Tenant hardships, asking for rent reduction. Thoughts???

Providence, Rhode Island
General Landlording & Rental Properties
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Tenant hardships, asking for rent reduction. Thoughts???

Cassandra Estrella
Member since 2025 · 2 posts · 2 votes

Hi just want to get people's thoughts on this matter. I am currently house hacking a duplex, as well as mid term renting my side when not in use. I bought the house with the understanding that it is a business and have been treating it as such. My first tenants have been renting from me since I bought the house 3 years ago. They are A+ tenants, always pay on time, quiet, respectful, take care of the place, even shovel the snow in the winter here and there. I was just informed of a soon to be situation that will make it hard for one of them to make payments on her own and she asked for a rent reduction if possible. She was telling me that her ex husband that recently passed left her an apartment with lower rent and utilities included. She would like to stay here renting from me, however she doesn't know if she could pay full rent on her own once one of her kids leave in the summer. She's asking for a $300 reduction. I know it is a business, but I am debating just because I travel a lot for work, they look after the house and they are great tenants I don't want to lose. Anyone lower rent before for good tenants? Would love any and all advice or thoughts on the matter?

Thank YOU!

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Janice Carter
Real Estate Broker · Atlanta · Member since 2024 · 1k+ posts · 606 votes
8mo

Cassandra, consider evaluating a few key factors first: what does your current rental market look like and if she were to move out, how long would it realistically take to secure a new tenant? Would you be able to get the same rent or potentially more with a replacement tenant? Also, assess how a $300 reduction would impact your numbers. Would you still maintain a positive cash flow or would it push the property into the negative?

One option is to offer a temporary rent reduction rather than a permanent $300 decrease. This can provide short-term support to a strong tenant while still protecting your asset and your long-term performance. That said, as you noted, this is a business and you need to treat it as such. If a temporary rent reduction will not help her, there are other qualified tenants in the market and it may be necessary to let her move on.

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  • Theresa HarrisPro Member
    Member since 2019 · 15k+ posts · 11k+ votes
    8mo

    I'm confused....if her ex-husband passed-how does that affect her income and ability to pay?  Guessing related to child support.  

    If he left her an apartment that he owned-then she can sell it and use that money to cover rent.  If he was renting, that lease doesn't transfer.

    Is it $300 for a $3000 rent or $300 on $1000-big difference. If the former, I might consider it for the short term, but if it is the latter...nope.

    3Reply
  • Jules Aton
    MD/DC · Member since 2024 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    8mo

    I would consider some flexibility in order to keep good long term tenants but this story sounds a little fishy. Her ex left her an apartment that is cheaper? I'm not sure what that even means. Did he give her an apartment that she will be renting to someone else? Does he have a lease that is set to run out and she can take over? IDK all weirdness aside if the $300 reduction keeps her rent within a couple hundred dollars of what you could comfortably get from someone else who is an unknown I'd probably do it.  

    1Reply
  • Janice Carter
    Real Estate Broker · Atlanta · Member since 2024 · 1k+ posts · 606 votes
    8mo

    Cassandra, consider evaluating a few key factors first: what does your current rental market look like and if she were to move out, how long would it realistically take to secure a new tenant? Would you be able to get the same rent or potentially more with a replacement tenant? Also, assess how a $300 reduction would impact your numbers. Would you still maintain a positive cash flow or would it push the property into the negative?

    One option is to offer a temporary rent reduction rather than a permanent $300 decrease. This can provide short-term support to a strong tenant while still protecting your asset and your long-term performance. That said, as you noted, this is a business and you need to treat it as such. If a temporary rent reduction will not help her, there are other qualified tenants in the market and it may be necessary to let her move on.

