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 Bernal Heights or Potrero Hill better to live in?

Based on building quality data, Potrero Hill has a slight edge with an average score of 84 compared to 81. However, both neighborhoods have excellent options.

Which has more rent controlled apartments: Bernal Heights or Potrero Hill?

Bernal Heights has more likely rent controlled buildings (95%) compared to Potrero Hill (90%). SF rent control applies to buildings built before 1979.

StreetSmart/SF/Compare/Bernal Heights vs Potrero Hill

Bernal Heights vs Potrero Hill

Data-driven neighborhood comparison based on 2203 buildings

Bernal Heights

avg score (1358 buildings)

Potrero Hill

avg score (845 buildings)

⭐ Higher Rated

Side-by-Side Comparison

Metric

Bernal Heights

Potrero Hill

⭐Average Score

84✓

📊Median Score

82.944

84.68✓

🏠Rent Controlled (Pre-1979)

95%✓

90%

🏛️Victorian/Edwardian (Pre-1945)

82%✓

73%

⚠️Avg Open Violations

0.2

0.1✓

🪳Avg Pest Violations

0.2

0.1✓

🔥Avg Heat Violations

0.2

🏢Total Buildings (2+ units)

1358✓

845

🏆 Best in Bernal Heights

See all Bernal Heights buildings →

🏆 Best in Potrero Hill

#3508 A CONNECTICUT ST

93.423

#4741 KANSAS ST

93.384

#51053 A TENNESSEE ST

93.277

See all Potrero Hill buildings →

📋 The Verdict

Potrero Hill has a slight edge with an average building score of 84 compared to 81. However, both neighborhoods have excellent buildings, so focus on finding the right specific building rather than ruling out either area entirely.

Choose Bernal Heights if you want: