Are rents coming down in the near term?

End of Oct may be too early for landlords to see REAL negative affects.. but you would be a fool for not asking for a reduction and be willing to walk away.

I would recommend asking for a month or two of free rent (effectively gets you the discount you need) and only signing a one-year lease. It's easier for the leasing agent to justify than a lower face rent.

My friend (at MER) had her landlord up her rent about 6 months ago. She answered "There's a recession on Wall St and I can't afford that now." The landlord responded by not changing her rent. It's worth a try.

i rent at stytown on first avenue and 20th st. it's a one bedroom, $3325 a month. last year they jacked up my rent from $2800 and i was worried about something similiar when my lease expires. i called the management office and the woman told me it was too early to tell just yet (my lease expires dec 31) but what she had been seeing lately was no rent increases around this range...

reprint from another discussion ---

AVOID BROKERS AND THEIR FEES - GO DIRECTLY TO THE SOURCE OF YOUR RENTAL NEEDS. BROKERS TEND TO TAKE YOU TO SEE THESE NO-FEE APARTMENTS FIRST AS THEY EARN 100% OF YOUR 15% BROKER'S FEE. HUSH...HUSH... THEY WILL NOT TELL YOU IT'S A NO-FEE RENTAL PROPERTY :( NOR WILL THEY REPRESENT THAT PRIOR TO SEEING THE APARTMENT. SO IF YOU NEED TO RENT, CHECK OUT THE RENTAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT WEBSITES AND CALL THEM FOR UPDATED LISTINGS. SAVE YOURSELF THAT 15% TO BUY YOURSELF NEW FURNITURE OR HAVE A MOVE-IN WELCOME PARTY FOR FRIENDS AND FAMILY.

Excellent “BIG-TIME” Manhattan Rental Property Management:

Rose (www rosenyc com)
Related Rentals (www relatedrentals com)
Equity Residental (www eqr com)
Rockrose Management (www rockrosenyc com) [mostly chelsea, village, financial district, downtown condos]
Sky Management (www skymanagement com)
Glenwood Managment (www glenwoodnyc com)
BLDG Management Co. 115 E 92nd St New York, NY 10128 (212) 722-4931
Brodsky Management, Inc (www brodskyorg com)
Maclowe Management (www macklowe com) [condos below 60th street]
Urban Associates – 400 W 59th St # 3, New York, NY (212) 245-1870

Above average property management (mostly prewar lowrise to a few postwar)
ATA Enterprise (www ataenterprises com)

Below Average no-fee properties [aka slumlord]:

Jakobson Properties (www nofeerentals com)

nybits.com

craigslist. i know some bohemian landlords spurn brokers.