I don't believe in dirty tricks like you describe, but it's my solemn belief that you're not negotiating unless your goal is to "fuck the other person over," or

I don't believe in dirty tricks like you describe, but it's my solemn belief that you're not negotiating unless your goal is to "fuck the other person over," or aim for an unreasonably good deal. Whether you get it or not is an entirely different matter, but that should be the starting point. You'll never get a great deal unless you try for it, or the guy you're negotiating with is an idiot (for which there is there is also a simple strategy). I don't know why you think landlords try to fuck people over. I've been on both sides of that negotiation and it's almost entirely market driven. You must live in NYC, or maybe moved to SF in the last couple of years, and have encountered landlords who know they have you over a barrel.