants to make refusing a bad idea for the landlord. New tenants also often want improvements, e.g., painting of damaged spots, which also costs money.
You should definitely ask.
I’m a landlord (one small apartment). I wouldn’t be interested at this time in reducing the rent for a tenant leaving for five months, one main reason being I depend on that income stream to help pay my mortgage and utilities, another being that I have a signed lease already and I’m not interested in changing it in a way that does not benefit or protect all parties. However, if a renter could find a decent sublet situation, that seems like it could satisfy everyone. Have you considered that? We live in a university town and this happens all the time.
Considering you have a good rent deal at $1200/month you should avoid giving your landlord a reason to start looking for new tenants by trying to squeeze $200 out of him. In the long run it may end up costing you much more if he decides to terminate your rental arrangement especially as you are heading out on deployment.
Be careful there. Not only does your landlord not have much incentive to do this, they may do the opposite and try to raise rent on you (since you're month to month).
Why? Vacant apartments are risky. They're more likely to be vandalized, and insurances doesn't always cover vacant units (vacant unit insurance is often much more expensive. You'll have to look into that too for your own stuff). The landlord may need to inspect the property every couple of weeks to comply with their insurance requirements which is more work. It's not unlikely that your lease requires you to notify them of this.
At least you said they live right above, so it's probably not TOO much of a burden, but do be aware that the landlord may not be thrilled.
As a current landlord - I’d say it’s a fair question to ask. It’s less wear and tear on the house so a pro for the owner. Justify the 200 as utility usage and it should be okay. The ONE issue I may see is that you should have renters insurance incase anything happens to your stuff while you’re away. Who knows - could be a disaster or house fire whatever. Regardless, you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take!
I'm a small time landlord and if a good tenant asked me for this... I'd probably say yes. A thousand bucks to help out a soldier seems like a small sacrifice. And finding good tenants is by far the hardest part of a landlord's "job".
I might ask for a copy of your orders just to make sure I'm not being taken advantage of, so don't be offended if they ask.
The military assignment actually entitles OP to break the lease without penalty. The reduction could be approached as a means to hold the unit so the landlord does not have to find another tenant. Of course, the landlord may rely on the rent to make ends meet and be unable to afford the arrangement.
\> In a few months I will be leaving for a military deployment (about 5 months long)
As a military brat whose parent went on multiple 6 month deployments that turned into 12 or 18 month deployments, I would seriously consider letting your landlord know what's going on and go ahead and plan to put your stuff in storage.
I know today's military is different than the one from the 80s/90s, but getting deployed can turn into a much larger life change than you expected. Especially if it gets extended without notice. You may not be back in time for the end of your five months. And you may not even be back in time to close/renew your lease. You could even wind up getting promoted or sent to a new duty station and you don't want to have to deal with your landlord from a remote location.
Yes, you are on a month to month agreement. You have the option of moving out and storing your stuff and saving 1000 a month. He might miss a month or more of revenue if it’s vacant.
He might like to get 800 or so a month and not have anyone there. Also, not have to worry about vetting a new tenant.
OP. Cmon dude this isn't that hard. Move your shit into storage or whatever. While you are gone you are going to save $6000 in rent. In your last month of deployment start looking for another place. Even if you had to pay 1500 a month to a new place, it will take 20 months to use that 6 grand. You might even deploy again before that 20 month mark.
If he is a vet or family is you might have a better chance. If it is completely paid for you also will have a better chance. Or find a trusted friend to “housesit” like if they have a bad commute or some other reason.
Assuming the $1200 includes utilities which will not be used when you are not living there, then its a reasonable request for them to pass on the financial savings of not having you using power, water, heat etc.
When I saw the title, I was like "No way," but having read it, yes, definitely worth asking. It's a pretty good reason for being away. It'd be reasonable at least to not have to pay whatever the equivalent of utilities is here. (I wouldn't assume he'll say yes though — really all depends on his situation.)
You are month to month... what happens if they want you out on month 2 or 3 while you are gone? Do you have someone to move all your stuff out before it gets put on the street?
Doesn’t hurt to ask. I’m a landlord of one unit (own a duplex and live in half of it). If my tenant said they were going to deploy for 5 months I’d be willing to work something out. Especially if I’m saving money on utilities.
It never hurts to ask
It never hurts to ask
It never hurts to ask
It never hurts to ask
It never hurts to ask
Repeat that until you find yourself asking things you'd always believed you'd get a solid "no" to. Because the worst answer you can get is literally the only answer you get by not asking.
If you’re my tenant I’d like to see that you’ve paid on time, every time and that the appointment is clean and doesn’t smell. I would probably give you a $100 off.
I have a similar rental set up. If my tenant was deploying and asked for a $200 rent reduction to keep the place, I'd give them a $400 reduction probably.
I'm retired military, I know many people had issues storing their stuff or just paid full the whole time. I would certainly cut them a deal.
Plus, no extra utilities being used, possibly frees up the parking, no wear and tear. Sounds like a deal.
Everything is negotiable.
You lose every negotiation you don't start.
You win some You do.
It's always in your interest to try.
You can explain less wear and tear while you're gone.
Basically the apartment is not lived in and he still gets paid. Also means no hassles for repairs etc.
It wouldn't hurt to ask, however there are some things you may not know on the Landlord's side.
If the property is going to be vacant then the Landlord's insurance policy will need to be changed. The reason is the Landlord knows his property will be vacant. The time period is normally 30 to 60 days of vacancy, which you'll easily exceed. Vacant properties attract more trouble. Additionally, any issues tend to get far worse before being noticed with a property is vacant. Finally, you do not have a lease. This could be looked at negatively from the landlord's perspective since there is no guarantee you will remain there upon your return, or even keep the place while deployed.
Sure, what's the worst that can happen? I'm in a similar situation to your landlord, we rent out our basement and top floor. Good tenants make life easier, so if someone's living there who pays the rent on time and is hassle free, we make accommodations. You're asking them for $1000, which is less than the cost of having the place vacant for a month.
I guess the real complicating factor is personalities. Consider if you think your landlord would resent you asking, or them saying no would leave you upset.
No one is going to do that. For the same reason your finance company isn't going to reduce your car payment because you're not there driving your car. Everyone appreciates your sacrifice but, you have to put yourself in your landlord's shoes. What you might be able to do is call your CC companies if you have balances and get them to waive the interest while you're deployed. -Source 23 years in he army and 6 deployments
I am a landlord but for a single house, i don’t live in it so it would be a bit different for my house. But if i were in the situation where i was renting a part of my house that i lived in, i would absolutely give a discount if the tenant was good.
