Eights Tips for Finding Deals in a Tight Apartment Market

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Looking to Rent? It's Not Getting Easier It's tough to get a good deal in a tight market. But it's not impossible, says Jeremy Bencken, chief executive of ApartmentRatings.com. Below are some of his tips for getting the best deal on an apartment. # 1. Don't forget your rebate. Some Web sites offer $100 to $200 in move-in rebates if you rent an apartment using their site. # 2. Consider a house or condo. Individual owners value reliable, long-term tenants and are less likely to raise the rent quickly. # 3. Move away from the city center. New apartment developments outside the city sometimes offer aggressive discounts. # 4. Get a roommate. You'll save not only on rent, but also on utilities. # 5. Clean up your credit so you have access to the greatest number of available apartments. # 6. Research the rent. ApartmentRatings.com offers feedback from tenants that will help you judge whether you're about to pay too much. # 7. Search in the middle of the month. Landlords -- faced with the possibility of having six weeks of vacancy if a unit comes open mid-month -- may be more willing to cut you a deal. # 8. Sign a long lease if you can afford it, and if it fits with your plans. Landlords still give discounts and specials to long-term tenants. Above all, don't be afraid to haggle. "I always say, 'All they can say is no,'" said Daryl Toor, spokesman for Rent.com. And remember this when the rent check is getting you down: Apartments have been good deals in the recent past, and will continue to be, said Greg Willett, vice president of research and analysis for M/PF Yieldstar, a real-estate research firm. "This year is the first time since 2000 that rent increases have kept pace with general consumer price inflation," Willett said. "Furthermore, since home prices have climbed so astoundingly in the past few years, the savings between the cost to rent an apartment versus buy a house is tremendously greater than it was a the start of the decade."