SAN DIEGO — Thousands of new apartments are increasing the supply of homes so, in several areas across our county, rents are finally leveling out and, in some spots, even dropping.
“San Diego two bedroom rents are down 2.7% annually,” said Crystal Chen with the apartment and home rental site Zumper.
She says, in these conditions, you should definitely ask for a deal, but do some homework to strengthen your position. For example, If you want to stay in your place and you're a good tenant, use that to your advantage. “If you always pay your rent on time. If you're maintaining the property well and you know you have no issues with your neighbors, and you're adhering to lease terms, definitely emphasize that during the negotiation,” she said.
She also recommends starting negotiations 60 to 90 days before your lease expires so your landlord knows you still have time to search for a better deal at another complex. Another tip, if you like where you're living and think you'll stay there for a while, ask if they'll lower your rent or give you a month free if you sign a longer than normal lease.
“At the end of the day, property owners want to keep dependable renters and would rather have that unit filled than empty,” Chen said.
You can also ask for long-term lease concessions if you're moving into a new place.
Vanessa Rojas, a fair housing advocate with CSA San Diego County, says sometimes apartments offer amenities you'll never use. If that’s the case for you, ask if eliminating them can get you a discount.
“For example, if there's a storage unit that they provide, can they opt to not have that storage unit,” Rojas said. “If there's additional parking spots, do they have to have one if they don't have a car?”
Unfortunately, right now here in San Diego County, this isn't the best time to search for a great deal. There are so many students heading back to college that there's a lot of competition. So experts say, if you can wait a couple months until say November or December, you can probably negotiate a better deal.
“Your property owner would definitely prefer to have that unit occupied, especially for the holidays, instead of just sitting there and no rent is being paid for that unit,” Chen added.
If you're looking to sign a new lease at your current location and your landlord won't lower the rent, you can also try asking for other things - like a carpet cleaning or a painting touch-up.
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