Don’t be so firm on your position that you loose the deal or burn a bridge. Know in the back of our mind what times you can and cannot live with. A good negotiating tactic is to short and simple win win situations. That way the landlord and the tenant both end up believing that they won something in the end. It is perfectly ok to be willing to walk away from a deal if you cannot reach an agreement. You don’t want to have the negotiations end badly. If you can’t reach a deal you can’t reach a deal. But don’t pound out your position into a dead horse. You can share your disappointment at failing to come to terms if that happens. Let the landlord or the agent that you hoped to work it out but some things are just standing in the way.



Negotiating the price is as follows. Ask the landlord what he wants for rent. When he or she says the price, ask if there are any other costs? If he says there are none, great! Take the rent if it’s a fair price. However, if (s)he starts saying that there are additional costs for security deposits, remote controls, security costs, or common area malignance costs, this is where the negotiations begin. One strategy is to get a friend in real estate or a property management company to phone the landlord and ask frankly what is needed to get a good tenant and how flexible they are. These people are often trained to negotiate harder with people that do not have representation. Remember that you should always save something for the very end that gives you power in the negotiation. Always remember that your final “yes" is only given when your lawyer reviews the lease agreement. This means you can save the final push to wrap up the lease on your schedule. This just might be an ace in your pocket. You could also suggest that your lawyer has some reservations about a couple of items, but you’d like to move forward with the lease anyways. Say you’ll sign it now if you can negotiate on whatever issues you need. You may want to take a big breath and lower the boom. “say you’d like him to lower the rent by 15% for the first 12 months". Demonstrate a sincere interest in the property and pay six months up front. There is much to say about someone paying 6 months rent even it is a bit less.