>The above is why you can't negotiate the monthly rent, but you can often get a few months free rent - change the rent you pay and the building value changes, w

>The above is why you can't negotiate the monthly rent, but you can often get a few months free rent - change the rent you pay and the building value changes, while a few months free is just a marketing thing. Residential property owners do this, too, and I strongly (I cannot being to convey how strongly) believe that this should be illegal. Beyond the obvious injury it does to renters and potential renters (annual rent increases are based on the stated rent, not the rate you pay after discounts), so much in the economy is based on purported property value. When you consistently have to offer "discounts" to find renters, what it means is that other aspects of the economy are being distorted by your fake property value. You're misusing or underutilizing that property, and market forces should force you to divest. Go after banks, too, but start with this simple issue: if you can't rent at a certain price, you should have to lower the price or offer material incentives. Period.