How do I negotiate lower rent on an apartment?

Use StreetSmart to find building violations and landlord history, then leverage that data in rent negotiations. Buildings with open violations, pest issues, or maintenance problems give you leverage to negotiate 10-20% lower rent. Our free tool shows you exactly what issues exist so you can ask for fair pricing.

Can building violations help me lower my rent?

Yes! Open violations are powerful negotiation leverage. If a building has unresolved code violations, pest complaints, or safety issues, you can use this official data to negotiate lower rent or ask for repairs before signing. Many renters save $100-500/month using this approach.

Is StreetSmart free to use?

Yes, StreetSmart is 100% free with no credit card or sign-up required. You can instantly view building violations, landlord ratings, and use our rent negotiation tools for millions of apartments across 10 major US cities.

What cities does StreetSmart cover?

StreetSmart covers 10 major US cities: New York City (787K+ buildings), Los Angeles (2.2M+ buildings), Chicago (700K+ buildings), San Francisco (200K+ buildings), San Diego (330K+ buildings), Boston (183K+ buildings), Philadelphia (547K+ buildings), Seattle (172K+ buildings), Miami (500K+ buildings), and Austin (33K+ buildings).

How can I tell if my rent is too high?

Search your building on StreetSmart to see violation history, landlord ratings, and compare to similar buildings. If your building has significant issues but charges premium rent, you have grounds to negotiate. Our tools help you make data-backed requests for fair pricing.

Back to Boston Search

Data-Driven Methodology

How Scoring Works

🏛️ Boston Edition

A multi-factor analysis of building quality using 13 weighted dimensions and official City of Boston records. No building scores 100—max is 99.5.

375K+violations (RentSmart)

13dimensions

99.5max score

The Algorithm

Weighted composite scoring

Final Score =

Σ(Category_i × Weight_i)

Σ Weights

Σ(Category_i × Weight_i) ÷ Σ Weights

Adjusted for building age, size, and violation severity

3.5×

Safety

Highest priority

3.0×

Maintenance

Building upkeep

2.5×

Track Record

Historical patterns

2.0-2.25×

Heat/Pest/Response

Health & safety

Core Principles

Time Decay

5yr

decay window

Old resolved issues fade over time. A violation fixed 5+ years ago has minimal impact. Open violations always count at full weight.

Open vs Closed

5×

open weight

Open violations are 5x more impactful than closed ones. A building that fixes issues quickly scores better.

Per-Unit Normalization

units

10 violations in a 100-unit building is better than 10 in a 5-unit building. Large buildings are judged fairly.

Max Score: 99.5

99.5

maximum

No building scores a perfect 100. Unreported issues and uncertainty always exist in any building.

Violation Caps

cap at 100+ viols

Buildings with many violations have capped maximum scores. 50+ violations caps at 70, 100+ caps at 60.

Age Consideration

125+

years of history

Older buildings (pre-1900) are judged with context—Boston has many well-maintained historic buildings.

Boston-Specific Factors

What makes Boston scoring unique

Brutal Winter Focus

Boston winters average 48" of snow. Heat violations are weighted heavily (2.25×) because a building that fails to provide adequate heat in January is a serious life safety concern. Heat required Oct 1 - May 31, minimum 68°F daytime.

Student Capital of America

Boston has MORE college students per capita than any US city. Buildings near BU, BC, NEU, Harvard, MIT score lower on stability. Sept 1 is Boston's massive moving day—"Allston Christmas."

MBTA Transit (1897)

America's oldest subway system. We track proximity to Red, Orange, Blue, and Green lines. Buildings near T stations score higher— car ownership is expensive and parking is scarce in Boston.

Urban Pest Context

Boston has proactive rodent control programs tracked via 311. We analyze both building violations AND neighborhood-level pest complaints to give a complete picture.

Climate & Flood Risk

Boston faces significant sea level rise risk. East Boston, Seaport, and Charlestown are especially vulnerable. Buildings with flood complaints get major penalties.

Historic Character

Boston founded 1630. Historic districts (Beacon Hill, Back Bay, South End, North End) have character but also renovation restrictions. We flag both the bonus and the complexity.

Note on Rent Control: Massachusetts banned rent control statewide in 1994. Unlike NYC, Boston buildings don't have rent-stabilized units. However, Boston has strong tenant protections including security deposit laws and lease renewal rights.