Rent prices are up 35 percent in the downtown Seattle core, according to Zillow, and KIRO 7 found neighbors could be paying vastly different prices for rent.
Leasing companies don't expect neighbors to talk about how much they pay. KIRO 7 did the asking instead and found some residents at an Interbay complex and were paying hundreds of dollars more.
Heather Goodman, 32, re-signed her lease in May for her one bedroom unit and is paying $1765/month. Two floors below her Dylan Sears, 22, moved in in August. He's paying $1375/month and his unit is bigger. Goodman pays $390 dollars more and wasn't pleased when she found out.
"I just feel like it is unfair. It is not $20 or $50," said Goodman, "It did make me kind of sick to my stomach."
Sears thought he was getting a good deal. He's getting the benefit of the Multi-Family Tax Exemption, a program offered by the state and administered by the city of Seattle.
"It's for people who don't make over a certain threshold and allows them to live in an apartment for a lower rate," explained Sears, 22.
Goodman doesn't qualify for the program but KIRO-7 talked to the experts to find her other ways to save.
Kim Reidy is a relocation and leasing specialist with Seattle Rental Group. She says the time of year you sign your lease will directly impact how much you pay. She says try not to have your lease expire during the summer, that's when you're most likely to see your rent increase.
There are two days of the month you could see that biggest drop in rental prices.
"If you can, wait until that sweet spot, the 10th or 11th of the month," said Reidy, " That's when they (apartment managers) get the notices. They'll know how many apartments are coming on for the next month so they generally try to get rid of the apartments that they're currently sitting on."
Reidy says leasing agents get a printout from corporate each day with a new pricing list based off a software program that manages supply and demand. She suggests shopping on a Wednesday or Thursday to beat the weekend rush.
At Seattle-based Zillow they found renters don't seem to try to negotiate the price.
"You can use our rent Zestimate to check out what you should be paying for it and is it a good deal or not, " said Zillow CEO Jeremy Wacksman.
Heather Goodman said she didn't negotiate, in fact she felt pressure to take the deal she was offered. She says the leasing agent told her the deal would expire and she didn't know if the next deal would be worse.
Goodman won't be able to try any of these money saving ideas soon, her lease isn't up until May and to break it would cost her nearly $5,000.
KIRO
