FairgrovesStaff tools
Auto-settle

Three ways to negotiate, one floor

The level decides how quickly auto-settle gives ground. It never decides how far — the floor is 75% of the original charge on every level, and nothing moves it.
Hard · strong evidence

Holds out

First countera quarter of the way
Roundsup to 4
Takes an offerwithin 2% of its figure
Best where the evidence is complete and the tenant has no real argument. More cases go to the scheme — six to eight weeks, and the adjudicator can award less than the floor.
Medium · fair evidence

Meets movement with movement

First counterhalfway
Roundsup to 3
Takes an offerat the floor, within 5%
Gets most of the money most of the time without dragging it out. Right for most landlords.
Low · weak evidence

Settles fast

First counterstraight to the floor
Roundsup to 2
Takes an offeranything at the floor
For a landlord who wants it finished, or a file with gaps in the evidence. Gives away the full 25% early.

What it reads in the tenant's reply

How much they offered
A very low offer with no real reason gets a firmer reply.
Whether they've moved
Come up since last time and it comes further to meet them. Stand still and it gives less.
Their reason
Picked from a short list when they reply, with space to write more — the pick drives the maths, never a guess at their wording. “Too expensive” is negotiated. “It was like that when I moved in” is answered with the check-in inventory. “I reported it and it wasn't fixed” and “Something else” always go to a person, who reads what they wrote.
Our evidence
On weak evidence it concedes more readily, and a disputed condition goes to a person rather than being argued. Hard set by hand plays as Medium — pushing hard on a weak file mostly ends at the scheme.
Rounds left
On the last round it makes a final offer at the floor. If they still say no, it comes to you.

Figures are rounded to the nearest £5 (£1 on charges under £100), never below the floor. Fixed-cost charges don't move on any level. The same reply always gets the same answer, so every counter can be explained to the tenant or an adjudicator. A staff counter with Hold at this figure ticked becomes the new minimum for that charge; otherwise auto-settle may still come down from your counter towards the 75% floor.

Try it

Play the tenant. Put in their offer and reason, and see what auto-settle would send back. This is the same code the live cases use.
Playing Hard (automatic, strong evidence)Floor £750.00Its figure £1,000.00Round 0 of 4
  1. StartCharge sent at £1,000.00Floor £750.00 — 75% of this, fixed now.You