When you buy a new car, you haggle, right?  You try to get the salesman down to the lowest price possible.  Most of us don’t think about that when it comes to paying our rent, though, do we?  Rather than being set in stone, rent is often negotiable, or is negotiable for a set period of time.  There are some ways you can get your rent knocked down a notch or two and you might be surprised at how easy it can be to find a bargain.  The biggest thing to do is to ask- the landlord isn’t going to come out and offer it.  You have to be upfront and be willing to work out a deal.Getting your rent reduced often has little to do with actual haggling.  It usually involves reducing your rent through services.  Many landlords will reduce rent if you do any repairs to the apartment on your own.  Often they will provide you with the supplies if you do the labor and knock down the cost of your rent for a time.

You can often find a way to provide a service to your landlord for reduced rent.  Doing work around the complex is just one example.  Chances are that you have a skill that the landlord is in need of, from computer knowledge to skills in art.  Many landlords are more than happy to exchange reduced rental rates for a service that they are in need of.  Maybe their hard drive has crashed and you can install a new one for them.  Maybe the landlord is looking for an artistic border to be painted in the office and you know how to do it.  You’ll never know if you don’t ask, though.

While disputes with your landlord can definitely rear their ugly heads, there are several ways to keep them down to a dull roar or eliminate them entirely.  Knowing your rights as a tenant, reading your lease before signing it and knowing how your deposits work can all go a long way towards making life in your apartment easier.  However, disputes can still arise and knowing how to handle them can make a big difference in their resolution and your relationship with your landlord.Realize that most disputes arise from misunderstandings, whether on your part or your landlord’s.  Knowing this and keeping a calm, civil tongue will help keep your interactions smooth.

Avoid yelling and screaming.  If you’re going to lose your temper, speak with the landlord after you’ve had time to let your temper cool.  Calm, reasonable discussion is much more productive than lots of shouting.

Keeping your temper in check when speaking with your landlord is vital.  Reasonable discussion is the best route to solving disputes.

Make sure that you get any promises from the landlord in writing.  That way, if those promises are not kept, you can show the landlord the written guarantee to gently nudge them into action.

Make sure you know and understand everything that was included with your lease agreement.  Many times a misunderstanding will arise from not knowing what the lease actually says.  Being an informed renter is your best protection.

Speak face to face with your landlord.  Phone calls and emails are great communications tools, but they are not the best means for settling disputes calmly.  They can be easily misunderstood in ways that face-to-face communications are not.