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.

Is Culver City or Mar Vista better to live in?

Based on building quality data, Culver City has a slight edge with an average score of 89 compared to 84. However, both neighborhoods have excellent options.

Which has more rent controlled apartments: Culver City or Mar Vista?

Culver City has more RSO-eligible buildings (90%) compared to Mar Vista (85%). Note: Independent cities like Santa Monica, West Hollywood, and Beverly Hills have their own rent control laws.

StreetSmart/Los Angeles/Compare/Culver City vs Mar Vista

Culver City vs Mar Vista

Data-driven neighborhood comparison based on 2221 buildings

Culver City

avg score (1221 buildings)

⭐ Higher Rated

Mar Vista

avg score (1000 buildings)

Side-by-Side Comparison

Metric

Culver City

Mar Vista

⭐Average Score

89✓

📊Median Score

91✓

83.7

🏠RSO Eligible (Rent Control)

90%✓

85%

🏛️Pre-1978 Buildings

90%✓

85%

⚠️Avg Open Violations

0.3✓

0.9

📋Avg Total Violations

3.4✓

11.7

🏢Total Buildings (2+ units)

1221✓

1000

🏆 Best in Culver City

#36500 GREEN VALLEY CIR

94.1

#44043 IRVING PLACE

#510375 WASHINGTON BLVD

See all Culver City buildings →

🏆 Best in Mar Vista

#112321 WASHINGTON BLVD

94.9

#212239 WASHINGTON BLVD

94.9

#311819 WASHINGTON BLVD

94.5

#411815 WASHINGTON BLVD

94.5

#512222 WASHINGTON BLVD

94.5

See all Mar Vista buildings →

📋 The Verdict

Culver City has a slight edge with an average building score of 89 compared to 84. However, both neighborhoods have excellent buildings, so focus on finding the right specific building rather than ruling out either area entirely.

Choose Culver City if you want: