Everyone has a few tricks for the trade of life, but there are many tips to be able to cut costs while renting an apartment. Expenses add up quick, especially when first moving into an apartment. Check out some of the cheat codes to keep more cash in your pocket.
No One Wants to Move During the Winter, So Move During the Winter
Summer, specifically in the northern hemisphere, is when most people move as the pleasant weather makes it easier. Moving in during the winter isn’t impossible, but the cold and snow can make it more inconvenient. Take advantage of the fact apartment communities are desperate to get empty units filled, and you can usually see exclusive winter offers as less people are willing to move. Some of the offers can be extremely beneficially, such as free rent during the first or last month of your leasing period or even a discounted security deposit. Keep an eye peeled for winter-time move-in offers at each apartment community you’re considering. The possibility to keep cash in your pocket is tremendous moving in during the winter!
Haggle the Rent
Contrary to popular belief, rent is never a done-deal, you should always try to negotiate rent. Even if you are dead-set on a specific community, educate yourself on other apartment communities that provide comparable amenities to see how much they cost. If you find the apartment you were looking at is significantly more expensive, you definitely have room to bargain. If the landlord or realtor isn’t budging during your negotiation, you can always show the other listings you have found in an attempt to price match, like you would at a store. This will additionally show the landlord or realtor that you aren’t dependent on their community and willing to live elsewhere, which will greatly encourage them to take you up on their offer. No one wants to lose a prospective tenant, even more so during the winter! Furthermore, if you are at the end of your leasing term and considering signing another fixed term lease, you should absolutely try to talk your landlord into decreasing the rent. While they may lose a little bit of money each month, they won’t lose nearly as much as having an empty unit.
Use Every Amenity Available
Being able to barter the rent isn’t always going to work, but you can always save money by using every amenity the community offers! Amenities such as a fitness center, pool, and lounge have become relatively common, so if you’re apartment has one, which they most likely do, you need to cancel your gym membership! No point in commuting to a gym you have to pay for when the one in your apartment building has everything you need. Some higher-end apartment communities provide wireless internet, so make sure you’re not paying for your own router when you could be using the community’s wi-fi with a booster! Using every amenity will save money and allow you to put that money elsewhere in your budget.
If You Have to Live with an Inconvenience, Make Them Pay For It
The best part about apartment life is having a maintenance department handle the costly repairs when things break. You might not have to foot the actual bill when something breaks, but you indirectly pay for it each month in rent. If something breaks and isn’t fixed in a timely manner, you should absolutely make your landlord aware of how long you haven’t been able to use something you’re paying for. If your toilet isn’t flushing properly and you have to deal with it for two weeks, why should you have to pay full rent when you had to take the lid off and make sure the reservoir didn’t overflow for two weeks? That’s a major inconvenience and isn’t fair that you’re paying full rent for a common, everyday item to not work properly.
Some Apartments Provide Utilities
The best thing you can do is find an apartment that provides utilities, as now your utilities will be incorporated with your monthly rent. Budgeting is undoubtedly easier when your utilities are a fixed expense, all going towards one payment with your rent rather than having to send out multiple payments that fluctuate to multiple businesses. When you move into an apartment that provides utilities, you likewise waive the set-up fee, as everything is already in the apartment, just waiting for you to use!
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