How I negotiated an extension on an expiring lease with my property management company during the Coronavirus

UPDATE 4/20: Today, my leasing company called me telling me they approved my request! Make sure you make the end date the end of the month (7/31) instead of the beginning of the month (8/1) or else you may have to update the paperwork before it all gets approved.

Also, I am not an expert in leasing or LAWS so please contact tenants rights organizations in your city if you have questions. I can only offer my experience.

Coronavirus has made it nearly impossible and incredibly unsafe to go outside for things other than essentials. If you are renting an apartment with a lease expiring soon (May 1, June 1, and beyond during the coronavirus lockdown), you’re likely considering your options.

This article is for you if:

• You rent in a building owned by a property management company (may work with individual landlords, who will also likely be more flexible)
• And your lease is expiring during the coronavirus lockdown

If you want to see if you can stay in your apartment beyond when your lease is set to finish, these steps will help you communicate clearly with your landlord and better your chances for extension as much as possible.

Before you start, make sure to ask your living partners or support network or local tenant’s rights organization for help. You do not have to do this on your own. I will help you if no one else in the entire world can. You are not alone.

Here are the steps I took:

1. Talk to your partner(s)/roommate(s)/parent(s) about your options
2. Make sure your immediate needs are met and your shelter is not in danger
3. Know your rights
4. Figure out what you want and write it out so you don’t stumble or get lost in negotiation
5. Note all the contact you’ve had with your rental company or landlord
6. List reasons you’re a good tenant
7. Make a script or talking points
8. Contact your landlord via ALL THE CHANNELS (but be patient)
9. Email back your rental company confirming your verbal agreement
10. Negotiate with your rental company if necessary
11. Sign your amended lease and return it to your leasing office

1. Talk to your partner/roommate/parents about your options

My rental lease is expiring June 1. My partner and I had planned to move to New York City at the end of our lease. My partner had work lined up.

However, due to the virus, those plans can’t happen right now.

Beyond the grief of lost plans and an evaporating future, we had to think fast.

Then, we received a letter from our property managers giving us 6 days to extend our lease on their terms for two more years, or else we’d be out of luck or have to rent at a higher rate.

(Not great taste in the middle of a pandemic but we’re not here to complain.)

So we had to have a talk.

The first thing to do if you find your lease expiring during coronavirus and you live with someone else is have a conversation and look at your options.

Here are a few things to keep in mind to navigate a potentially intense conversation with people you live with. Skip if you live alone:

• Have empathy: Recognize that your roommate/partner are just as confused and scared as you are.
• Approach strategically: Try to approach them when they are not busy doing a task so you have their full attention. I’ve found that relaxation times in the evening are best and the lease likely to result in miscommunication because everyone is relaxed (also the best time to trim your cat’s nails but that’s another post).
• Lead with an invitation: In close relationships, I’ve noticed that folks respond better when you invite them to problem solve with you instead of approaching them. If you are an overthinker, you’re going to already have a script in your head. Put that to the side and lead with:
  “Hey! So our lease is about to expire but I don’t think we can safely move with this lockdown. Can we talk about our options/Can we make a plan?”
• Listen deeply: If your roommate/partner(s) tend to defer to you for decision making, you know best how to navigate this conversation. If you’re like me, my partner and I have agreed that our decisions need to be made together and all options looked at. So when I talked to my partner, I listened fully to his concerns, held space for his emotions and wrote down his ideas. Then I responded with mine, expecting equal treatment. If you have a hard time communicating with your partner due to anxiety, tension or abuse, please rely on your support networks to come up with a plan that works for you.
• Write out your plan A, B, C, D, and so on: What is the ideal situation for you and your living-mates?
• Talk to your parents: If you have a non-toxic relationship with your family and feel okay reaching out to them for advise, consider getting their opinion on your plan and see if they have been in a similar situation. Only you can decide what’s best for you though.

If you live alone

Write out how your plans have been affected and note your plans A, B and C. This will help you organize your thoughts.

2. Make sure your immediate needs are met and your shelter is not in danger

If you are not able to pay rent for the rest of your lease or believe you will be homeless or in danger if you make a plan to leave, please manage these concerns first.

You cannot be evicted right now.

It is against the law.

If you are being evicted, immediately reach out to your local tenant’s rights organization via their hotline.

Google “MY CITY Tenants Right Organization”.

Or some common ones:

HUD By State

Chicago // Tenants Rights Doc

New York // Tenants Rights Doc
Also this.

