{"id":1665,"date":"2014-03-24T11:45:07","date_gmt":"2014-03-24T15:45:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.renthop.com\/news\/?p=1665"},"modified":"2023-07-24T14:09:44","modified_gmt":"2023-07-24T18:09:44","slug":"can-you-negotiate-your-rent-in-manhattan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.renthop.com\/blog\/can-you-negotiate-your-rent-in-manhattan\/","title":{"rendered":"Can You Negotiate Your Rent In Manhattan?"},"content":{"rendered":"

It can be hard to find an apartment in New York City<\/a>, but especially difficult in Manhattan<\/a>. Just finding an available apartment in the neighborhood<\/a> you want and with the features you need is tough enough. Finding one of those that you can afford can be really, really tough.<\/p>\n

\"Getting<\/a>
Getting down to business.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Photo: CC 2.0\/Nobmouse<\/a><\/p>\n

Can You Negotiate Rent?<\/h2>\n

Is it possible to negotiate your rent down in Manhattan (or anywhere else, for that matter)? On one hand, a lease is just a contract \u2013 and like any other contract, many of its terms, including rent, can be negotiated if the parties are willing. On the other hand, Manhattan rentals are in high demand, so landlords don’t need to negotiate if they don’t want to.<\/p>\n

So if you find your dream place but can\u2019t quite afford<\/a> it (or if you\u2019d just like to pay a little less for it), what should you do? You should ask if there’s any room to negotiate. That doesn’t mean you always have to ask for a lower rent; as you’ll see below, there are other things you can ask for that may lower your aggregate cost of living, and if you can be creative you might find a deal.<\/p>\n

Items to Negotiate in a Manhattan Lease<\/h3>\n

First, remember that a lease has several terms (both economic and non-economic) that can affect your total rent and are often negotiable. This often occurs in the form of rent concessions, like \u201cfirst month free\u201d. You should <\/span>always ask if there are any concessions, especially if you\u2019re looking at an apartment in a luxury high-rise (these kinds of buildings will often make concessions to get apartments rented quickly). Concessions aren\u2019t uncommon; in February 2014 some 19%<\/a> of all apartments listed on RentHop offered a rent concession of some form.<\/span><\/p>\n

Even if there are no explicit rent concessions, you may be able to get the landlord to waive certain fees<\/a> or provide additional services that you\u2019d otherwise have to buy. Will the landlord let you use the attached storage unit? Maybe she\u2019ll waive the pet fee. Or perhaps they\u2019ll agree to fix or replace old appliances or repaint the apartment. While you may not be able to negotiate your rent in Manhattan, you may find wiggle room with other costs.<\/p>\n

Second, consider what\u2019s important to the landlord. Landlords want high rent, but they also want their apartments occupied by tenants who don\u2019t cause trouble and who pay on time. Could you offer to extend the lease an extra year<\/a> or other period in return for a lower rent (or a below-market rent increase between the first and second year)? What about offering additional security up front? Each of these will give the landlord additional security while giving you some cost certainty.<\/span><\/p>\n

Learn more:<\/p>\n