Kim Page, a communications expert in Dubai, gives her tips on how to negotiate a rental decrease.
• Before you have the conversation, try to find out as much as you can about the landlord’s personality and communication style. The more you know about them, the easier your success will be.
• Have a clear idea in mind of what your highest acceptable price is, as this makes it easier for you to navigate the conversation.
• During a phone call, make sure you slow down your speaking and articulate well.
• Remember, it is OK to ask for clarification when something is unclear, as this gives the person you are speaking with a sense of really being listened to, increasing rapport between you.
• To gain time to reflect and create rapport, you can paraphrase and repeat what the landlord has said – no matter if you agree or not – while preparing your response.
• If you sense the landlord is insisting on having the upper hand, it can be a good idea to soften up and move in to a lower status position for a while, to let them have space. This will allow them to relax a bit, and in most cases the dynamic can change back – for you to be the one in high status again.
• If you try this, you need to stay alert. In some cases, people can lean towards bullying behaviour during negotiations, and if you notice that, you need to swap back-up with assertiveness.
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As the rental housing market continues to dip tenants are in a strong position to call the shots but they have to know what the current rates are for their home area.
Read more: Why your rent's too high, and what to do about it
In pictures: Global housing rent comparison: what $40,000 a year gets you in top cities around the world
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newsdesk@thenational.ae