When you rent an apartment - even if it's for a short period of time - having a lease is incredibly important. The lease, a written contract between a renter and a landlord or sublessor, protects your rights and provides clear guidance for the landlord/tenant relationship. Before entering into the lease, try negotiating to improve the deal. You just might be able to lower your rent or security deposit or get a reduced-price parking spot. The below video from Howcast.com walks you through the steps.

When you're negotiating with your landlord, knowing the average rental price of similar apartments is important. During the negoitations, tell your prospective landlord about the price of similar apartments you've researched. You may even want to bring other apartment listings with you.

A good starting point for your research is to use the internet. For a list of websites where you can find an apartment, see our Find an Apartment Online Guide. You can also use websites like MyApartmentMap, Rentometer, or RentBits - or the embedded widget below - to get the average rental prices for some cities and towns.