That's more of a banal aphorism then a piece of concrete actionable advice when trying to find a place to live. Expecting to get a rent below market rate by arbitrarily walking into somebody on the street is just...
It's true, I omitted a vital piece of the puzzle. Without it, my comment's advice does really come down to "have luck".
"That's more of a banal aphorism then a piece of concrete actionable advice ..."
Are you kidding ?
It's the best piece of advice you'll read all year.