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The rental apartment search can be a frustrating experience. Collected on this page are articles that cover NY properties, the search, types of available leases as well as documents you should prepare before you set out to find a new home.

We know that finding an apartment to rent in Manhattan is not an easy task because we have done it so many times. Our Search guide is your best friend through the process. It will keep you focused and warn about common pit falls...

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Every rental application for apartment in New York will require additional paperwork. While some landlords and Coop Boards request packages similar to ones needed to purchase a property, most Management Companies will be satisfied with Employment letter and pay stubs.

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Every rental apartment lease is different but all share the common structure and are guided by City and New York State laws. We describe the most common situations and offer links to other resources for more info.

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You know how big of an apartment you need but do you know what is it called in New York? Is Convertible 3 a 3 bedroom or a 2 bedroom that can be converted. This and other questions are covered in this list of definitions.

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Do you know a difference between a Tenement building and a Brownstone? How about Townhouses? New York offers a the mix of properties not available elsewhere. Educate yourself before having to make a decision.

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Looking for a new apartment in New York can be a frustrating experience. To avoid wasting the time and money, stay organized and break down your search into individual steps:

1. decide on how much rent can you afford.

To rent an apartment in New York, you will have to meet certain financial requirements. Manhattan landlords are more demanding than the ones in New York's other boroughs. They expect applicants to have good credit history, have a steady job and earn 40 or more times the rent in their annual income. To use this formula as a guideline, divide your annual gross income (before bonus) by 40 and you will have the maximum amount of rent you can qualify for. If you want to spend more on monthly rent, be prepared to put down advanced rent payments, a bigger security deposit or have a guarantor co-sign a lease. (For more information, see our 'Requirements, Documents and Funds' article.)

2. prepare documents and funds.

New York landlords work mostly on a first-come-first-serve basis. When you find the apartment you are looking for, your new landlord will ask you to submit the application and necessary paperwork and, upon approval, sign the lease and turn in the first month's rent and the security deposit. The amount of security may vary but will equal at least equal one month's rent. Have those funds available in your checking account to avoid losing the place you worked hard to find. For more information on necessary paperwork, please see our Documents and Requirements article on the right.

3. focus on the area you want to live in.

If you do not know where you'd want to live in the City, this is the best time to decide. Each one of five New York City 'Boroughs' offers a growing list of excellent neighborhoods. Many Brooklyn, Queens and Bronx areas are becoming a good alternative to beautiful but expensive parts of Manhattan. Use Wikipedia and other web sites, travel books and local magazines to find out more about City's individual neighborhoods. For details on Manhattan neighborhoods, you can also pick up a copy of Gabriel's Apartment Rental Guide in a local book store. If you can, visit the areas you are considering to live in.

4. decide to use a broker or go "no fee".

Apartment brokers or 'real estate brokers' as they are also known, are a permanent City fixture. While landlords are modernizing and embracing the internet, many continue to use real estate brokers to find good tenants and many will do for years to come. Brokers also provide tenants with a great service by keeping them focused, finding the best properties before they get rented and coordinating the necessary paperwork. Their fee may be as much as two monthly rents but is often well earned. If you decide to use a broker, make sure that they are experienced, a good listener and if possible, referred to you by a friend.
If you choose to try your luck without a broker, keep in mind that brokers will be your biggest competition. To keep ahead, prepare your documents and funds and try to learn the market as fast and as much as you can.

The rest of this article will assume that you are working without a real estate broker.

5. research the market.

Knowing the market will save you the most time and frustration. It will give you focus and keep your goal realistic. And if you find out that you can't afford the neighborhood of your first choice, learning the market will allow you to quickly focus on another area. To put it another way: if the best apartment you can find turns to be the first apartment that you see - how will you know that you should take it? Research is the key.
To get a sense of how much you will have to spend on rent in a certain neighborhood, create a list of ten to twenty apartments from that area. If listings don't provide all information you need, call to clarify. Use only listings that talk about a specific apartment - full address, unit number, occupancy date, etc. Avoid ads that omit that info - they are often "teasers" written to attract your attention and make you call. Remember, you are looking for real and accurate information that you can base your apartment search on.
Best sources of information for your research and also apartment search are Listing Square, individual landlord websites (we feature links to many of them) and classifieds sites that allow one to limit the search to "no fee" and "posted by owner" ads. As you build a list of apartments and get accurate sense for the area, you are ready to start seeing properties.

6. schedule and see properties.