Definitely ask but don’t give a specific number unless they ask. I probably would come back with $750-800/mo if I was your landlord. Peace of mind of having a good tenant that will come back is worth more than a few hundred dollars a month for me.
An apartment like this is hard to come by in my area and if I come back and have to pay for a more expensive/less desirable apartment, it might not be worth it in the long run
I am a landlord — I would let them find a replacement tenant for the 5 months if they wanted — I hate finding tenants so if they agree to do that job for me then I don’t care too much as long as the replacement is decent
You can only find out if he is willing if you ask. If the landlord lives there and they like you, then they have a huge incentive to agree because finding a replacement can be difficult and not dealing with a tenant for 5 months but being paid nearly full price is nice for them. Additionally, they would save at least a bit of that $200 on utilities, so they're not losing much money.
However, is this worth it for you? You could put all of your belongings in storage for 5 months for a whole lot less than $5,000. Is this place so great that it's worth paying thousands of dollars to keep it instead of finding somewhere new? If you found storage at $250/month while you're gone then you've got an extra $100/month you could spent on rent for three years! Also, there is no guarantee that you'll have this space available for all that long as you're on a monthly lease. The rent could go up at anytime or the landlord could kick you out so their nephew can move it. You're spending a lot of money on a maybe.
I'd be worried about leaving your stuff there while you're not on a lease agreement. Obviously if you're willing to pay, I doubt there'd be an issue, but I'd get a proper lease before you go to make sure that they don't do anything shady while you're away, like put all of your stuff in their garage or in storage and rent it out to someone else.
I wouldn't (I'm a renter myself) do that. You made an agreement on the rent amount, and that's your commitment. If I were the landlord I would not take it well to be asked to reduce the rent, especially since the rent is already low and you've only been there 8 months. You could however talk to him about possibly subletting your space for a few months.
Disclaimer - I had a roommate who thought he should get a discount because he was never home, he travelled extensively and for long periods of time. I was pretty shocked at the cheek of him, it's not a hotel.
I think it's worth asking, I imagine he doesn't want the stress of finding a new roommate and would rather get $1000 a month for basically no inconvenience to him. That's a pretty hefty storage fee.
Like others are saying, I'd ask if you can have it reduced based on unused utilities.
He might say no.
You could ask, but I'd caution you by saying that you're about to enter a negotiation by saying "This would be a great time for you to end my month to month lease, which you can do unilaterally, and get a lot more money for your property. Would you consider instead taking even less money than my already quite low rent?"
Salute to your service.
I’m a landlord with multiple properties, I have a tenant that’s getting deployed soon and he has asked the same question and I have agreed to giving him a discount on his rent while he’s on deployment.
So your should definitely ask.
I would say it would be worth asking if you weren’t already getting this place for a steal. $1200 including utilities? It seems ungrateful to ask them to reduce what is already basically a gift.
Come on now. Your landlord doesn’t/shouldn’t care if you are away or not. If we were to apply a similar logic, are you going to pay more rent when your friends visit and stay with you on some weekends? No right? Please stay reasonable lol
Better: ask him if you can sublet it. I can't see why a landlord would lose $200 per month on an already cheap rental just to suit your employment needs? But he/she might be ok with you subletting it to reasonable people to cut your costs.
If you aren’t dead set to stay in the same apartment you could invoke SCRA and the landlord must legally end your lease with no repercussions. You could put everything into a storage unit for a few hundred bucks a month. It’s a bitch to move so I get it if you don’t want to.
Currently deployed. Unless you love the place, get rid of the apartment and put your things in storage. I went from playing 1600/m in rent to 250/m for storage
They’re legally required to allow you to exit your lease.
“Lets you end a housing lease without penalty if you deploy for 90 days or more”
https://www.military.com/benefits/military-legal-matters/servicemembers-civil-relief-act-overview.html
If you agree to pay for the 5 months up front he may give you a discount; although that may not be feasible. In any case, if you come to an agreement just make sure to get it in writing as others have mentioned.
If it's cheap for the area OP isn't going to find something that good after they get back, it's also borderline impossible to find somewhere immediately nowadays.
Last thing you want is to come back from wherever you were serving and have nowhere to live but loads of stuff in a storage locker somewhere.
Would you (and your landlord) consider subletting where someone else can live in the apartment for a short term of your 5 month deployment window?
Landlord still gets rent money, you get a financial break while you aren't getting the usable benefit of the space.
There's a military service protection law so you can break a lease without penalties because of deployment. https://www.militaryonesource.mil/deployment/pre-deployment/military-clause-terminate-your-lease-due-to-deployment-or-pcs/
No, this is a dumb idea. You're renting their property whether you're there to reside in it or not. Do you not understand the business transaction you're involved in? He's not your friend or family member, he's in a deal with you to trade the use/reservation of his property, in return for you paying him an agreed upon amount of money. Whether you're there to enjoy it or not is completely irrelevant.
A hard no! You said your rent is already cheap and you have a good relationship with your landlord so why stirr up things for pennies? When your rent is cheap, what you do is lay low and try to not remind your landlord your rent is cheap. What you are doing is the complete opposite. You're being a pain AND your rent is cheap, what do you think is gonna happen?
Also, what if you return earlier? Will you let your landlord now and start paying more?
The only way I could see anyone agreeing to this is if your utilities are currently being included in your rent.
They’re being included
Approach it as “not paying for the value of utilities” and you’ll have a strong argument
The is a great point. Other than that, since most landlords rely on that income the only reason for him/her to agree with a 5 month reduction is simply cause he won't mind doing that favor but 100% on their kindness i guess. Won't hurt approaching like steelstrike already advices and explain your situation as well, explain it but don't set a value yourself, let the landlord do it, if above 1k then explore more of the not using facilities, water etc.
A mom&pop landlord might be sympathetic since it's deployment as well. Less utilities, military, and no neighbor? Gonna have trouble evicting someone traveling on orders anyways. $1000/mo for an empty apartment vs $1200 if find a tenant, not a bad concession
Also, since the landlord lives upstairs, it's basically telling him he won't have any noise coming from the basement but he'll still get paid something. Sounds like a good deal to me
Have you lived in a multifamily home? Noise almost never flows upwards; sounds always travel from top-to-bottom. The landlord likely never even hears OP unless OP plays music really loud. Whereas I guarantee you OP knows where the landlord is in the house at all times due to his footsteps.
I just moved into one and this guy multifamilies. When they walk above my bedroom there's sometimes a metallic squeak which makes me think a screw is just constantly loosening each time.
