Finding an apartment
Can you negotiate rent on an apartment?
Updated By the Housing Rocket moderators
Short answer
Yes, often, but your leverage depends on timing and the landlord. You have the best chance with a unit that has sat empty for weeks, in the slow winter months, with a private landlord, or when you offer something they value such as a longer lease, an earlier start date or a strong application.
Large complexes usually price units with software and may not move on the monthly number, but they will often bend on concessions instead. A free month, a waived application or amenity fee, or free parking can be worth as much as a lower rent.
- Look up what similar units nearby rent for, and note how long this one has been listed.
- Tour first and show you are a serious, qualified applicant.
- Make one specific, polite ask: "Would you consider $1,450 if I sign a 15-month lease starting on the 1st?"
- If the answer is no on rent, ask about a concession or a smaller increase at renewal.
- Get whatever you agree to written into the lease.
Know when not to push. If a place is priced fairly in a hot market and three other people are applying the same day, haggling can cost you the apartment. A modest ask of a few percent is normal. Offering far below the listed price mostly signals that you cannot afford it.
Want the whole picture? Read How to Find an Apartment in Facebook Housing Groups.