Ideally, you should be at this point around the first of the month and about 30 days before you want to move in. The apartment that you are looking for is still occupied, landlord is informed that the current tenant will leave and is prepared to show the property. You are ready to find a new home.
Start your search by visiting web sites but keep in mind that most of the process is done over the phone. Be ready to take notes and to keep a simple log of the leads and properties you have seen on your search. Set aside at least some of the hours between 9 am and 5 pm, Monday through Friday. Most 'no fee' apartments are shown by building superintendents between those hours. Remember that current tenants and superintendents showing you the place are coming out of their way to do it - be polite and be on time. Bring your digital camera with you, especially if your roommate cannot come.
Schedule to see several apartments at the time and always confirm that property is still available before you go to see it. Be early for Open Houses - usually there is a line to get in. Asking questions is a must - ask tenants what they like and what they don't like about the place. Ask if there is something you should know about the noise, other tenants or if there is anything 'wrong' with the place. Make sure you see closets and rooms behind closed doors. Ask if the apartment will be painted or renovated. If you need to see it again, arrange for it while there. If you can't get answers to your questions, ask who you should call.
Be open minded and approach each place with a question: "Can I see myself living here?" If the answer is no - don't dwell on pros and cons the apartments has - just leave and forget about it. If the answer is YES, do not hesitate to take it off the market. Chances are other people will like it too.

7. getting your new place.

Once you locate the apartment you are interested in, contact the person in charge of the application process right away. This is the best time to ask questions. Be polite and show how organized and easy to work with you are. If you are getting the answers you were hoping for, ask how to take the apartment off the market. Ask how much deposit is needed and how soon you can you deliver it. Do not delay giving the deposit. The apartment is not 'off the market' until you do so and anyone else can walk in and persuade the landlord to take their money instead of yours.
Deposits serve to show landlord that you want the place and so they don't need to keep looking for another tenant. Deposits range from an affordable $30 to $75 dollars that covers a credit check fee, to one month's rent or sometimes more. Deposits of $200 or more are usually applied towards the payment of first month's rent.
Securing an apartment in New York requires cash or cash equivalent: certified (Bank) checks, money orders, money wires or traveler's checks. Personal checks or credit cards are not used for a simple reason: they allow you to change your mind and cancel the transaction. If your deposit is in cash, make sure you get a receipt.
The list of necessary paperwork will vary but most of the time includes the application form, employment letter and last 2 or 3 pay stubs. In addition, some landlords will ask for reference letters, bank statements, W2 forms, etc.
Approval process involves a credit check and sometimes a housing court records check and the collection of necessary paperwork. Upon approval, the landlord will schedule a lease signing. Most City buildings are rental (versus Coop and Condo buildings) and the application process should take no longer than three days to complete. If it's taking longer, you may be wasting your time. (In Coop or Condo case, it may be three weeks or more before you get an answer)

8. signing the lease.

Lease signing involves signing of several documents. The lease - usually a stationary store form with your and the landlord's information filled in; a rider - which is an attachment to a lease stating rules specific to your new landlord or a building you are moving into; window guards form, lead based paint forms, W9 form, move-in sheets and possibly other documents created to protect interests of either party. Often and especially in Manhattan, lease clauses are not negotiable and instead of having to consult an attorney (and pay for it), landlords opt to look for another tenant. Remember that leases exist to minimize misunderstandings and provide for regular rent payments and that landlords look for a tenant who pays rent, respects the property and doesn't disturb others. You, too, would try to enforce that through a lease. If you are usually uncomfortable signing contracts, learn more about your and the landlord's rights. We provide some links to information about housing laws and leases in general.

9. moving in.

Moving into your new space starts the day of your lease signing. There are boxes to pack, a move to coordinate and a number of services to secure.
To avoid moving into an apartment without electricity and paying a reactivation fee, call ConEd or another electricity provider once you sign a lease.
Decide if you will have a phone line in the apartment and contact the phone company accordingly. They may take several weeks to come and turn it on. New York cable companies also offer phone service in addition to cable and high speed internet. You may save by combining those three on one bill.
Contact multiple movers and have an inventory of items you plan to move ready so you can fax it for an estimate. Shop around, movers' prices vary. Consider flat rate companies over others that charge by the hour.

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When renting an apartment in New York, you should expect to pay at minimum, one month's rent and the same amount in security deposit. Landlords place security deposits into separate bank accounts and tenants collect interest on them. Security deposit is usually kept until tenant vacates the apartment and it usually can not be used as a payment of rent.

Manhattan landlords are more demanding and look for a tenant that makes at least 40 times the monthly rent in annual income ($60,000 for a $1,500 per month apartment). Tenant should also be at same job for more than a year and have a credit that shows no or few late payments and no outstanding issues (charge offs or collections).

To prove the income, most landlords require a Letter of Employment. It should bear company's logo, show employees position, starting date and guarantied annual compensation. In addition, unless it is a new job, application package should include 2 most recent pay stubs. Self employed applicants typically prove their income by presenting last two federal tax returns.

If the income, length of employment or credit do not meet the requirements, most Manhattan landlords will require larger security deposit, sometimes as much as 6 monthly rents. In case of no credit history at all, a year's rent up front can be required.

