3 Signs that You Can Get a Better Deal on Rent

When searching for a new apartment or renewing your current lease, you should investigate whether you might be able to obtain a better deal on rent. There are many signs that your landlord would be willing to negotiate a deal with you. Remember, it never hurts to ask; the worst that can happen is that you’ll receive a “no.”

1. Your Complex Is Mainly Vacant

If you notice that the majority of parking spaces are empty, or that at night there are very few lights turned on in apartments, it’s pretty likely that the majority of the apartments in your complex are vacant. In this instance, your landlord will probably do anything to keep you living in your current apartment or to get you to sign a lease, giving you immense power to negotiate a new rent amount.

2. It’s Saturday and Nobody Is in the Office

If you can walk into your apartment leasing office on a Saturday afternoon and immediately talk to someone, you most likely can get a better deal on rent. Saturday is the busiest leasing day for apartment complexes, and an office devoid of interested residents indicates that very few new tenants are leasing. Your landlord will want to keep you in your apartment to avoid having a vacant apartment for a long time. Use this to your advantage to negotiate a better deal on rent.

3. You Received a Deal Previously

A landlord that has cut you a deal in rent previously is more likely to do so again. If you received a reduced rental rate when you first moved in or at another period of your tenancy, approach your landlord to see if he might be willing to cut you the same or a better deal.