I received an email from my letting agency on Friday asking if I would like to renew my rental agreement for another year. I'm happy to do this and having looked around this place is still the best deal for me. My flat is a real gem and I was lucky to stumble across it.

Now, correct me if I'm overthinking this, but there's something on my mind following this sentence:
>If you would like to renew, please confirm to us in writing and we will discuss with your Landlord the terms under which they would also be happy to have you extend.

I'd like to continue paying what I am now because I'm a civil servant and our wages don't exactly follow inflation. The problem is that the flat on the ground-floor is currently advertised at a roughly 7% higher rent than what I'm paying and therefore getting close to my unaffordable mark.

How much groveling should I do in my response to try and get the landlord to agree to another year on the same rent? I've never lived in a place for longer than a year before so forgive the stupid question. I'm a good boy who always pays his rent on time and is never a bother to anyone so it could be justified on top of cutting out the faff.