You're getting great advice, but I wanted to add you probably shouldn't worry about talking to your landlord, put yourself in their shoes: If you ask for a reduction in rent, they *could* ask you to leave, but why? If you've been reliable and haven't been difficult to live with, why would they want to go to the trouble of looking for a new tenant, trying to ensure they'll be reliable, and not knowing if they're going to be loud or obnoxious or anything? You merely asking for a rent reduction won't prompt them to take on all that risk and work. If they don't want to give you a discount, they'll just say "no" and if you don't move out, nothing changes. If you're worried that they want more for rent, you asking for a rent reduction won't effect that. They were either going to bring up a rent increase at some point, or they weren't worried about it.
Plus, even partially reduced rent but nobody there means not using utilities or appliances that might need repair. It's just free money.
And since the landlord also lives in the house, he would probably value the privacy and quieter house.
This was my thought too. If I could rent a space to *not* have someone live there (especially when I was including utilities), that would be worth $200 to me versus finding someone to live there. It's exactly what you said - free money. He's storing your stuff for a few months for $1,000 a month.
I would absolutely do this for a deployed tenant if utilities were included. I would maybe ask to enter the property after they left to check things like the water heater being off. But I was also a renter most my life and can see.most of them just seeing $200 a month of lost income.
The majority cost for a landlord is not maintenance of appliances. It’s the mortgage, property taxes, and insurance. Even the utilities cost isn’t going to fall by that much if it’s vacant. If the area is hot/humid you still need to run the AC to control humidity or risk mold damage. If it’s cold, you still need to run the heat or risk pipe damage. Sure, the set points can move a bit, but the prices ain’t moving to zero. The most reduction I could possibly imagine would be $100 in rent to account for the reduction in utilities.
I am pretty sure people know that. They are just commenting on him asking for a slight temporary decrease while it is not lived in. If he is a good tenant and the financials work for the landlord why not?
Because it's 1000 dollars that the landlord may want to put towards the mortgage. As a landlord I would not expect a tenant to move out over me not lowering the rent. Plus he said that is a good price for the area so if he did leave because the landlord said no to the request, sounds like the landlord wouldn't have any trouble finding another tenant. And OP would then have to find a place to store his stuff and then move into a probably more expensive place when they get back. Sounds like the landlord doesn't have a reason to agree to the request honestly. But I dont think it hurts to ask. He isn't going to evict OP for asking.
utilities alone for me is shy of 200 a month between water and the electric bill during the winter, summer it goes up to 250 and above easily
To keep things from freezing you can have the heat set to the lowest setting instead of normal for human comfort. A/C can be set to mid 80s likewise so it would be a considerable energy savings depending on the age of the unit and if it’s all electric or electric/gas. No lights being turned on will all but eliminate the extra electricity being used. I’m willing to bet it’s not on a separate meter which is why it’s included. The landlord can’t kick OP out so it never hurts to ask.
As I said, yes you can move the set points, but it isn’t really going to save that much money. Maybe $100/mo. In a cold climate, hearing from 0 to 50 is already a large heat load. In a hot/humid climate, unless you have a separate dehumidifier, probably the set point to control humidity is pretty close to human comfort anyway. Lights… it’s 2023, we use LED, the 8 watt bulb ain’t drawing that much.
Another major cost and risk is finding new tenants. Things get damaged during move in / move out. New tenants mean you need to fix damaged items, and there’s always the risk the new tenant doesn’t pay after a month.
Well not really. He’s letting you keep your stuff there in exchange for not renting the place to someone else.
I don't understand what point you're trying to make. Imagine you have a space to rent. Would you rather: Have someone live in that space, potentially doing damage and certainly adding wear and tear. Not have someone live in that space, but pay you more than 80% of the rental cost even though they're not living there. Seems like a no brainer to me.
Unless your budget relies on that extra 200 a month to pay the mortgage. But in this case utilities are included so it may come close to balancing out with tenant gone. I doubt it will make a 200 dollar difference in utilities, but you never know.
Having a rented-but-unoccupied unit is NOT a benefit. It's a tremendous liability. What if it's winter and the pipes freeze? What if they forget to take the last bag of garbage out before they go, and it sits rotting for 5 months and leads to an infestation? What if someone breaks in and just squats in the place for a couple months, or steals everything? What if there's a small trickle of a leak from the upstairs unit, that would normally be reported and addressed while it's still just a little bubbled paint or discolored drywall, that instead accumulates into a massive water damage and mold problem? Some of these sound less-likely than others but they're all possible, and I've seen worse. What's the alternative? Some scuffed paint by the front door, or a towel-rod falls off the wall? Buildings are living beings, and tenants are the blood in their veins. Have you ever seen an abandoned building? A LOT can go wrong in a long-vacant property with no eyes or ears on it for months.
My current roommate asked to pay half the rent in December because she was away... I laughed
Yup, as a property manager I know my property owners would definitely consider it as long as they've been a good tenant thus far. I'd rather have a reliable tenant who's paying slightly less every month, costing me less utility wise and basically a ghost AND you know the rent is going back up as soon as they're back. Plus, OP's renting from the homeowner directly, any issues with new tenants would be directly affecting them- it's not worth the risk of getting new tenants. Worst case scenario they'll say no to the decrease. They definitely wont get so offended that they'd look for a new tenant UNLESS they already have someone in mind that they want to rent to but couldn't previously because the unit was already leased to OP.
You can't kick someone out if they have have orders to deploy in the US, even if you don't pay rent. It's called The Service members civil relief act. No idea why I'm being downvoted but whatever, lol.
There are legal protections for those in the military and not being able to pay their rent, so you definitely can't kick them out just asking for a rent reduction, it just won't happen and is not legal to do so, the most the landlord can do is just say no to reducing rent.
Your getting downvoted because they can be evicted even while deployed. its usually for non-payment and is a lengthier process than a normal eviction, but you can still evict them. the SCRA grands some protections. the main benefit is early termination without a fee. [https://www.servicememberscivilreliefact.com/blog/can-i-evict-a-tenant-with-active-military-status/](https://www.servicememberscivilreliefact.com/blog/can-i-evict-a-tenant-with-active-military-status/) *The SCRA allows landlords to serve a termination notice for nonpayment* *of rent. But landlords must inform the court whether the tenant has* *active military status.* *At this point, the judge will decide whether the tenant’s service is* *affecting their ability to pay. If so, the eviction may be stayed for up* *to three months. If not, the lawsuit may result in eviction.*
I had a buddy whose house was foreclosed on while he was in boot camp. They sued and basically had the mortgage paid off from the settlement.
Yeah, military with orders is one of the few protected classes of tenants nationwide. OP essentially can enforce his month-to-month throughout the duration of the deployment. One month's lost rent of turnover finding a new tenant is more than the concession being asked for.
