Philadelphia Apartment Lease Negotiation Tips
Today we are going to talk about lease negotiation tips that you can use when trying to get that perfect Philadelphia apartment. This article lays out the foundation and key points of lease negotiation for you. It has some great tips for negotiating lower rent.
It is important to keep in mind that a lease is a binding agreement – it is not a document to which you should surrender. You don’t want to sign the lease until you know for sure what the terms are and what you’re getting. And in order to do this, you are going to need a good deal of confidence and perseverance. You also should not be afraid to walk away. Remember, the landlord NEEDS you to rent from him. Otherwise, he’s not getting paid!
First, do some internet research regarding what the rights are for tenants in your city and state. By knowing this, you will have a better understanding of what the landlord can and cannot put in your lease.
Next, you should ask around the complex to see what other people are paying for their rent, and whether or not they have special deals with the landlord, because if they do, then why shouldn’t you?
Then, you always need to be sure to obtain the lease before agreeing upon anything. Take note of anything in the lease that you don’t agree with. Now you can let the landlord know that you would really like to move in, but there are a few concerns that you’d like to discuss first. Before mentioning the problems, make an immediate counter-offer of a 5% reduction in what you will be paying for rent. 5% is usually a good place to start.
If the landlord goes on to tell you that he won’t lower the rent, THEN you can list the reasons why you think he should, i.e. his rent is more costly than the average rent in the area, there are bugs in the building, public transportation is a mile away, etc. Also be sure to mention anything that you may have discussed with the neighbors regarding their rent and problems that they may have encountered.
Now if the landlord won’t lower your rent after all that, ask for a 3% rate reduction instead as a compromise. If he still won’t budge, then try to get him to lower the cost of the security deposit or to include certain utilities in with the rent. You could even try bartering with him by asking to let you do some work around there yourself, i.e. painting, plumbing, etc.
With the above tips, you should be able to easily negotiate your rent to something more affordable to you.
Tony McGuigano is the owner of the Miracle Fruit website, as well as a website called Apartments in Philadelphia.
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