Welcome back, Gentle Blog readers!

I hope you had a festive Thanksgiving and enough turkey to last a lifetime. Well, at least until next year. As December marks the beginning of “End-of-Year” reflection, let us reflect back on a topic from September: How to best negotiate your lease.

Ah, what memories – the stock market wasn’t completely in the crapper, and one didn’t feel guilty about spending money on frivolous things, like a small hot chocolate(I’m kind of kidding, but I really have only bought 1 hot cocoa anywhere since it became cold. And I am a hot cocoa fanatic!). In any case, in that post, we spoke about how one should always negotiate no matter what, because the worst that can happen is for your landlord to say “No.” Remember?

Well, the times are getting even better for the ol’ negotiation!

This week, NY Magazine writes about how landlords have to now go out of their way to keep and lure tenants, because both the buying and RENTAL markets are doing so badly. I tend to hate the phrase, “make more with less” because it’s usually the company telling the employees that. However, I’d be down with my landlord giving ME more for less, certainly…

So, while you may be considering waiting before you move out, recognize that now may be the perfect time; there are always benefits to catching a trend early. And, cheaper rents may be one of them!

But rent aside, there are plenty of other ways to sweeten your apartment pot. Since the beginning of October, I’ve been trying to get my landlord to get rid of the mouse that’s been playing hide-and-go-seek with me in our kitchen. He says he’ll so something, he doesn’t — it’s a great game. Well, a friend recommended a trap she found online that works great, but is $40.00. I call up the landlord, mention how the mouse is giving me nightmares, ask if I could buy the trap and deduct it from the rent…and wahlaa!

Done and done – and now I’m mouse free.

Have any of you tried out the negotiating tips? Any success? Let me know!

Tags: landlords, lease, negotiation, rent