As a college student looking for a place to live in New York City, I had probably one of the most difficult times thinking of ways to look for an apartment in NYC. Because I’m a student, landlords always have this crazy idea that I’m going to throw crazy parties and refuse to pay my rent. They would rather take a person with an established career and a good credit score. So if you are a student, or just a newbie to the city, read these ways to look for an apartment in NYC!
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Start Early
If you are looking to move into New York City in say, September, you should start looking at your options around the end of June. If you are not from a city in general, you will be shocked at how little space you get for so much money. A one bedroom apartment on the Upper East Side (a cheaper area) is around $2,400 a month, and in that bedroom, you can only fit your bed. This is one of the biggest steps when it comes to ways to look for an apartment in NYC.
Have Multiple Agents
You have to realize that one agent in New York City probably has about fifteen other clients that he is dealing with along with yourself. There are also different apartments that have contracts with different apartment agencies so you will cover more ground if you have more agents.
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Word-of-Mouth
Make sure that the entire world knows that you are looking for an apartment. You might happen to find a landlord who isn’t working with a realty agency which is good for you because you don’t have to pay a broker's fee.
Look in a Different Borough
Manhattan isn’t the only borough in New York City. When I was looking for an apartment I wanted to live in Manhattan but realized that I could get a larger apartment for a lot cheaper in Staten Island, which is only a ferry or bus ride away from Manhattan. You can also look in Brooklyn, where a lot of young people are moving. Brooklyn is said to be the "up-and-coming Manhattan." It is full of fun, crazy places and you’ll never be bored in Brooklyn.
Classified Ads
Look on websites such as Craigslist or look in newspapers for apartments. Many landlords don’t want to work with agencies because it costs them money. A lot of people don’t even think about this option because they usually go straight to agencies.
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Make Sure You Have Something Landlords Want
If you want an apartment in the city, you should have something that makes you stand out from the other possible tenants. I got an apartment over five other people because I showed them that I had all of the money for the year in one bank account (separate from my regular account) and the landlord loved that because it proved that he would be paid. You might also want to think about getting a guarantor even if you have a nice steady income. Most Manhattan landlords want you to make 40 times the rent. So if you are close to that mark you might need someone to back you up.
Make Your Move-in Date Today
Even if you want to move into the city a month from now, you have a better chance of landing a place if you say you want to move in ASAP. Landlords never want their units empty so if someone wants to move in immediately the landlord will have a better chance of taking them.
Moving to New York City can be hard no matter who you are. One moment you could think that you have the apartment of your dreams and then in a split second you find out that it’s snatched up by another apartment hunter. But with these ways to look for an apartment, you’ll have a much better shot and finding your nest. What are some ways that you would look for an apartment in a big city like New York?
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