Denver // Tenants Rights Doc (PDF)

LA and also this// Tenants Rights Doc

There are several organizations you can reach out to for help.

Here are a few:

What to Do if You Can’t Pay Rent Because of Coronavirus

Here’s what to do if you worry you won’t be able to pay your rent next month

What To Do If You Can’t Pay Rent Because Of Coronavirus Job Loss

These are not all inclusive so please also reach out to your local tenant’s rights organization.

If you have contacts, friends, family or sugar parents who can pay your rent, please also reach out to them and ask for their help.

I struggle with asking for help financially.

It makes me incredibly anxious.

This is the time when it is okay.

Your basic needs are your right.

Take some deep breaths and don’t let a shitty landlord take your housing away unfairly.

3. Know your rights

You have more rights as a tenant than you probably know.

In fact, knowing my rights as a tenant once saved me and my three roommates from being kicked out for an issue that legally was not our responsibility to address.

If you have not already reviewed your rights, now is the time.

Here’s a few ideas:

• Read your lease copy
• Read the website for your local tenant’s rights organization
• Talk to any lawyers you may already know
• Review local, state and national laws regarding evictions, moratoriums and provisions for landlords and tenants.

Make sure you know your rights before talking with your leasing company so they do not surprise you or try to trick you (I’ve had this happen before).

4. Figure out what you want and write it out so you don’t stumble or get lost in negotiation

When my partner and I discussed our plan, our first priority is that we could leave when the ban lifts at no penalty to us, and that we could stay where we are with no rent increase.

We needed an agreement that would be flexible, maintain our current rent and allow us to stay in place.

Not everyone will be lucky to be in this position.

This is also not what everyone reading this is looking for in their specific situation.

Refer back to your plans A, B and C and so on to decide what your priorities are.

These are your non-negotiables.

Also write down your “nice-to-have’s”. These could be in exchange for a higher rent, they fix that issue with your windows, or you get access to the backyard or rooftop. You know what you need, so follow that.

When you know what you want in a negotiation, you’re less likely to fumble and trip over the other party, and you have a better chance of getting what you want.

5. Note all the contact you’ve had with your rental company or landlord

Before my landlord sent the proposal, my partner and I had notified them that we would not be renewing. We did this in a letter we hand-wrote and sent with our rent check for the month of March.

I also called our company several times and days to get in touch with someone.

I also sent emails to property managers that weren’t mine.

I also wrote another letter explaining our situation.

Keep a record of all the contact you’ve had with your landlord or leasing company with regard to this attempt to extend your lease, manage coronavirus challanges, etc. The more detailed your record, the better.

• Include date, time and who you talked to
• Write down any verbal agreements that were made
• Put this information in the same place as your lease for easy reference
• Keep it all in one place, like a Google Sheets/Docs or Excel/Word document or even a shoebox or plastic bag. Just as long as it’s all together somewhere.

This record will help you prove your diligence and also protect your booty in case the landlord tries to cover their booty and play he-said-she-said-they-said.

6. List reasons you’re a good tenant

One of the best ways to help your case is list all the reasons they should keep renting to you.

Here are some to consider:

• Did you always pay your rent on-time and in-full?
• Have you been honest with your leasing company in terms of damage and issues?
• Have you been a quiet and respectful neighbor?
• Have you refrained from damage or needing extra maintenance? (If you did have maintenance, be sure to mention what, when and why).
• Has your credit score or financial standing improved since living there, proving how responsible you are?

When you’ve listed our why you’ve been a good tenant, you’ll feel more confident making your request. Landlords always want good tenants, and reminding them of your value will give you leverage in the negotiation.

7. Make a script or talking points

If I don’t plan what I say, I get choked up, my throat and ears burn and I pretty much have a small aneurysm.

Writing down a little script in my notebook helps me stay focused and remember what I want while allowing for gaps in the conversation for the other person to respond.

• You can make this in a notebook, or your notes app on your phone or computer.
• Decide if full sentences or bullets work better for you.

Here’s the structure I used:

• Introduction: Why are you contacting them and who are you?
• Your situation: Why do you need to discuss options? Is the suggested increase in rent too high? Are you moving but can’t because of corona? Be specific.
• INCLUDE THIS PHRASE: “I’d love to discuss options and find something we’re both happy with.”
• Reasons you’re a good tenant: Refer to above.
• What’s in it for them: Landlords do not want to spend the money, time and energy looking for new tenants. Your request will help save them the hassle, at least for a few months or however long you need. Plus, if you are still paying your rent on time and in full, they don’t have to worry about you being affected by the virus or missing payments.
• Thank them for their time and attention.

