Tenant and landlord relationship should never be made complicated. When it comes to some issues and concern things should always be brought into a lighter perspective, especially when dealing with rent and the idea of reducing it. If this concern is not properly approached some negative repercussions might occur, so below are some of the tips on how to strategically ask for a reduce of rent.
Research
As if you are going for a debate but not necessarily practicing one, you must do your research. Research about your landlord and figure out what other tenants in the building or even in the neighborhood is paying for. Once you have the knowledge of the rental market, you would have the idea on whether it is realistic to ask for a lower rent or how low the asking price would be.
Backup
It does not mean that if you are the one renting you are the only who could negotiate for lower rent. You may actually bring someone with authority who may be able to sign as guarantor who has better credentials. And such presence can always help in providing leverage. Whether a relative or friend, it would be better to enlist someone who can stir conversation into the right direction.
Last Minute Bargain
If you are still about to fill in a vacant apartment or the negotiation is still in the process of being finalized, it would be better to approach the landlord with your new offer at the last minute. Landlords are likely to accept your offer for a lower rent instead of leaving the unit empty without making any cash. This technique would likely be effective especially if it is nearing the end of the month or if the chosen unit has not been occupied for quite some time. They would rather accept lower offer than to extend the vacancy of their unit.
Create Value
Most landlords would rather choose quality than quantity. Thus, as a tenant you should make yourself valuable to your landlord. For tenants who display the character of being reliable, trustworthy and courteous are worth keeping. You may also try to refer some tenants for vacant units and even suggest some alternative approach on advertising those vacant units. By going an extra mile, your landlord would have a soft spot for you in his heart and it would be easy to have an "argumentum ad passiones" or appeal to his emotion in discussing rental changes.
Even if you think that there is no chance for you to get your rent lowered, it still never hurt to ask. Just be confident and prepare some reasonable arguments for doing so.