    8Reply
  • Cassandra Estrella
    OP
    Member since 2025 · 2 posts · 2 votes
    8mo

    To give more context, the apartment left to her is an existing rental agreement that is 1250 a month. Her ex husband never helped with bills, its just a cheaper place. I’m charging her 1600 for what she is saying is a similar place. Apart from that, her current daughters living with her help with rent now and will be moving out in June, leaving her to carry the rent by herself. I can confirm that both situations are true and just happen to be presented at the same time. It would not technically put me in the negative, but the house wasn’t cash flowing a whole lot to begin with.

    1Reply
  • Theresa HarrisPro Member
    Member since 2019 · 15k+ posts · 11k+ votes
    8mo

    Decision is yours, but how long are you going to have to support her?  If her daughter is moving in a few months, she's going to have to figure out how to pay rent either at your place or the other place on her own.

    3Reply
  • Tre DeBragaPro Member
    Real Estate Agent · Worcester, MA · Member since 2022 · 107 posts · 48 votes
    8mo

    I do think great tenants are valuable but $300 on $1600 rent is kind of a lot. I agree with Janice, how long would it take to secure someone new and at what rents? A temporary rent reduction is a great idea. Makes it so that you dont seem like an A hole and you are trying to help her out but also makes it for you if she cant deliver by a certain time than you know maybe its time to move on. 

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  • Henry T.
    Member since 2022 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    8mo

    No. You found a good tenant once, you can do it again. Keep your criteria high.  Tell the tenant you appreciate the offer and hope she can stay but the numbers do not work for you.  You might consider yes only if you're overpriced in your market.

    3Reply
  • Bill B.
    Investor · Las Vegas, NV · Member since 2013 · 8k+ posts · 10k+ votes
    8mo

    Hire a property manager tomorrow. You will get higher net rent even if they can’t raise rent. They obviously don’t value your relationship as much as $300/mo, why do you? Let’s PRETEND you’re able to get her yo agree to 5% annual rent increases. that’s $3,600 year one, $3,800 year two and $4,000 year 3. And you’re still not back to today’s market rent.  (Your increases are on lowered rent. )Why would she ever move? You’ve literally given her $10k tax free to stay. 

    When you call the PM tomorrow ask how much rent they would charge, how much it would cost you, and how long they think it would take to find a tenant. Assuming they say a number above $1,300 you tell your tenant you understand. Because you’re such a great person they can move out February 1st, or March 1st without paying any penalties…

    Will I be surprised if suddenly they want to stay? No. But if they leave you’ve helped them and yourself. If you want to feel good you can give your new tenants a couple thousand in cash at the end of the year. You’ll still be ahead. 

    1Reply
  • Melanie ThomasBusiness Member
    Real Estate Broker · San Antonio · Member since 2022 · 1k+ posts · 489 votes
    8mo

    I’ll share this from experience. I started out as an investor doing exactly what you’re describing allowing lease deviations, handshake arrangements, and making exceptions for good tenants. Over time, and eventually becoming a professional property manager, I learned why that almost always creates problems down the road.

    You’re already acknowledging the tension here because once you start changing rent based on personal circumstances, you’re no longer treating it strictly as a business. That doesn’t make you a bad person, but it does introduce risk. Reduced rent is very hard to unwind later, it can set expectations, and it can also create consistency and fair housing concerns if you ever have to justify why one tenant received concessions and another did not.

    There’s also a practical side. A $300 reduction is not temporary relief, it’s a structural change to your income. If she later leaves anyway, you’ve absorbed months of lost rent and still face turnover. Good tenants leaving is part of owning rentals, and sometimes the right tenant for the property changes as life changes.

    If you truly don’t have the heart to hold firm on business decisions or you travel often and don’t want to be emotionally involved in these calls, I would strongly encourage bringing in a professional property manager. One of the biggest values we provide is being the neutral third party. It protects the relationship, keeps decisions consistent, and removes emotion from the equation.

    Being kind doesn’t have to mean lowering rent. You could offer time to decide, flexible move out timing, or simply let the lease run its course while planning ahead. But long term, clear policies and consistency are what protect both you and your tenants. Good luck & happy investing!

