I am wondering if anyone here has actually managed to negotiate their rent DOWN in LA. Not just avoiding an increase, but getting the landlord to agree to less than what you were already paying.
If so, how did you do it?
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“I rent out a unit myself. I can tell you this can happen. It really depends on the market. Sometimes you want a 12-month lease, but the only people who apply want month-to-month or six months.
You start advertising the apartment before the current lease ends. If nobody else is interested (which is rare) and the current tenant has paid on time with no complaints from neighbors, then it’s actually possible to come down a bit. Otherwise you take the loss too.
As I said, it’s very rare in today’s market.
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It can work with the right strategy, but you would need to do some research, talk to new neighbors to find out what they pay and so on. Then text your landlord “Comparable units in this building and the neighborhood are currently listed at that amount, I would like to renew for 12 month, but only for X amount, otherwise I have to look somewhere else.”
Check out how long new units stay empty. If they fill up quickly, well, you are at risk of not getting renewed.
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I asked a couple of times, but without success. My apartment complex has no empty units. I believe most new tenants pay even more than I do.
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Very unlikely. Most HOAs are going up and so does the property tax in most cases.
Private landlords are paying monthly fees too. HOA and property tax can easily add up to 1500 dollars a month. Then there are repairs etc..
Some landlord's are just trying to cover their fees and maybe pay the mortgage.
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Never tried. Didn’t even know that’s possible in today’s housing market. 
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That’s the sad reality. That’s why I advise people to not buy properties in California. You get a better ROI in states like Florida or Texas.
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Here is the reality.. yes, it can happen in rare cases, but most landlords get enough requests for new tenants. Ao it can backfire at any time. Made sure you actually checked other units prior to it.
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Did it once during COVID, but I doubt it would work today. The harsh reality is that prices are going up because everything is getting more expensive. Private landlords might be more willing to listen, still, very, very, very unlikely.
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That’s why I didn’t even try lately.
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