Negotiate your rent in these NYC neighborhoods

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NEWS) - New York is a competitive rental market, but that doesn't mean you can't negotiate your lease. In fact, StreetEasy spokeswoman Lauren Riefflin says you should never assume that you can't negotiate your rent, especially in the fall and winter.

The busy spring and summer months are a challenging time for renters to find a place. But once you get into the fall, Riefflin says, finding an apartment and asking for a discount are a lot easier.

StreetEasy narrowed down the top 10 neighborhoods where renters might have the upper hand in negotiating.

Red Hook, Brooklyn, topped the list with a median rental discount of 9 percent. Riefflin says the median rent in Red Hook is $2,750, which makes a 9 percent discount pretty significant. Be sure to mention that median discount at the bargaining table.

The tradeoff in Red Hook? Limited subway access. But if you're willing to take a Water Taxi, you can be downtown in 15 to 20 minutes. Riefflin says you'll have fewer transportation options, but you're getting incredible architecture, open spaces, and great waterfront views.

Carnegie Hill in Manhattan was second on the list with a median rent of $3,196 and a median rental discount of 6.5 percent. The neighborhood is in the 80s to 100s on the Upper East Side, just a couple of blocks off Central Park. You'll find brownstone-lined streets and easy access to the park.

Riefflin says the Upper East Side has a lot of rental inventory and rents have actually gone down 4 percent since last year.

Wherever you're looking to rent, there are some smart strategies for getting a better deal. For starters, avoid high-rises. Riefflin says that smaller buildings are often owned by individual landlords, who may have more flexibility in offering concessions.

Also, consider signing a longer lease. Riefflin says you should think about signing a lease that ends in the spring or summer months. That puts the landlord at an advantage because more people are shopping for apartments in the spring and summer. You might be able to trade that longer lease for a lower monthly rent.

Another StreetEasy strategy is paying more cash up front. Riefflin says that giving a bigger security deposit or paying a few months' rent up front show that you're financially reliable so you might be able to entice your landlord to lower your monthly rent.

This is the complete list of the top 10 neighborhoods where renters have the best bargaining power.