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  • Jade Miali EverettBusiness Member
    Real Estate Consultant · Sebastopol, CA · Member since 2017 · 41 posts · 17 votes
    8mo

    Hi Cassandra, this is a tough situation and is the reality of what happens when long term relationships collide. Ultimately, lower turn over is going to save you so much more between vacancy costs, make ready costs, leasing time, leasing fee if you're paying a pm, and the risks of unknown tenants.

    With that being said, I would consider:

    - What does a $300 monthly rent reduction look like against your cash flow?

    - Would you realistically lose more than that if the unit turned over?

    - Are you comfortable covering reserves, maintenance and long term projects at the lower rent? 

    If the numbers work, maybe consider structuring a short term adjustment, say for 6-12 months with a step down and scheduled review or a slightly smaller reduction paired with a shorter term lease so that you can re-evaluate once her situation stabilizes? Is there anything at the property that she can be doing to help reduce other vendor costs perhaps?

    Don't forget to document everything in case you need to bring the rents back up to market. Have clear documentation to avoid disagreements and uncomfortable conversations later on.

    From a risk-management perspective I'd evaluate her future income stability and see if it's reasonable to continue renting to her.

    Honestly, I think you're being very thoughtful but protecting yourself and helping the residents who live at your properties do not have to be mutually exclusive ideas.

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    1Reply
  • Marcus Auerbach
    Investor · Milwaukee - Mequon, WI · Member since 2010 · 5k+ posts · 7k+ votes
    8mo

    Sorry, but no way! It is NOT your responsibility to consider people's life circumstances. She would not ask at the grocery store to pay less, because..

    It's a tough conversation, and it's even harder when you are newer to the biz. If you do this long enough you get burnt by tenants so many times along the way, that you will feel better about "strictly business". And don't get me wrong, I am a bleeding heart personally and have to burry that side deep, what I always do is show empathy, collaborate on a solution, show some flexibility - when reasonable. 

    Let me be sarcastic: you could try talk to the bank and see if they give you a break.. With that in mind, sorry, rent is never negotiable, just like what you pay at the grocery store or the gas station. That's where you have to draw the line.

    3Reply
  • David M.
    Member since 2022 · 66 posts · 68 votes
    8mo
    "if you give a mouse a cookie, next they'll be asking for a glass of milk".  It sounds like they can no longer afford the apartment.  It's ok.  Not everyone can afford a $1600/mo. apartment and that's the reality of things.

    Let them know you appreciate them as a tenant and hold firm to your rent.  They will either keep paying and remain a tenant in good standing or they will fall behind and you will be forced to evict.  It's a business, not a charity.  There are usually plenty of potential tenants who will pay the required rent on time.
    0Reply
  • Mark Cruse
    Investor · Fort Washington, MD · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    8mo

    Once you get further into this business, you will understand that nearly everybody, or many people will always have a story of why they can't pay you. It's not good to get into all the personal stuff going on with them in general. Several will have people saying they can't pay for one reason or not, but I had class D which takes it to the next level. It's always someone's son who got shot, or lost their job, or cousin stole the rent or I was car jacked. It will never stop. Every blue moon, and in very few instances I will take some things into consideration. Like in this situation, it would be a very long-term tenant that I do know something about in terms of character. Yea, life happens. I try not to get involved with their personal stuff, but if you have a long term tenant it can't be helped to some degree. Just make the best decision you can here but remember what I've said. On and on, so many of them will give you a reason why they can't pay. It will be less in class B and A, but it still happens. 

    2Reply
  • Kiernan LaFaver
    Real Estate Agent · Central New York · Member since 2023 · 207 posts · 96 votes
    8mo

    Reducing rent can be a slippery slope. $300 on $1600 rent is almost a 20% cut. If cash flow was tight to begin with, surely this almost kills it. There's pros and cons to reducing the rent. Pros: keep the tenant, hopefully maintain good graces and minimalize tension, tenant sort of looks after property. Cons: kills YOUR cash flow, gives the expectation that you bend on your lease agreement, will be extremely difficult to get back to market rent with current tenant.