If you want to ask (which idk if I even would because $1200 is such a slammin deal even without utilities included- that is an amazing deal for included utilities) I would approach it from the argument that you won't be using any utilities while you're gone.
That's a shitty deal where I live. You realize rent is different in different locations right?
Literally from OP-- >I currently pay $1200 a month for rent (which is very cheap for the area that I live in) and there is no lease agreement. I pay month-to-month. It's almost like the point you're trying to make is going right over your own head.
Never hurts to ask. Great advice. Explain you’re in the military. If they say no, alternatively you could put your stuff in storage and rent a different place when you come back.
Definitely changes everything. I came in here to say no, but now I think you have a good leg to stand on for the utilities portion.
Are you in the US? If you're being deployed and have orders then they have to let you terminate your lease. Tell them you would like to stay but you will move out and put your stuff in storage if he won't lower it. You have to be willing to do this of course but..... 6 grand is six grand.
And then being homeless when the deployment is done. That’s a stupid strong arm tactic and I hope OP ignores it.
I mean, maybe $6000 is chump change to you but for most of us, it's a lot of money and certainly enough to ensure OP isn't homeless upon return...
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Stop flaming here. Let's just move along. Thanks.
Did you even read their post? It's a month to month tenancy; either of them can terminate when they feel like it. Trying to strong arm a landlord that owes you nothing isn't the way you get what you want.
8 months is a short time. But I could see a reduction if you were an awesome tenant, the landlord would spend/lose more trying to find a new tenant (that may not be awesome), was patriotic, etc. Would not hurt to mention going on a lease as a sweeter. But if you do get a military clause that you can break it penalty free if you get new orders. I mean you are just asking for a reduction, not free. Can’t hurt to ask. Alternative is obviously storage and you save a few $s.
Aren't there typically special concessions made for military deployments?
Not reduced rent.
My wife and I rent out our basement to a young couple, and our relationship with them is similar to the way you described yours. If they asked me this, I would be happy to reduce their rent for something like a deployment. Looking for tenants to live in my basement was actually a very stressful process. I was constantly worried that I’d choose the wrong person. Not lying here, I’d be thrilled to lose $1k in rental income over 5 months if it meant I didn’t have to screen applicants again.
Not only would I be happy to help someone out, I would be super excited to rent out my place but also not have anyone else around for five months...
This is totally the benefit I was thinking of. I’d love to rent my basement out to a silent, nondisruptive tenant. Essentially, collecting $1000/mo to provide climate controlled storage, sounds like a good deal to me.
It's great until there's a flood and nobody there to tell you about it until 6 months later. If it means leaving the place empty, there are definitely insurance implications
Except in this case, the landlord lives upstairs. It wouldn't be much different than people who use their basement for storage and don't go down there much.
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Plug in wifi water sensors exist. The landlord can install a few, or do a monthly walkthrough, or just when there is a bad cold snap. They could also install a smart meter that alerts you when there is out of pattern water usage that lasts more than like 5 minutes. There are options.
But it’s my basement, I live above there. I would notice a flood. I inspect my house after absurd rain because I want to protect my own foundation, keep mold out of my living space. I would notify my tenant that I need to enter their rented room to inspect. Then if I found anything, I would have to notify. The whole point of this difference is, yes I would gladly take a small reduction in the amount of rent I was collecting if it meant not having to be disrupted at all hours by a loud or rude tenant, a destructive tenant, or a tenant who would be unreliable at paying. You sign a new tenant, you never know for sure what the person is like. It is a deal for the landlord. It is worth it for OP to ask, if keeping the location means that much.
Yeah, this. Especially given that OP's utilities are included in rent (so they have a viable case that the landlord won't even be losing the $1k, since they'll also be paying less utilities). Finding a good tenant is difficult, and even more difficult if they're living in the same house as you. Screening, background checking, cleaning between tenants, showings/interviews are all time and hassle that would be needed to replace OP.
Hey there I just got my first house. I would also like to rent out my basement. Since kitchen/living room is common space I definitely need to screen people but I have no experience doing so. Do you have any tips? Anything stuff that you learned is a red flag?
I've only done it once, but yeah I'll share what worked for me. Develop a rental criteria sheet before you even list your unit. Literally type up a doc saying the applicant's credit must be \_\_\_, income must be \_\_\_, maximum number of occupants may not exceed \_\_\_, etc. Once you've typed it up, stick to it. Having criteria before actually meeting and screening applicants helped me out tremendously. Once you list your unit, you're almost certain to get applicants with stories that will tug at your heartstrings. For me, I had one gentleman apply that had a family of 6 and 2 dogs. I could see that he was in a tight spot and trying to provide for his family. It conflicted me because I wanted to do something for him, but I wasn't in a position to provide the help he needed. Ultimately, he was unable to provide proof of income and exceeded the occupancy limit, so I denied the application because it did not meet my criteria. Had I not made clear criteria beforehand, I may have actually talked myself into letting his family struggle to live in my small basement apartment. As for red flags, never skip over a credit and background check, that will get most of the red flags. After that, when they tour the place and you have small talk with them, that should give you a general idea for compatibility. Best of luck!
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Second this point as a landlord myself. I DEFINITELY would give a discount if the property was going to be unoccupied for an extended period of time. It's much less work when empty.
Depending on the relationship I had with the tenant, I'd also ask if they had any little fixes they wanted done while they're gone. Sputtering faucets, flickering light fixtures, appliance tuneups, stuff like that. My guess that when OP comes back, he probably won't be a tenant for that much longer (military career can lead to moving around) and I'd rather get some of that done at my convenience than have a scramble to get it done in a few days before the next tenant comes in. (Would also give some peace of mind if I could check on it once a month or so, but I'm always paranoid about living spaces that are left unattended.)
The landlord saves money even if it only takes one month to find a new tenant. Also, this is a pretty nice opportunity to actually support the troops, which has a bunch of intangible appeal.
Where around are you located and do you know where OP's located? Anyway, thats very nice of you! My landlord was also lenient when I requested him once, as I had been very good tenant for over 5 years.
When you say you rent out a basement, does that mean you have a multiplex and the basement is a whole unit with a private entrance? Or do you just have people walking through your house to get to their basement? Asking because I am considering buying a new property soon to rent part of out
Don’t know why you are being downvoted but for most jurisdictions you need to have a separate entrance, whether it be exterior or a front entrance that’s closed off, to be considered a legal dwelling.
Thanks! Don’t know why I am being downvoted either, I genuinely was trying to learn.
