(Springfield, Mo.) -- Apartments have more vacancies now than they've had in three decades. According to Reis, inc., a research firm that tracks vacancies and rents, 8% of the nation's apartments are empty.

Landlords are fighting to fill those vacancies, making it a good time to be a renter.

Last year, apartment rents fell 3% nationwide. Now, renters almost expect some sort of deal before signing a lease.

"We just had to find a cheaper place to live, and this seemed to be convenient at the time," says OTC student Erin Scott.

Scott lives in Springfield's Orchard Park Apartments with her parents.

"It's a nice, cheap place to live," says Scott.

She represents one of the industry's current problems. With more young people living at home to save money, more apartments are remaining vacant.

"It's really competitive right now with the way the economic factors have played out," says TLC properties marketing director Jacob Harvey.

Harvey says, in 2009, its numbers stayed level, but that wasn't without a fight.

"2009 was a year of re-thinking things in the apartment industry and focusing on what the customer wants," says Harvey.

And what the customer wants is a deal. The company hasn't raised rent for a year and a half. To draw in renters, anyone who signs a year lease at Orchard Park, gets a 32-inch LCD flat screen television.

"For the most part, I think, what we've seen is people are more interested in electronics," says Harvey.

"The other places we looked, they might be a little bit cheaper, but they're not providing as much amenities," says prospective Orchard Park resident Jake Bapp.

Where TLC properties says it's the extras that bring in the renters, at the Wooten Company, it's a different story. All its incentives are financial.

"It went from 'how many pools or hot tubs or fitness centers' to 'just how much is the apartment gonna cost my budget every month?'"

To bring in renters, Wooten offers a free month's rent, monthly discounts, or payment plans to work with those struggling to pay. These days, incentives are almost expected.

"There's times where they call and the first question they ask on the phone is, 'do you have any move-in specials?'"

Both TLC Properties and the Wooten Co. say January has been a good month so far, and expect rentals to pick back up in 2010.

Contact: dmagditch@kspr.com