15 Tips Toward a Better Lease Negotiation -

Written by Jennifer Lai

Ask for a copy of the lease before the lease signing, so you have time to review it. If you're reading this tip right before the lease signing and have yet to see the lease, don't worry. Just read over the lease carefully at the signing. If you feel uncomfortable with the lease or want someone to review it, ask to reschedule the lease signing.

Negotiate only with the landlord or someone who has the authority to make decisions. The broker cannot make any decisions.

Choose one person to be the negotiator, if you're signing the lease with your roommate. You don't want multiple people chiming in with points that contradict each other.

Know basic information about the landlord and try to understand the landlord's position. Is your apartment owned by real estate management company with thousands of units or a family renting out a room or their second home? Will a $25 reduction in rent be a big deal to them? Knowing the landlord's concerns will help you tailor your arguments in the lease negotiation.

The best negotiation time is during the signing of the lease when the landlord has approved you for the apartment and is ready to close the deal. You only have negotiation power when you have something the landlord wants.

Ask questions before you begin the lease negotiation. It's good to demonstrate your reliability as a good tenant. This is the one thing you can offer the landlord that will make him or her more open to negotiation. Asking questions is one way to show the landlord that you want to follow the rules.

Begin the lease negotiation after you've read the lease and asked all your questions. First identify what you want to change and why. Maybe you want a lower rent because it's higher than all the other apartments you've looked at and you see no reason for the higher rent. Or the ceiling is leaking and you want a guarantee that it will be fixed within a week, because you've had bad experiences with neglectful landlords.

If the landlord resists putting any changes in writing or seems offended or hurt by your negotiation, be ready to reassure him or her that you trust him, but you are a person who likes to play it safe.

If the landlord argues with you or puts you on the defensive, acknowledge the landlord's points by explaining why these concerns don't apply to you and remind him or her of your qualifications (good credit, timely rent payments, no disturbances, no damage).

Always ask twice, followed by the reason. Giving more than one argument during the lease negotiation lends further support to your request.

Write down all agreements on a piece of paper that is signed by all the tenants and the landlord. If it's a change to the lease, correct it on the actual lease, or write a lease rider that specifies it is overriding the lease. If any of the agreements are promised actions--such as repairs--write down a deadline (the water pressure must be fixed by this date).

Know what your expectations are beforehand. Will you sign the lease if the landlord refuses? How flexible will you be if the landlord agrees to part of your suggestions?

Be polite. Don't get angry or hostile, even if the landlord does. Take the higher ground and the landlord may respect your professionalism and believe you to be a good tenant.

Do not make ultimatums--change this or I won't sign the lease--unless, of course, you mean it. If you don't mean it, this will only backfire and prove to the landlord that you're being manipulative, and therefore untrustworthy.

Space Solutions -

Small space living has its advantages (there is less area to clean!), but it also has its downside when it comes to storage. Studio apartments (and many college dorms) pose a particular problem due to the fact that all household functions are limited to one room (i.e., eating, entertaining, sleeping, studying). This article is the first of two that will deal with unique solutions for studio apartment living.

As I have advocated previously, weeding out unnecessary belongings is essential, especially in a studio apartment where space is at a premium. Again, an inventory of the quantity and sizes of your items will also be useful to help tackle your storage needs. Next, decide on a storage option. For studio apartments, I propose the following for your things: hide them, move them, or store them in plain sight. This article will focus on hiding your belongings.

Hiding your stuff is a good idea and generally means putting your things inside other stored objects. For this, any hollow item is a potential storage space. For example, we all have suitcases or luggage stored away for vacations and travel. Why store them empty? Inside stored luggage is a great place to save out-of-season clothing or holiday decorations. If you travel a lot, this may be a hassle, but if you are like me, you will only have to empty your suitcases once or twice per year for a trip.

Baskets are a decorative way to hide your storage items. Utilize baskets and fill them with sewing supplies, art or office supplies, canned or dry goods, etc. Use baskets with lids so they can be stacked and placed on shelves or on the floor. Baskets are very inexpensive and readily available at garage sales, flea markets, and thrift stores.

Wicker chests and steamer trunks are useful for storage of blankets, table linens, and out-of-season clothing and can be used as coffee- or end-tables. Place them up against a wall near a window, add some cushions, and you have a nice window seat. These chests can also be found inexpensively at resale shops or if you are handy, you could make a storage box or window seat out of 2x4 lumber and press board.

If you are just starting out and looking to furnish a studio apartment, consider multi-function furniture as a way to manage your space. Futons or sofa-sleepers are good options, but they are often expensive (although less expensive than buying both a bed and a couch). An inexpensive alternative is to make a daybed out of your existing bed by placing its long side near a wall and adding cushions up against the wall and bolster pillows on each end. This eliminates the need for a couch.

There are also products on the market that allow for built-in drawers under the bed. If you are handy, you can make your own platform bed, but the really inexpensive alternative is to use cardboard or plastic under-bed boxes.

Catalogs such as Hold Everything and Lillian Vernon offer many items for storage, but they can be expensive. Using a little creativity, these catalogs can be great inspiration for more thrifty solutions. For example, either buy an inexpensive metal shelving unit or make one out of 2x4 lumber and press board, then purchase inexpensive muslin fabric (approx. $2 @ yard) or better yet, bed sheets from a garage sale, and create a slipcover for your ugly shelves making them useful and decorative. If one sheet is not big enough, sew several together until you get the right fit. (Don't forget to cut slits up the corners of the cover to make your belongings accessible and add ties so they will close.)

Almost anything can be slip covered to add more decorative storage. I use a long, rectangular card table to hold my computer, monitor, and printer and by throwing a floor-length clean sheet over it, I am able to store extra office supplies, old client files, and all the computer wiring under the table very neatly.

For really large items that can't be slip covered, put somewhere else, or hidden any other way, there is always the solution of placing a large object in front of it so it won't be seen. I recommend a folding Japanese screen or a cluster of large plants. Screens can be made with inexpensive lumber and covered with paper, fabric, photographs, or lightweight art (this could also be the answer to not having enough wall space for art or photos). Screens are great because they not only hide clutter, but they also offer privacy (especially for one-room living) and add personality to your living space.