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hypotenoos t1_jammkep wrote

Reply to comment by TransporterOffline in This is like the fourth time this has happened when I inquire about a rental and its a bit exhausting. I'm not moving into a 500 Sq ft apartment on a snap decision just because that's the only way a landlord will honor the prices they're advertising by Sunfish-Studio

They are offering that rate though. I’m not sure you have to advertise when rates will change.

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cthulhu_on_my_lawn t1_jamperz wrote

I mean, if you are taking them at their word maybe. If it's happening this often it's probably not that they're actually raising their rates on March 5 but it's just a high pressure sales tactic and next week they'll be advertising the same "introductory" rate and now it's ending March 12.

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Sunfish-Studio OP t1_jamqxfq wrote

This was my thought exactly. I have been looking at multiple units all over the city and hadn't had a chance to get back to this specific landlord in about a day following a question I'd sent to them, so this email felt like a way to try and light a fire under me.

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TransporterOffline t1_jamo1i2 wrote

I don't think it needs to be a bait-and-switch to warrant a complaint, it just needs to feel or seem like one to the ordinary consumer. Basically if we as a community don't act against that practice, it will become standard practice that any advertised rate is only valid for a small number of days.

Look at it this way. If they already have a large queue of willing consumers at their current prices, why would they need to advertise one price and act like they're doing a prospect a good favor by granting that advertised price? They already have a queue of willing consumers, right? Close enough to bait and switch.

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hypotenoos t1_jamofnb wrote

When you look at some of the big rental operations they have a calendar of rates that varies depending on when in the month the term starts, what month it starts, how far away that date is and how long the term is.

They will advertise the rate for the start of the next month though usually because that is what most people are looking for.

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TransporterOffline t1_jamprov wrote

That would make sense (especially for student places at the beginning of a semester), if and only if it's advertised upfront. Being advertised upfront as introductory or sale price or special is the key point, to me. Obviously all I have to go on is a screen capture of an email reply, but I don't get that vibe from this. As OP states, this is a coordinated strategy, not just one landlord.

Either way, nobody will find me being a landlord apologist in this economy. If they submit a complaint and it's unwarranted, no big deal, live continues. If they submit a complaint and it ends up doing consumers a solid service, excellent work my dude.

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hypotenoos t1_jamr99m wrote

Yeah it sounds like a hard sell. Trying to get people off the fence.

The real switch is probably that rates won’t actually go up at all.

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imouttahereta t1_japa32k wrote

In what world does the law care about how something "feels" to you? All you'd be doing by filing frivolous complaints is waste a few dollars worth of taxpayer money to make yourself feel better for five minutes. If you want to ban this practice then get involved politically.

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