I wonder if she was also doing diet meds too, which are known to be bad for the heart.

IOnon-diet-fadN, I had lunch with my new crew today. We had a nice meeting trying to figure out schedules, so they can finish out the season with the Shakespeare company. And the A1 says she is all jazzed about the last show of the season, "It's a bird, it's a plane, it's Superman!", because Superman is her all time favorite. The A2 pipes in how Batman is his, and coincidentally enough, it's his nickname. As that was being discussed, I put my computer to screen saver (because the meeting was done) and up pops Green Lantern, and I point and say well, GL is my fav. So, it looks like my crew this coming season is The Justice League! Woot! Can't wait. Wish they started today.

Has anyone ever negotiated with their landlord about rent? What are good things to say? My apartment is rent-controlled, and my landlord takes the max percentage increase every year, so my apartment isn't as cheap as it was three years ago, and this year, it will be close to a $100 more than what it was when I moved in. My neighbors just moved out, and he hasn't been able to rent the apartment below me for a month or so, and I've been a very good tenant and he likes me, so I want to ask if he'll consider, at the very least, not raising my rent this year, if not lowering it a bit, given that it's not like the value of the apartment has gone up during the recession. There are several comparable apartments in my area renting for $30 to $80 lower.

P-C, I did once. He tried to jack my rent twice in one calendar year, since I was month to month at that point. But with the 2nd increase, it put it to a 25% increase, and CA state law says if you raise more than 10% you have to give 60 days notice instead of 30 days. So I told him so, and said that I will be looking in those 2 months for a place, as there was no way I could afford the new rent. He backed off and left it at the rate it was at. Can't hurt to try.

Check out this from the WSJ: How to Reduce Your Rent

P-C, I did once. He tried to jack my rent twice in one calendar year, since I was month to month at that point.

Oh, that blows. I'm month to month too, but he's never pulled that shit with me. Just the annual increase of 3% or so.

Check out this from the WSJ: How to Reduce Your Rent

Ooh, thanks, tommyrot. There's some good stuff there. Interestingly enough, the 5.5% decrease for one-bedroom apartments would put my rent at about what I got the apartment for in 2006, which is what I would prefer to be paying now, if not less. Of course, that was in Manhattan. Where would I find the numbers for Oakland?

Hm. according to this article, rent has actually gone up 2.5%, but projected vacancy rate is the highest in the Bay Area. And this report also claims the Oakland market is good. How do I spin that?

Damn you, Rentometer! It says I have a good deal, as only 11% of listings are lower priced. So perhaps I don't deserve a HUGE discount like the woman in the article got, but I think I still want to ask for the rent to be what I paid three years ago, which is $55 less.

Before you negotiate -- look around -- are there other options? I think I'd be more inclined to ask for no raise that a reduction back to three years ago.

Well, I intend to ask for no raise at the very least, but ask him to consider lowering. There are three or four comparable apartments on Craigslist with lower rates, some of which even include water, which is a $45 discount in itself.

The best negotiating tool you have is a willingness to move. If you aren't prepared to move, then you will have a tough time. It's a huge hassle to fill a vacant rental property, landlords do not like doing it. So as long as you are prepared to follow through on a threat to move to one of the lower priced properties that you've been able to locate then you should be in a good position to get your current landlord to lower the rent.

It's a huge hassle to fill a vacant rental property, landlords do not like doing it.

It's a huge hassle to move, and I do not like doing it!

But I have to at least act like I'm willing to move.

I've never read anything that supported the blood type diet. Also, I seriously doubt that blood type, at least as this diet defines the ideal diet for each blood type, has much to do with whether people do well on a vegetarian diet or not -- according to that website, Type A, which is about 35% of the population, should be vegetarian, and Type B, which is about another 35%, should never eat chicken and should instead eat goat, lamb, rabbit, and venison.