4 ms·

It's not a bribe. That's your negative spin. The positive spin is it's just 2/26th pre-payment of the rent for 2 years. You then pay 1/26th every month for 2 ye

It's not a bribe. That's your negative spin. The positive spin is it's just 2/26th pre-payment of the rent for 2 years. You then pay 1/26th every month for 2 years, repeat when you renew your contract. Do I like having to pay 2/26th up front (2 months rent?) no. But I also would prefer not to have to put down payments on cars/houses.

brazzy 6y ago
If it truly were a pre-payment, it would be partially refunded when the rental contract terminates early.
- gfxgirl 6y ago
  No, it wouldn't. It would just be your non-refundable downpayment. Plenty of other things have non-refundable up front payments in the USA and other countries.
  - brazzy 6y ago
    Then don't try to spin it as "pre-payment". It is not.
tasogare 6y ago
You are wrong. Those fees are added to the normal rent, they are not part of it. I choose my current appartment in part because there was no additional "gift money" to pay. Each time one moves place those have to be paid, which makes moving quite costly.
- gfxgirl 6y ago
  I'm not wrong. Different apartments give different offers just like everything else in the world.
- neilparikh 6y ago
  I think gfxgirl's point is that you can mentally model the gift money as added on the rent, and use that number when comparing apartments. Ex. 50/mo + 240 gift money (for a 2 year lease) == 60/mo without gift money.