Negotiating your rent may sound intimidating, but it's really not all that bad. Before I show you how to negotiate your rent, you need to qualify as a good tenant. If you are not a good tenant, you probably won't have a shot at successful negotiations.

A good tenant:

1. Always pays the rent on time (unless understandable emergencies take place).
2. Has been there a long and time and will continue to be there for quite a while more.
3. Does not cause problems or issues with neighbors or the law
4. Improves the property in small ways (like cleaning, and small yard work).
5. Takes care of the small things without always griping to the landlord.

If you fit the bill of a good tenant, then read on. Otherwise, this may be a waste of your time... who knows.

There are three main ways in which you can go about negotiating your rent. Pick the one that you feel would have the highest success rate:

1. The first option is to simply ask for a reduced monthly cost for signing a longer lease. If you are planning on being there longer than your current lease, then go ahead and sign for another year and a half or something. Ask for $50 to $100 less and see what happens. They will probably counter with a lower offer, so be sure and shoot high the first time. Bring up the fact that you have been a great tenant in the past. They want to keep you there, because losing you will mean losing money until they find a new tenant.

2. The second option could be offering your landlord to pay a few months or even a year in advance. Ask them if you could pay for a full year and get one month free (or even a few weeks) because of it. People like cash upfront and can sometimes see the value in doing this.

3. Offer to do some of the upkeep and small remodeling projects around the house while you are there. If you have any experience painting, mending fences, fixing cabinets, doing plumbing, or any other skills, you are a valuable tenant. Ask them how much rent they could knock off the price if you were able to do x, y, and z for them. Believe me, as a former handyman and contractor, landlords were always looking for the best deals possible when it comes to home improvements and repairs. They would be getting a good deal by letting you do this. Just make sure to do the job right, otherwise this may end up COSTING you money instead of saving you money.

By using a little leg work and salesmanship, you can save $400 to $1200 per year just be negotiating your rent! Remember that when negotiating, you are dealing with another business person. This is not something that they will hold against you as long as you are reasonable. Give it a shot. You really have nothing to lose.

Have you had any success negotiating your rent? What about any failures? Tell me about these experiences by submitting a comment below: