Overheard a property manager say she negotiates leases by pointing out the sprinkler heads are ugly

Was at a coffee shop in Denver last Tuesday and this woman was on the phone talking about how she got 15% off a 3-year lease on a retail space just by mentioning how outdated the ceiling fixtures looked. I run a moving company and we're looking for warehouse space. Never thought about using cosmetic stuff as a bargaining chip. Has anyone here actually gotten a lower rate by pointing out things like bad paint or old flooring?

2 comments

2 Comments

robinson.quinn13d ago

Used to think commercial leases were all about square footage and location numbers, but this totally changed my mind. Last year I was looking at a unit with stained carpet in the front office and the landlord wouldn't budge on price until I pulled out my phone and showed him pictures of it. He ended up knocking off $200 a month just to shut me up, so yeah ugly sprinklers are a legit tactic. Have you tried pointing out anything specific yet?

kim_sanchez1913d ago

Gotta respectfully disagree here. While pointing out minor flaws like stained carpet or ugly sprinklers can shave off a little, it usually only works on small landlords who are desperate or don't know their market. Most commercial landlords have seen every trick in the book and will just laugh you out of the room if you try to haggle over cosmetic stuff. The real leverage comes from comparables and vacancy rates in the area, not from photos of a dusty ceiling tile. Plus if you push too hard on tiny things, they might think you're gonna be a high-maintenance tenant and just move on to the next person.