What are some effective ways to potentially get a landlord to agree to a lower monthly rent, when I submit an offer?

Getting a reduction in monthly rent would require you making an offer of less than the asking rent for a particular apartment.  Put yourself in the landlord’s shoes and think about what the management would want: receiving rent as soon as possible for a lengthy period of time without any vacancy.  Here are some ideas that may work if you have the capacity to deliver:

• Offer to pay 6-12 months of rent upfront (immediate income)
• Offer to move in to a vacant apartment as soon as possible (limit the vacancy)
• Offer to take a two year lease (locks the tenant in)
• Offer to take a 16-20 month lease (applies during the winter) that will result in your lease ending during the high-demand summer months (easier for the landlord to rent the unit to new tenants then vs. during the colder low-demand months)
• Offer to bring in other tenants (e.g. friends, family, etc.) to fill current vacancies

There are no guarantees that any of these methods will work to get you a better deal, but it may be worth trying if you have flexibility and the means.