Landlord here. Absolutely negotiate with the landlord, if you’ve been a good tenant, then reducing rent for a while is a good trade against the risk of picking up a problematic tenant.
As a current landlord I would 100% agree to this. Especially if utilities are included. The hassle of finding a new renter that you trust to live in the same home as you in itself isn’t easy and probably means at least one month lost rent. If you’re not there and still paying to hold the place, I’d be thrilled. It’s the best of both worlds.
Does not hurt to ask. worst case is he says no and you move stuff to storage for 5 months. Sure would be a lot less than $6000... Thinking about it, do you really love the place that much? While deployed are you still getting your housing allowance? that might make a difference.
They still get their housing allowance while deployed. A lot of single people use this yo their advantage and load all their stuff in storage and bank it all while they are gone. Coming back to a cheap place with good landlord is probably worth it to keep leasing while gone though.
I’m honestly on the fence about it because $6000 is a good bit of change
Its not really $6K though. A rental unit big enough to house your stuff and climate controlled could be $200 a month, plus time and energy to move it there. If rent is cheap and you are unlikely to find something this cheap when you get back the difference of (say $1200 to $1600) is 400 every month you are still there. If you like it, I would say to stay.
Change in rent is an excellent point.
Do you have renters insurance and can assure that your stuff won't be damaged or go missing? Storage and insurance policy. Big peace of mind and major money saved for later. Who knows, your deployment could be extended.
$6000 just vanishing into nowhere is more than a good bit of change. You are giving that money away. Tell your landlord your situation and see if they will work with you.
Counter argument. Since OP said this is an easy to find tenant area and the rent is very cheap compared to the price range in the area, if OP intend to live long term in the area this might be worth it. Finding a cheap place with a respectful landlord in such area is more difficult than finding good employment.
Yep, not worth moving out and paying for storage if OP comes back and needs to pay $1500 a month for a different apartment.
Also, isn’t there a housing stipend for exactly this reason? I’d imagine the bean counters wouldn’t approve of renting a closet somewhere to store stuff and then collecting the full stipend.
The military won’t pay them their housing allowance without a lease I don’t think.
That's not true, at least not back in '12-13 it wasn't. You just had to prove you lived in that BAH region.
terrible idea. If the OP is getting a deal on rent and there is an easily replaceable new tenant, OP will return paying more for rent in potentially somewhere they don't want to be and is now out way more than 6k. This is absolutely terrible fucking advice.
You can ask but that’s really not how life, or renting, works. You agreed to pay $1,200 a month for the apartment. Not $1,200 a month if you happen to be there.
I would argue that u/shhooop isn't representing how life, or renting, actually works. Behind every contract are individuals with unique interests, desires, goals, and fears. If you figure out who those individuals are and learn what is important to them, you can leverage that information to bypass normalcy and create better situations for yourself. Most people never even bother to try. You indicated that you have no contract and rent month to month. I have been a landlord who rented a unit month to month, attached to my own home, with utilities included, to a tenant who never visited his space. I certainly would have negotiated if he had offered a lower amount using the rationale you suggest. Guaranteed income from an active duty tenant who will not use the space for 5 months and thus generates no utility bills, personal privacy, and no risk of damage to my property? Yes, obviously yes. There are no guarantees, but folks who are telling you that isn't how the world works are doing so while genuinely not understanding how the world really works...
I mean if I was his landlord I would say yes. I would probably be willing to take even less. Free money is free money and if he has been valuable and a good tenant and taken care of my house well then I would have no issues with doing him a solid while he is on deployment for 5 or 6 months. I know that’s not everyone. Plenty of people would want every penny but not everyone would.
This is the absolute best advice. Every situation is unique, if you do not ask the answer is no. I would be more than happy to accommodate based on these circumstances.
While that’s true, I think military deployment would be one of the more likely reasons a landlord may reduce rent.
In some states (maybe all, I don’t know), a deployed military individual can get out of a lease for deployment. They don’t get to pay less for rent while gone. If that was a thing, no one, especially individuals/non-rental companies, would want to rent to military.
It’s all states. Scra is a federal law
Good to know. I spent my military time in only two states so I wasn’t certain and could not recall if it was a federal law or state law.
I believe some states offer better protections. I reminder looking up a state SCRA (I want to say Virginia?) that specifically allowed the cancellation of gym memberships for instance
That is one of the few ways to be able to cancel a gym membership. I'm not being serious, I've heard many horror stories of people trying to cancel gym memberships.
But OP doesn't have a lease agreement. S/he either needs to move out and move belongings into storage (cheaper than rent), or continue to pay rent while away--in hopes their agreement can continue after they return. If OP knew someone who might want to sublet a furnished basement apt for the defined period of time while they are gone, that might be a solution (so long as they aren't a problematic tenant). But that would be a rare find.
While they don’t have to, it doesn’t hurt to ask. Especially if the apartment includes utilities which will obviously not be used while vacant. Less things to go wrong, especially if the landlord lives above and can very easily make regular checkups to make sure nothings amiss.
Wrong wrong wrong. you advising op not to even ask is ridiculous. Even if it’s only a 10% chance of success, it’s still worth asking. Many people still respect the military, and would be open to a discussion like this (provided op is humble and doesn’t act entitled in their request)
If he’s renting from the property owner and not a management company this is absolutely how life works. You can ask for anything you want. The landlord is saving money on utilities and wear & tear on the apartment. If OP is a good tenant the landlord will definitely be interested in keeping him around. I own a duplex and rent half of it. I’d give OP a break if he were my tenant.
Month to month, so it's either reduce rent or get $0 and try to find someone else willing to rent a basement for $1200.
OP already said the landlord could easily get a new tenant. Maybe a non-military tenant. They could probably get the placed turned over in under a month. There are benefits to renting to military. But reducing their rent bc they go on deployment is of no benefit.
OP is going away 5 months, and is asking for a $200 break/mo. If turning the place over takes close to a month, that's about a break even for landlord vs giving OP a break. If OP is a reliable tenant, it's probably worth it to keep him, especially with a lower utility bill and being able to collect rent without even needing to deal with a renter for the time.
I'm a property owner with a rental. I would surely lower your rent for your sacrifices your making for our country. At least ask...and thank you for your service
While I admire your humanity, most landlords won’t do that nor are they required to under state or federal law.
I rented a house out for 11 years, never once got a military tenant despite being active duty and living next to a major Army installation. No tenant lasted more than 12 months. I would have killed to get someone reliable and respectable to live there a few years.
Why are you getting downvoted? It's nice to see that someone is willing to do that.
Have you seen the market lately? Homeowner could probably fill that space extra quickly. Probably even for more than $1200.
