Know your landlord’s competition: One popular piece of advice is to become very, very familiar with the market — essentially, “look harder.” Network through friends, drive neighborhoods, ask about a sale property that’s languishing on the market, and check out all the websites.
Don’t be a high-drama tenant: Oft-forgotten is that you should think like a landlord. Raising the monthly rent isn’t the only way that landlords maximize their income. They need to minimize expenses, too. That means keeping a unit from sitting empty even for a month. And it means finding renters who not only pay their bills but also don’t call maintenance every other week with some kind of problem or complaint.
“If stuff is broken, absolutely, tell the landlord immediately,” beyond that, though, leave the landlord alone, and the landlord will be keen to do the same for you, meaning no rental increase.