Here are my notes for my initial outreach:

8. Contact your landlord via ALL THE CHANNELS (but be patient)

Before you even begin this step, I’m going to give you a tip that’s going to help you not just in this situation but in many life situations where you want something from someone:

If you understand someone else’s situation, you will understand why they are acting the way they are acting. Even if you don’t understand, when you come at a challenging situation or potential conflict from the standpoint of compassion, empathy and collaboration, you will get what you want almost every single time.

Here’s how you do it:

Get into your landlord’s mindset.

They are likely feeling scared, confused and agitated by the fact that they or their family may be sick, their only or few investments are now in danger, that you or their other tenants can’t pay rent, so they can’t meet their mortgage or pay their bills, that they’ve been doing a ton of research, grant and loan applications and other clerical work to manage and stay afloat.

They likely will not do the same consideration for you.

I’ve seen the internet beef;

I know that renters are more in danger than someone who owns property.

I acknowledge that renters provide landlords with their income and as such should have more control over the situation.

I know that A LOT of landlords are shitty.

But just this once, your compassionate mindset may buy you some time regardless of your opinions about if landlords should burn or if tenants are entitled brats. You’re both right and you’re both wrong.

That doesn’t matter right now.

Your safety as a person who needs a roof over their head does.

Okay now that you’re in the right headspace, here’s your game plan, especially if you’re short on time:

How to compile your landlord’s contact information

If your landlord is like mine, they have one star on yelp, no website and four parent companies who are all as elusive as they are. Here are ways to find their contact information if you’re having trouble:

• Review your lease and find any addresses, phone numbers and emails. Write them down.
• If you find a phone number with an extension, this is the first number you call. Write it down.
• Google your property management company name + phone or +email or +address. Write down whatever you find.
• Search Yelp for your company and search the reviews for “email”, “@”, “phone” or “contact”. This will also help you figure out how responsible they’ll be.
• If you have a good relationship with your on-site person, call and ask them who you should contact.
• If you don’t, it’s okay to go above their head because time’s a-tickin’.
• Use hunter.io to search the domain you find in an email address in your search.
• Browse their website if they have one and find people’s first and last names in the leasing office. Try firstname@company.com, firstinitiallastname@company.com, firstandlastname@company.com, firstnamelastinitial@company.com, etc.
• If you find emails for individual people who are just property managers (common for companies with lots of apartments), email all of them and ask them to point you to the right person if you can’t find the leasing office information. Here’s my script for them:

How to contact your landlord/company

• Send a letter by mail using your bullet points/script to the address you found. Don’t forget to record when you mailed it and also take a picture for your records of the letter and you putting it in the mailbox. Here’s the letter I wrote and added to the documents my company had already sent me and asked me to amend (see below):

Dear ______
I am writing to make my case for the amended end date on your renewal document, as advised by _____ on our phone call on DATE

I am requesting a lease extension until MONTH, DAY, 2020 at the rate of $$$$ for the property at ADDRESS.

My partner and I had planned to move to NYC on June 1 as soon as our lease expired. However, due to the coronavirus, we have no income and it is not safe to move, either within the City of Chicago or otherwise. (OR WHATEVER YOUR SITUATION IS)

We will still be able to pay our rent in full and on time, but are requesting the extension through the summer as we are planning to leave as soon as the ban is lifted, as the employment we have secured there will be contingent on this.

Important dates regarding this request:
- I sent a notice to your office with our March rent check that we would not be planning to renew.
- Lily from accounting sent a landlord verification by email.
- I left messages with your office Sunday, April 12 and Monday, April 13.
- I emailed the office and several property managers.
- David put me in contact with Marilyn who had Bill call me.
- Bill and I talked at 3:50p on April 13.He advised me on amending the proposal, sending it back immediately and that I would have a good chance of being approved given the situation.

Reasons we have been good tenants:
- Paid rent on time consistently
- Been honest and patient with repairs
- Quiet and respectful as neighbors
- Did not damage the unit or require maintenance other than for existing issues with our bathroom plumbing.
- Complied with property manager requests
- Credit and financial standing have improved since being here, indicating how responsible we are.

I’d also like to save you the hassle of finding a new tenant at a higher rent rate in the middle of a pandemic, in which showing units and managing lease paperwork/getting cashiers checks will endanger your tenants, property managers and potential tenants unnecessarily.