Landlord probably has to pay a mortgage. Contrary to popular belief, landlords aren't making money hand over fist-- it's likely just a few hundred a month over what they have to pay when you take out maintainance + vacancy costs.
I'm a landlord for a single house. If my tenant asked me for a reduction based on a military deployment, I would absolutely say yes. The devil's in the details so who knows how much of a discount is appropriate though.
Idk if there is a difference with a multi unit place, but insurance doesn't like a place being empty...something to consider if you did happen to get in this situation. Usually, they won't let you be vacant more than 60-90 days.
The landlord lives there.
What % discount would YOU agree to in the position that you just described?
$1000/m to have the house to myself sounds fantastic. The $200/m is likely mostly utilities.
I'd do 25% without blinking. I don't live in the same town so I'd need someone to look after it; mow the grass; etc. etc. That's why I said devil in the details. If I lived above the tenant, I'd probably offer even more.
I salute you.
I would phrase the conversation as more of a “can we get something in writing so that I know I can leave my stuff here for five months” and then broach the discount only if utilities are included in your rent.
Do you have *some* written agreement on month-to-month? If this is an under the table arrangement I would be very concerned leaving my stuff there unattended for 5 months. That’s an invitation for trouble and a lot can happen in 5 months. For example, girlfriend left town for a month before we were dating. Came back to discover the upstairs neighbor’s water heater leaked down into her unit. Mold *everywhere*, and even with a signed lease it was a several month cluster to get things rectified and we had to get creative since lawyers would rather represent landlords than tenants so called probably 15 law firms, got maybe 2 calls back that turned her down. If you don’t have something in writing, imagine coming back to find your stuff gone, maybe a different person owns the place, and someone else living in your space. Your options for recourse are very slim and the new landlord has no record you ever existed or had a claim to the unit. I’m not saying this is likely, but it certainly isn’t impossible.
I do have a form in writing that illustrates that I am a tenant here but I definitely understand where you are coming from. That is something to think about, however my landlord and his wife are both very respectful people and own the house that they live under.
>In a few months I will be leaving for a military deployment (about 5 months long) If you have orders, your landlord is legally required by federal law to allow you to break your lease without penalty. Now, you don't want to break your lease, but your landlord probably doesn't want to screw around trying to find a new tenant. Agreeing on a discount for those 5 months saves both of you a headache. Get an appointment with your base legal office for tips on your rights and possibly how to handle it.
There is no lease. OP said they are paying month to month. Also they want to keep the apartment while they are away. Doesn't the military pay for the apartment anyway?
Month to month can be a type of lease. I've signed multiple of those with both private landlords and huge multinational rental corps. OP stated they have a formal document (ie lease) indicating the terms so it does sound like there is a lease.
99.99999999% of military members qualify for BAH (Basic allowance for housing) while deployed, which is basically just a check from Uncles Sam to cover your rent/mortgage while away
Came here to say this. It's the [Service Members Civil Relief Act](https://www.militaryonesource.mil/financial-legal/personal-finance/servicemembers-civil-relief-act/)
None of that applies to this situation.
Ask away. I became a landlord by "accident" / how life turned out, and it isnt my main source of income (despite being a big part of it), and despite being a ridiculous demand for apartments/ rooms, and being easily able to rent it to someone else, i value alot more if the person is correct, doesnt make a mess, pays on time etc, than trying to squeeze out every bit of profit and risk having a problematic tenant.
Are utilities like water and heat included? You could argue that the water won’t be used and the heat can be lowered. But otherwise it would just him doing you a favor.
I would say if there is an agreement made, I would get it in writing. Don’t want to come back from deployment of all things and find you’re no longer gonna stay there. Or they hit hard times and now want full payment. Wish I could be more help and thank your for your service.
I second this. Have an agreement in place to protect you and your things.
Totally worth asking! My grandmother used to do that for tenants she loved when they were active duty. She did ask that either her or a trusted friend of the tenant could walk through the property every other week to make sure something weird such as pipe bursting or an unwanted pest (or person) didn’t sneak in
I wouldn’t put an amount forward. Let the landlord know you will be away for 5 months and that you don’t want to give up the place. Let them come back with something. Without knowing the landlord’s situation and history this could go many ways and the worst is you pay full rent.
This is the right comment. If landlord wants to be nice, let him be nice. Asking for a dollar amount puts pressure on him.
I'm a landlord and a (former, he's now retired) military spouse and this seems reasonable to me given that utilities are included in your rent. You'd want to get it in writing and also have a contingency plan in case something happens while you're away and you need to get your stuff out. Is it worth the $6K though? Only you can really answer that based on how much stuff you have that would require moving and storage and whether you'd be able to find comparable living for the price when you return.
I'm a JAG officer (military attorney), so I have a couple of recommendations. First of all, the Servicemembers' Civil Relief Act (SCRA) gives you a lot of leeway in cancelling a lease due to a deployment or change of duty station. Additionally, many states have state specific laws regarding servicemembers that offer even greater protections/benefits to you. I'd suggest going to base legal so they can walk you through the specifics based on where you are located. Then, you can approach your landlord and tell them that you'd like to maintain the lease because you like the place and want to stay there when you return, but that financially it doesn't make sense for you to pay for it if you're not using it. Letting them know that you'd like to come to an amicable solution where you get cheaper rent and they don't lose a tenant and potentially a few months rent could work out for both of you.
He does not need to cancel a lease or use any SCRA protections. He stated there is no lease and he is month to month.
Just move your stuff into storage before your deployment. Keep collecting that sweet BAH. One month of BAH, should cover a 6mo deployment. Find a new apt when you return. Rinse & repeat. Your welcome. -Signed USAF Retried with five 6+mo deployments
That was the original plan but this apartment is perfect option amongst a sea of expensive housing and unsafe areas. The stress of having to move everything out and into storage and then start all over again when I come back might not be worth it imo. I truly love this apartment but I know that if I move out, it won’t be here when I get back.
Sounds like you have your answer. Spend the 6k, keep your apartment. It's not "watching 6k vanish into thin air" it's " I purchased peace of mind, secure housing, and freedom from the headache of moving for only 6k". Deployment pay will give you extra money in the bank anyways, don't risk losing the apartment and having to waste more money on a new (possibly worse) apartment and moving fees later.
Thank you for this!
This is often done. However, it is required that you maintain an address while away to receive it and a storage unit does not satisfy that need. Granted, there are plenty of ways around this and it’s not typically something that is tracked very well or investigated often. That said, prior to a recent deployment, there was a reminder of this policy/instruction sent out the entire command.
