i tried to negotiate being month to month at my manhattan apt at the same rate and my land lord wouldn't accommodate me. Now the apt has been unrented for a few months and they're asking for a 10% drop in rent and probably won't get it for a long long time. happily commenting from hawaii
Real estate, being a straightforward investment attracts those who couldn't be making more money at pretty much any other type of investment. Hence you get the most clueless people managing the properties.
1. I had approached the landlord directly since his previous tenant had been a friend of mine. So there was no agent fee (one month rent) to be paid.
2. The other tenant moved in almost a month after i was supposed to, so another month's worth of rent lost for him.
The landlord didn't realize it would take him almost 3 years to recoup the losses even with the increased rent. I didn't push my case much, and found someplace else to stay.