Thank you for your time, attention and consideration.

Be well.

Sincerely,

—YOUR NAME

Signature
Date
Phone
Email

• Send emails to all the emails you find following your notes/script, including your full situation, address, any previous contact you’ve tried to make, and why you’re a good tenant. Then end the email with: “Please call me DATE AND TIME to discuss.”
• Call all the phone numbers you find. Here’s a script:

“Hello, I’m calling in regards to my lease at ADDRESS. It expires on DATE, and I was planning to move to NYC (OR WHATEVER YOUR PLAN WAS), but due to the coronavirus, I have no income (OR WHATEVER YOUR ISSUE IS). I’m still able to pay my rent (IF YOU ARE NOT, CONSULT YOUR TENANTS RIGHT’S ORG BEFORE CALLING) but wanted to discuss my options for staying here until it’s safe to move. May I please speak with whomever is in charge of leasing?”

When you get the right human, explain your situation per your script. Again, make sure you start with “I want to discuss our options and find something we’re both happy with” before saying what you want. This gives your leverage.

Be sure to listen and let them talk, allowing them to explain what they are and are not willing to do. Do not show your cards/ask what you want until they’ve told you what they’re willing to do.

When I called, the person I talked to listened to me and then immediately told me they aren’t willing to do month-to-month, but already had a system in place. He then walked me through exactly what I’d need to do, and how long it would take. Be sure to ask any questions as they come up, and ask for a direct number in case you have more questions.

Once they tell you what they’re willing to do, make sure your questions get answered. If they are willing to negotiate or they don’t have a system in place, offer month-to-month or an extension to the date you need.

The guy I talked to advised the longer the better on your extension offer, but if you explain why you need a specific date, that will help you.

If you get voicemail, end the call by saying: “Please give me a call back at YOUR PHONE NUMBER as soon as possible. Again, my phone number is YOUR PHONE NUMBER. Thank you and have a good day.”

IMPORTANT: Whatever agreement you make, make sure there is a way for you to get a paper copy of your agreement. The language you can use is:

“I’d also like us to execute an amendment memorializing the extension and confirming there will not be holdover penalties.”

This pretty much just ensures your agreement is legal.

Holdover penalties are a way for landlords to charge you if you stay past the date on your legal lease (with their consent). It protects them if you can’t pay rent for some reason. Make sure there are no holdover fees in whatever agreement you make.

If you need more information, reach out to your tenant’s rights organization or a qualified lawyer.

9. Email back your rental company confirming your verbal agreement

As soon as you get off the phone with a human, email the company back with a confirmation of your verbal agreement.

This protects both of you.

Here’s mine:

10. Negotiate with your rental company if necessary

If for some reason the human you talked to on the phone was wrong, you may need to continue to negotiate. If you feel sure of your direction, keep negotiating until everyone is happy.

IMPORTANT: Whatever agreement you make, make sure there is a way for you to get a paper copy of your agreement.

The language you can use is:

“I’d also like us to execute an amendment memorializing the extension and confirming there will not be holdover penalties.”

This pretty much just ensures your agreement is legal.

Holdover penalties are a way for landlords to charge you if you stay past the date on your legal lease (with their consent). It protects them if you can’t pay rent for some reason. Make sure there are no holdover fees in whatever agreement you make.

If you need more information, reach out to your tenant’s rights organization or a qualified lawyer.

11. Sign your ammended lease/memorialization and return it to your leasing office

When you receive a paper copy of your agreement in the form of a lease extension or amendment, sign, date it, take a picture or scan it, then take a picture of you putting it in the mailbox.

Once it’s sent, email your landlord and let them know it’s on the way.

This protects you if they say they didn’t get it.

This is a confusing, scary and difficult time during which empathy will be your best friend and compassion your greatest ally.

If you need to negotiate with your landlord or leasing company to extend a lease expiring during coronavirus lockdown, these steps will help better your chances of approval.

1. Talk to your partner/roommate/parents about your options
2. Make sure your immediate needs are met and your shelter is not in danger
3. Know your rights
4. Figure out what you want and write it out so you don’t stumble or get lost in negotiation
5. Note all the contact you’ve had with your rental company or landlord
6. List reasons you’re a good tenant
7. Make a script or talking points
8. Contact your landlord via ALL THE CHANNELS (but be patient)
9. Email back your rental company confirming your verbal agreement
10. Negotiate with your rental company if necessary
11. Sign your amended lease and return it to your leasing office