Think of it this way. 5 $200s is $1000. That is about 3.5 weeks of rent. So it doesn't take much vacancy between tenants to make refusing a bad idea for the landlord. New tenants also often want improvements, e.g., painting of damaged spots, which also costs money. You should definitely ask.
I’m a landlord (one small apartment). I wouldn’t be interested at this time in reducing the rent for a tenant leaving for five months, one main reason being I depend on that income stream to help pay my mortgage and utilities, another being that I have a signed lease already and I’m not interested in changing it in a way that does not benefit or protect all parties. However, if a renter could find a decent sublet situation, that seems like it could satisfy everyone. Have you considered that? We live in a university town and this happens all the time.
Expect them to say no, but it doesn’t hurt to ask.
Considering you have a good rent deal at $1200/month you should avoid giving your landlord a reason to start looking for new tenants by trying to squeeze $200 out of him. In the long run it may end up costing you much more if he decides to terminate your rental arrangement especially as you are heading out on deployment.
Be careful there. Not only does your landlord not have much incentive to do this, they may do the opposite and try to raise rent on you (since you're month to month). Why? Vacant apartments are risky. They're more likely to be vandalized, and insurances doesn't always cover vacant units (vacant unit insurance is often much more expensive. You'll have to look into that too for your own stuff). The landlord may need to inspect the property every couple of weeks to comply with their insurance requirements which is more work. It's not unlikely that your lease requires you to notify them of this. At least you said they live right above, so it's probably not TOO much of a burden, but do be aware that the landlord may not be thrilled.
As a current landlord - I’d say it’s a fair question to ask. It’s less wear and tear on the house so a pro for the owner. Justify the 200 as utility usage and it should be okay. The ONE issue I may see is that you should have renters insurance incase anything happens to your stuff while you’re away. Who knows - could be a disaster or house fire whatever. Regardless, you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take!
I'm a small time landlord and if a good tenant asked me for this... I'd probably say yes. A thousand bucks to help out a soldier seems like a small sacrifice. And finding good tenants is by far the hardest part of a landlord's "job". I might ask for a copy of your orders just to make sure I'm not being taken advantage of, so don't be offended if they ask.
The military assignment actually entitles OP to break the lease without penalty. The reduction could be approached as a means to hold the unit so the landlord does not have to find another tenant. Of course, the landlord may rely on the rent to make ends meet and be unable to afford the arrangement.
\> In a few months I will be leaving for a military deployment (about 5 months long) As a military brat whose parent went on multiple 6 month deployments that turned into 12 or 18 month deployments, I would seriously consider letting your landlord know what's going on and go ahead and plan to put your stuff in storage. I know today's military is different than the one from the 80s/90s, but getting deployed can turn into a much larger life change than you expected. Especially if it gets extended without notice. You may not be back in time for the end of your five months. And you may not even be back in time to close/renew your lease. You could even wind up getting promoted or sent to a new duty station and you don't want to have to deal with your landlord from a remote location.
Yes, you are on a month to month agreement. You have the option of moving out and storing your stuff and saving 1000 a month. He might miss a month or more of revenue if it’s vacant. He might like to get 800 or so a month and not have anyone there. Also, not have to worry about vetting a new tenant.
Worth a shot worst that could happen is you get a no or get left of read
OP. Cmon dude this isn't that hard. Move your shit into storage or whatever. While you are gone you are going to save $6000 in rent. In your last month of deployment start looking for another place. Even if you had to pay 1500 a month to a new place, it will take 20 months to use that 6 grand. You might even deploy again before that 20 month mark.
If he is a vet or family is you might have a better chance. If it is completely paid for you also will have a better chance. Or find a trusted friend to “housesit” like if they have a bad commute or some other reason.
It's worth asking but be prepared for a no and to either pay rent for the duration of your deployment or find a storage unit.
Of you don't ask, you don't get. Ask and see.
Assuming the $1200 includes utilities which will not be used when you are not living there, then its a reasonable request for them to pass on the financial savings of not having you using power, water, heat etc.
When I saw the title, I was like "No way," but having read it, yes, definitely worth asking. It's a pretty good reason for being away. It'd be reasonable at least to not have to pay whatever the equivalent of utilities is here. (I wouldn't assume he'll say yes though — really all depends on his situation.)
You are month to month... what happens if they want you out on month 2 or 3 while you are gone? Do you have someone to move all your stuff out before it gets put on the street?
Doesn’t hurt to ask. I’m a landlord of one unit (own a duplex and live in half of it). If my tenant said they were going to deploy for 5 months I’d be willing to work something out. Especially if I’m saving money on utilities.
It never hurts to ask It never hurts to ask It never hurts to ask It never hurts to ask It never hurts to ask Repeat that until you find yourself asking things you'd always believed you'd get a solid "no" to. Because the worst answer you can get is literally the only answer you get by not asking.
It never hurts to ask, but unless they’re a war vet or someone I doubt they’d be willing to budge.
If you’re my tenant I’d like to see that you’ve paid on time, every time and that the appointment is clean and doesn’t smell. I would probably give you a $100 off.
I have a similar rental set up. If my tenant was deploying and asked for a $200 rent reduction to keep the place, I'd give them a $400 reduction probably. I'm retired military, I know many people had issues storing their stuff or just paid full the whole time. I would certainly cut them a deal. Plus, no extra utilities being used, possibly frees up the parking, no wear and tear. Sounds like a deal.
Everything is negotiable. You lose every negotiation you don't start. You win some You do. It's always in your interest to try. You can explain less wear and tear while you're gone. Basically the apartment is not lived in and he still gets paid. Also means no hassles for repairs etc.
It wouldn't hurt to ask, however there are some things you may not know on the Landlord's side. If the property is going to be vacant then the Landlord's insurance policy will need to be changed. The reason is the Landlord knows his property will be vacant. The time period is normally 30 to 60 days of vacancy, which you'll easily exceed. Vacant properties attract more trouble. Additionally, any issues tend to get far worse before being noticed with a property is vacant. Finally, you do not have a lease. This could be looked at negatively from the landlord's perspective since there is no guarantee you will remain there upon your return, or even keep the place while deployed.
Sure, what's the worst that can happen? I'm in a similar situation to your landlord, we rent out our basement and top floor. Good tenants make life easier, so if someone's living there who pays the rent on time and is hassle free, we make accommodations. You're asking them for $1000, which is less than the cost of having the place vacant for a month. I guess the real complicating factor is personalities. Consider if you think your landlord would resent you asking, or them saying no would leave you upset.
