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Image 1 of / 33 Caption Close Image 2 of 33 Inside the Broderick building. Source: Craigslist Inside the Broderick building. Source: Craigslist Image 3 of 33 Broderick living room. Source: Craigslist Broderick living room. Source: Craigslist Image 4 of 33 Broderick kitchen and dining room. Source: Craigslist Broderick kitchen and dining room. Source: Craigslist Image 5 of 33 Image 6 of 33 Broderick kitchen. Source: Craigslist Broderick kitchen. Source: Craigslist Image 7 of 33 1 of 2 beds, Broderick. Source: Craigslist 1 of 2 beds, Broderick. Source: Craigslist Image 8 of 33 Broderick bathroom (1 total). Source: Craigslist Broderick bathroom (1 total). Source: Craigslist Image 9 of 33 2nd Broderick bedroom. Source: Craigslist 2nd Broderick bedroom. Source: Craigslist Image 10 of 33 Image 11 of 33 2nd Broderick bedroom. Source: Craigslist 2nd Broderick bedroom. Source: Craigslist Image 12 of 33 Pac Heights too has some specials now. Here is 1801 Gough, offering a 1 bed/1 bath for $4095. The special: no deposit fee. Source: Craigslist Pac Heights too has some specials now. Here is 1801 Gough, offering a 1 bed/1 bath for $4095. The special: no deposit fee. Source: Craigslist Image 13 of 33 Inside Pac Heights. Source: Craigslist Inside Pac Heights. Source: Craigslist Image 14 of 33 Kitchen, Pac Heights. Source: Craigslist Kitchen, Pac Heights. Source: Craigslist Image 15 of 33 Image 16 of 33 Bedroom, Pac Heights. Source: Craigslist Bedroom, Pac Heights. Source: Craigslist Image 17 of 33 The big walk-in closet is mentioned in the ad, perhaps as it could be big enough for a not very large/picky roommate in Pac Heights. Source: Craigslist The big walk-in closet is mentioned in the ad, perhaps as it could be big enough for a not very large/picky roommate in Pac Heights. Source: Craigslist Image 18 of 33 A third option: SoMa at 788, or 788 Harrison, offers apartments in two special ways: currently occupied units in which the tenant has given notice, a new tenant can save the unit by paying $800. Then that new tenant will also pay any pro-rated rent left on the month of move in; then the next month (so the 2nd month of occupancy) comes at a $2,500 discount. Source: SoMaat788.com less A third option: SoMa at 788, or 788 Harrison, offers apartments in two special ways: currently occupied units in which the tenant has given notice, a new tenant can save the unit by paying $800. Then that new ... more Image 19 of 33 At 788, the 2nd way a person can access a special deal is to rent a vacant unit and get one month free. Source: SoMaat788.com At 788, the 2nd way a person can access a special deal is to rent a vacant unit and get one month free. Source: SoMaat788.com Image 20 of 33 Image 21 of 33 SoMa at 788 units include laundry! Rents: Studios run from $2,900 up to through the most expensive 2 bedrooms, which are $5,024. Source: SoMaat788.com SoMa at 788 units include laundry! Rents: Studios run from $2,900 up to through the most expensive 2 bedrooms, which are $5,024. Source: SoMaat788.com Image 22 of 33 Floorplan, 788. Source: SoMaat788.com Floorplan, 788. Source: SoMaat788.com Image 23 of 33 Amenities at 788. Source: SoMaat788.com Amenities at 788. Source: SoMaat788.com Image 24 of 33 Gym, 788. Source: SoMaat788.com Gym, 788. Source: SoMaat788.com Image 25 of 33 Image 26 of 33 Roof life, 788. Source: SoMaat788.com Roof life, 788. Source: SoMaat788.com Image 27 of 33 788 loves pets. Source: SoMaat788.com 788 loves pets. Source: SoMaat788.com Image 28 of 33 Looking more for student living? This complex near SFSU and Lake Merced is also offering move-in deals. Apparently, you can "Get $2017 off of your total move in cost now," per Craigslist. Looking more for student living? This complex near SFSU and Lake Merced is also offering move-in deals. Apparently, you can "Get $2017 off of your total move in cost now," per Craigslist. Image 29 of 33 A 2 bedroom in this complex near SFSU: $2949. Source: Craigslist A 2 bedroom in this complex near SFSU: $2949. Source: Craigslist Image 30 of 33 Image 31 of 33 The apartment near SFSU. Source: Craigslist The apartment near SFSU. Source: Craigslist Image 32 of 33 1 bath in apartment near SFSU. Source: Craigslist 1 bath in apartment near SFSU. Source: Craigslist Image 33 of 33 Increasing number of S.F. apartments offering 'move in specials' 1 / 33 Back to Gallery

We all know the San Francisco rental market is tough.

In recent years, it has presented challengers for renters, but now it seems to be getting tougher for landlords. If the number of “move in specials” is anything to go by, filling vacant units this fall isn’t as easy as it usually is.

Though hardly scientific research, a filter of “special” on apartments for rent in San Francisco via Craigslist turned up over 450 possibilities. And it’s not only the neighborhoods filled with luxury towers offering these specials. Yes, SoMa has many of them, but as the gallery above proves, there are deals in the Sunset, the Haight, Pacific Heights–really, most any corner of the city, and in both new buildings and old.

Is the market softening?

John Way, broker and owner of San Francisco’s Property Force property management, says that special deals aren’t always a sign of a weakened market.

For example, if the unit in question is rent controlled, “investors want to keep the rental rate as high as possible,” Way explained. To illustrate, say a $3,000 unit drops its price to $2,500. “Then it would take seven to 10 years to get back to the $3,000 if the rent control increase was on average 2 percent a year.” On the other hand, if the price stays at $3,000 with an incentive of a free month, the lost income is easily recouped.

“When you calculate $3,000 for the free month vs years of low rent costing you tens of thousands, it an easy decision to give a month or even two for free,” Way said.

Competing for tenants

In the newer towers, rent control is not the issue. But here’s what could be instead: competition.

The special offers captured in the gallery above could be, Way suggested “Simply an advertising tool used mostly with multi unit buildings with a lot of similar competition.”

Indeed. But in a city with historically low vacancy rate, any competition for tenants, as opposed to competition for apartments, is interesting.

The National Real Estate Investor reported in July that “It’s probably impossible to overbuild San Francisco at large…..But it is quite possible to overbuild the high-end of the market, and weak rents and rising concessions suggest that developers may have succeeded.”

Unrealistic pricing

Nutshell: the market isn’t at its hottest. John Way also noted this, saying, “Some owners are just stuck on a price–the highest price their home was every valued at– as the current market price. Due to this, we have a number of rentals in the market that are currently overpriced and not moving, making it appear like we have a surplus; but what we really have is a market that has just not hit a point where its forced to make major rent rate decreases.”

Not major decreases, no; but rents are down. Reports of year-over-year rent decreases came out in April, June of this year and again in August . Though the exact amount of the dip ranges, depending on from whom data are pulled, the downward arrow is in and of itself noteworthy.

So, S.F. tenants and prospective tenants, peruse the gallery above of apartments that seem to want you more than you want them. We hesitate to use the word “deal” with these rents, but “move in special” has its own kind of appeal.