    If anything, a pre determined, short term reduced rent is the only way I could see everybody being happy with both sides relatively winning. But $300 does seem very steep. As others have mentioned, if you found this good tenant, its repeatable and you can do it again. Obviously, assess the rental market and if you can carry a vacant unit for as long as it takes to find a new tenant.  This fundamentally changes your entire investing outlook for this property. I understand that this may come across as heartless, but there does need to be a business aspect to it and boundaries need to be set. 

    0Reply
  • Mohammed Rahman
    Real Estate Broker · New York, NY · Member since 2020 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    8mo

    Hi Cassandra,

    You’re right - your rental is a business, but retaining great tenants has real value: less turnover, fewer vacancies, and peace of mind knowing your property is cared for. Options include a temporary, written rent reduction, a smaller compromise below the full $300, or keeping rent as-is with a transition timeline for moving out. 

    Weigh the cost of the concession against potential vacancy, turnover, and leasing expenses. Often a small discount is cheaper than replacing a good tenant. Whatever you decide, put it in writing, keep it time-limited, and apply policies consistently to avoid future issues.

    Whatever you do, keep it in writing, apply your policy consistently across tenants going forward to avoid fair‑housing issues, and be clear that the new terms are conditional and time‑limited, not an open‑ended permanent rent cut.

    0Reply
  • Caleb Brown
    Real Estate Agent · Kansas City · Member since 2018 · 4k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    8mo

    $300 reduction on a $1,600 rent is a 18.75% reduction. That seems extensive. Someone mentioned a temporary reduction for 1-2 months. Reducing rent is a slippery slope. If the rent is too expensive for the tenant then I would give her a move out date and follow the local requirements. Have you raised the rent at all since renting to her? $1,600 might be under rented. 

    0Reply
  • Matthew Paul
    Severna Park, MD · Member since 2013 · 7k+ posts · 7k+ votes
    8mo

    Thats a $3600 gift to the tenant over 1 year . Or buying her groceries for the month , or paying for utilities .  

    Do you just give away $3600 ?  If so I will send you my address 

    We have a large snowstorm coming on the east coast , I have a tenant , a single mother  fairly good pay . Now its been cold and she is needing heating oil again . She called and told me she needs oil and her car payment is due and she cant afford both .  I told her if she runs out of oil and it stays below freezing I will have to come over and drain down the water pipes and winterize the house to prevent damage . 

    1Reply
  • Drew SygitBusiness Member
    Property Manager · Royal Oak, MI · Member since 2012 · 12k+ posts · 9k+ votes
    8mo
    Quote from @Cassandra Estrella:

    Hi just want to get people's thoughts on this matter. I am currently house hacking a duplex, as well as mid term renting my side when not in use. I bought the house with the understanding that it is a business and have been treating it as such. My first tenants have been renting from me since I bought the house 3 years ago. They are A+ tenants, always pay on time, quiet, respectful, take care of the place, even shovel the snow in the winter here and there. I was just informed of a soon to be situation that will make it hard for one of them to make payments on her own and she asked for a rent reduction if possible. She was telling me that her ex husband that recently passed left her an apartment with lower rent and utilities included. She would like to stay here renting from me, however she doesn't know if she could pay full rent on her own once one of her kids leave in the summer. She's asking for a $300 reduction. I know it is a business, but I am debating just because I travel a lot for work, they look after the house and they are great tenants I don't want to lose. Anyone lower rent before for good tenants? Would love any and all advice or thoughts on the matter?

    Thank YOU!


     Over 18% reduction is NOT realistic. 

    This tenant is looking for a way out of THEIR problem and figured they would try to pass it on to you.