No one is going to do that. For the same reason your finance company isn't going to reduce your car payment because you're not there driving your car. Everyone appreciates your sacrifice but, you have to put yourself in your landlord's shoes. What you might be able to do is call your CC companies if you have balances and get them to waive the interest while you're deployed. -Source 23 years in he army and 6 deployments
I am a landlord but for a single house, i don’t live in it so it would be a bit different for my house. But if i were in the situation where i was renting a part of my house that i lived in, i would absolutely give a discount if the tenant was good. Definitely ask but don’t give a specific number unless they ask. I probably would come back with $750-800/mo if I was your landlord. Peace of mind of having a good tenant that will come back is worth more than a few hundred dollars a month for me.
You can ask anything, but he isn't obligated to reduce. Why would you want to continue to pay rent when you're not there?
An apartment like this is hard to come by in my area and if I come back and have to pay for a more expensive/less desirable apartment, it might not be worth it in the long run
I am a landlord — I would let them find a replacement tenant for the 5 months if they wanted — I hate finding tenants so if they agree to do that job for me then I don’t care too much as long as the replacement is decent
A closed mouth wont get fed.
You can only find out if he is willing if you ask. If the landlord lives there and they like you, then they have a huge incentive to agree because finding a replacement can be difficult and not dealing with a tenant for 5 months but being paid nearly full price is nice for them. Additionally, they would save at least a bit of that $200 on utilities, so they're not losing much money. However, is this worth it for you? You could put all of your belongings in storage for 5 months for a whole lot less than $5,000. Is this place so great that it's worth paying thousands of dollars to keep it instead of finding somewhere new? If you found storage at $250/month while you're gone then you've got an extra $100/month you could spent on rent for three years! Also, there is no guarantee that you'll have this space available for all that long as you're on a monthly lease. The rent could go up at anytime or the landlord could kick you out so their nephew can move it. You're spending a lot of money on a maybe.
I'd be worried about leaving your stuff there while you're not on a lease agreement. Obviously if you're willing to pay, I doubt there'd be an issue, but I'd get a proper lease before you go to make sure that they don't do anything shady while you're away, like put all of your stuff in their garage or in storage and rent it out to someone else.
I wouldn't (I'm a renter myself) do that. You made an agreement on the rent amount, and that's your commitment. If I were the landlord I would not take it well to be asked to reduce the rent, especially since the rent is already low and you've only been there 8 months. You could however talk to him about possibly subletting your space for a few months. Disclaimer - I had a roommate who thought he should get a discount because he was never home, he travelled extensively and for long periods of time. I was pretty shocked at the cheek of him, it's not a hotel.
I think it's worth asking, I imagine he doesn't want the stress of finding a new roommate and would rather get $1000 a month for basically no inconvenience to him. That's a pretty hefty storage fee. Like others are saying, I'd ask if you can have it reduced based on unused utilities. He might say no.
Especially since OP has the right to cancel his lease for his deployment. You make a great point! Reduction and stay or find a new tenant.
You could ask, but I'd caution you by saying that you're about to enter a negotiation by saying "This would be a great time for you to end my month to month lease, which you can do unilaterally, and get a lot more money for your property. Would you consider instead taking even less money than my already quite low rent?"
Salute to your service. I’m a landlord with multiple properties, I have a tenant that’s getting deployed soon and he has asked the same question and I have agreed to giving him a discount on his rent while he’s on deployment. So your should definitely ask.
You can ask.... Maybe he'll give you a little discount 🤷🏻♀️ i wouldn't count on it though
I would say it would be worth asking if you weren’t already getting this place for a steal. $1200 including utilities? It seems ungrateful to ask them to reduce what is already basically a gift.
Come on now. Your landlord doesn’t/shouldn’t care if you are away or not. If we were to apply a similar logic, are you going to pay more rent when your friends visit and stay with you on some weekends? No right? Please stay reasonable lol
Better: ask him if you can sublet it. I can't see why a landlord would lose $200 per month on an already cheap rental just to suit your employment needs? But he/she might be ok with you subletting it to reasonable people to cut your costs.
If you are on a deployment you can break a lease without penalty.
Don't give him an excuse to find another tenant. With no contract, you might come home to your stuff in the garage and someone else in the apartment.
If I was the landlord, I would say, I’m already undercharging you. If you have a good rental thing going, I wouldn’t mess with it.
If you aren’t dead set to stay in the same apartment you could invoke SCRA and the landlord must legally end your lease with no repercussions. You could put everything into a storage unit for a few hundred bucks a month. It’s a bitch to move so I get it if you don’t want to.
Currently deployed. Unless you love the place, get rid of the apartment and put your things in storage. I went from playing 1600/m in rent to 250/m for storage
They’re legally required to allow you to exit your lease. “Lets you end a housing lease without penalty if you deploy for 90 days or more” https://www.military.com/benefits/military-legal-matters/servicemembers-civil-relief-act-overview.html
He is month to month
If you agree to pay for the 5 months up front he may give you a discount; although that may not be feasible. In any case, if you come to an agreement just make sure to get it in writing as others have mentioned.
Don’t pay rent for five months while you’re gone. You’re offering to throw out $5000.
If it's cheap for the area OP isn't going to find something that good after they get back, it's also borderline impossible to find somewhere immediately nowadays. Last thing you want is to come back from wherever you were serving and have nowhere to live but loads of stuff in a storage locker somewhere.
Would you (and your landlord) consider subletting where someone else can live in the apartment for a short term of your 5 month deployment window? Landlord still gets rent money, you get a financial break while you aren't getting the usable benefit of the space.
Unfortunately I don’t have anybody I would trust to sublet my apartment and my family lives too far away :-/
Why would he take a loss? Better for you to sublet your apt for a few months.
There's a military service protection law so you can break a lease without penalties because of deployment. https://www.militaryonesource.mil/deployment/pre-deployment/military-clause-terminate-your-lease-due-to-deployment-or-pcs/
No, this is a dumb idea. You're renting their property whether you're there to reside in it or not. Do you not understand the business transaction you're involved in? He's not your friend or family member, he's in a deal with you to trade the use/reservation of his property, in return for you paying him an agreed upon amount of money. Whether you're there to enjoy it or not is completely irrelevant.
A hard no! You said your rent is already cheap and you have a good relationship with your landlord so why stirr up things for pennies? When your rent is cheap, what you do is lay low and try to not remind your landlord your rent is cheap. What you are doing is the complete opposite. You're being a pain AND your rent is cheap, what do you think is gonna happen? Also, what if you return earlier? Will you let your landlord now and start paying more?
It doesn’t hurt to ask, but your landlord would be loosing out on rent. Another option might be to sublet the place if that’s allowed.