Residents of Meridian Apartments expecting a discount for renewing their leases were surprised when they learned that a larger discount was being offered to new tenants.

In December, some tenants of the 636 E. College Ave. buildings renewed their leases for the coming year after being offered a $20-per-month discount on the lease of a four-person apartment.

About one month later, after winter break, some returning residents learned the discounted price of $325 per month per person was lowered further to $299 for new applicants. Residents who had already renewed for the next year are not eligible for the lower price.

Meridian realtors declined comment.

Some residents said they approached realtors about the price change but said they would not let them change their leases.

"We have confronted them, and so have our parents," resident Jen Domaradzki (junior-industrial engineering) said. "We asked if we could re-sign at that (price), and they said 'no.' "

Domaradzki said the only way the residents who signed at the earlier price would be able to receive the discounted rent would be to find someone to take over their leases, pay one half month's rents and re-sign new leases.

Because the leases are individual, if an apartment of renewing tenants signed a new roommate, the new roommate would pay $299 per month, while the renewing tenants would still be paying $325, she said.

Real estate attorney Reed McCormick said realtors' practices are legal and fair.

The decision to lower the rent is no different than a department store lowering the price of a shirt, McCormick said. In that situation, consumers are not usually able to return to the store and negotiate the lowered price of the item.

"It is similar to a sale," he said. "They were having a sale on apartments."

McCormick said that due to the type of leases the tenants sign, there is no possibility of negotiation. As a result, the realtors are able to change the price of a lease.

In McCormick's eyes, this is less of a case of bad business and more of a case of a business in trouble.

"This is a case where the building was not being filled up, so they had to sweeten the pie," he said. "Obviously, if they were getting all of the business they would not reduce the price."

Some tenants upset over the new pricing printed up fliers informing other residents of the realtors' decision.

The fliers, which told tenants that they have been "tricked," told residents to check the Web site and ask the office about the prices.

Despite the tenants' protests, the rates remain.

"Everything they did was legal," Domaradzki said. "But pretty much, it was a bad business practice."