    Tenant may be in for a rude shock, because that $1250 rental her ex had, may have been below market and the landlord may be raising the rent!
    - If you can find out the address, you may want to scope it out and see how it compares to your unit.

    The real issue here is tenant is losing income and may not be able to afford the rent, yet they want the convenience of staying in their home.

    NOT YOUR PROBLEM!

    You state you're running this like a business, so make a business decision to NOT be a charity.

    [email protected]248-209-6824
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  • David PeschioBusiness Member
    Richmond, VA · Member since 2019 · 358 posts · 181 votes
    8mo

    What @Drew Sygit said exactly.  Take emotion out of the equation.  

    [email protected]804-909-1929
    PMI Richmond4.4299 Reviews
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  • Eric Gerakos
    Investor · Costa Mesa, CA · Member since 2016 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    8mo

    Never.

    0Reply
  • Craig Janet
    Member since 2025 · 5 posts · 8 votes
    8mo

    That's $3600 a year, that would pay for HVAC, plumbing, new paint or any other major repair. When she gets back on her feet, will she chip in to "help you out" when you need a $1500 water heater. 

    If you really feel her story is legit, I would offer to let her out of the lease without penalty and if the home is clean and damage free return her deposit. 

    3Reply
  • Lindsay DavisBusiness Member
    Real Estate Broker · Birmingham, AL · Member since 2019 · 326 posts · 201 votes
    8mo

    @Cassandra Estrella,

    @Janice Carter offers some good advice here. Thinking about (1) how long it’ll take you to re-lease the property and (2) how much the $300 rent reduction is relative to market rents can help you decide whether it’s a good idea from a business perspective.

    Of course, you can also negotiate. Maybe you can consider a $300 reduction for 6 months, or counter with a $200 reduction.

    But there’s an additional dimension to this entirely. You mention that you don’t want to lose these renters, and that they “are A+ tenants, always pay on time, quiet, respectful, take care of the place, even shovel the snow in the winter here and there.”

    That alone is worth a lot. Quality tenants aren’t easy to come by, and there’s no guarantee that you’ll have this smooth of an experience if you re-lease the property to someone else. Besides, you’ll probably need to sink a few thousand dollars into turnover costs if you do decide to place a new tenant, so keep that cost in mind, too.

    All in all, I’d argue that some flexibility is warranted given their track record as stellar tenants.

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  • Bo SmithPro Member
    Hinton, WV · Member since 2026 · 1k+ posts · 373 votes
    7mo

    Tough spot but honestly those A+ tenants are worth their weight in gold. One thing I'd consider - could you meet somewhere in the middle? Maybe $150 reduction instead of $300, or temporary reduction with a review in 6 months? Sometimes good tenants will work with partial concessions rather than lose a place they love. What's your vacancy cost + turnover headache worth compared to that $300?

    0Reply
  • Colleen F.Pro Member
    Investor · Narragansett, RI · Member since 2013 · 8k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    7mo

    @Cassandra Estrella if the apartment was equivalent she would be moving into it.  Honestly if you know you are charging market rent then say I am sorry. Long term tenants are worth a little but that's not a little and you want to increase on an ongoing basis so she is going to eventually move.  I had a couple tenants with similar situations.  One was offered a subsidized place and said no because mine was bigger.  I told her rent wasn't going down.

    0Reply
  • Terra Padgett
    Investor · Houston, TX · Member since 2022 · 126 posts · 122 votes
    7mo

    No. Do not let someone else's problems become your problems. Because you almost certainly will start to have problems if you allow this. $300 rent reduction today will become a ask for free rent later. Then no ask at all and they will just stop paying or caring for the property. Why? Because you're a rich landlord who can afford it. Your A+ tenant will become your F- nightmare. I wouldn't allow this. You can kindly and respectfully allow them to make whatever decision is best for them and you should do the same. 

    2Reply
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