Most landlords accept guarantors to co-sign the lease. Guarantor's income should to be about or over 80 times the monthly rent for the apartment you are applying for. Usually, guarantor will need to fill out an application and present front and signature pages of one or last two federal tax returns. Guarantor would ideally be from a Tri-State area (New York, Connecticut, New Jersey) but there are still some landlords still work with guarantors from anywhere in the U.S.

When renting in New York, you are most likely to get one of the following four types of leases.

Non Stabilized - Is the most common type of lease. Housing laws provide many protections for the tenant. However, once your term is up, the landlord does not have to offer you a renewal and can raise the rent to any amount he or she feels is fair. In addition to apartments in buildings with 5 or less units, more and more apartments qualify for a non stabilized status.

Rent Stabilized - This is the most desirable lease. In addition to protections under a non stabilized lease, the landlord is required to offer renewals and is limited in how much they can raise the rent. The New York State Rent Stabilization Law of 1969 applies to every apartment in the building of 6 or more housing units. However, once the registered (legal) rent becomes more than $2000 per month, The landlord can choose to 'de-stabilize' the apartment and start charging 'market' rent. Roughly one half of New York rental apartments (about 1 million units) are rent stabilized and this number is shrinking. Since the summer of 1971, Rent Controlled units become Rent Stabilized once they are vacated. In other words, it is not possible to legally rent a Rent Controlled apartment anymore.

Condo - Apartments in New York that are individually owned fall into the Condo or Coop category. In Condo (a.k.a.: Condominium) buildings, landlords own their apartments and share the common expenses of the building. Renters in those buildings sublet from apartment owners and have to be approved by the Condominium's Board. While it is rare that sublease applications are rejected, the process can sometimes take weeks.

Coop - In a Coop building, the corporation owns the building and individual owners have a percentage of corporation's shares. The Coop Board makes decisions regarding even the most minute changes and decisions and usually discourages subletting of apartments. When subletting is allowed, the Board reserves a right to reject any application often with no explanation. The approval process can take a month or more. Both Condo and Coop buildings carry many 'hidden' fees such as 'move in' and 'move out' fees and deposits, processing fees and others.

The following are descriptions of different apartment layouts in the City as well as terms you are likely to find when browsing the classifieds. Apartments (unlike Rooms for rent) always include a kitchen and a bathroom. Hot water and heat have to be included in rent unless you are renting a commercial space that was turned into a residential unit. Electricity, cooking gas, telephone, and cable are additional services, usually arranged by the tenant.

Studio - One room with kitchen (or kitchenette) and a bathroom. Known elsewhere as 'efficiency'.

Alcove Studio - Studio apartment with a distinct, visually separate area for sleeping. Usually 'L' shaped. More common in Doorman buildings.

Two Room Studio - Two rooms studio where kitchen is big enough to be used for dining. Also known as 'Junior One Bedroom'.

One Bedroom - Separate living and bedroom spaces. Kitchen may be separate or a part of the living room.

Junior 4 - 'Almost four rooms'. Living, bedroom, kitchen and dining area. Found in luxury doorman buildings.

Convertible Two - Large one bedroom, usually with a dining area. Sometimes conversion creates a living with no windows in the living room. ('Converted Two bedroom' is different - it implies two bedrooms already exist).

Two Bedroom - Living room and two bedrooms.

Convertible Three - Large two bedroom apartment, usually with a dining area.

Classic Six - Very large two bedroom - living, two bedrooms, separate kitchen, a dining room and servant's bedroom. Found in luxury pre war buildings, mostly on Upper West and Upper East Side.

Three Bedroom - Living and three bedrooms. Three bedrooms and larger layouts are less common and always in high demand.

Classic Seven - Classic six with three bedrooms.

Convertible Four - Large three bedroom, usually with a dining area

Four Bedroom - Living and four distinct bedrooms. Hard to find.

Apartment buildings in New York belong to one of these categories:

Walk ups - Most apartments in New York are in walk up buildings. Those buildings can be pre war, post war, tenement, brownstone, townhouse or multiple apartment buildings. Usually, they provide double locked door entrances with intercoms and don't include laundry. Buildings in New York with more than 6 floors always include an elevator.

Elevator buildings - In addition to elevator and a double locked door entrance with an intercom, most have a laundry facility.

Doorman - These buildings were usually created with a certain type of tenant in mind. They command a higher price because most of the time, their apartments offer larger layouts and high end finishes. Additional amenities include a doorman, elevator and laundry. Often, in the case of modern high rises, the building would have a gym, a roof deck, bicycle storage, a pool and other luxury offerings.

Pre war - This designation stands for buildings erected before the Second World War. What makes them different is a more 'formal' layout, better proportioned rooms, high ceilings and, often, beautiful hardwood floors.

Post war - Unlike pre war, these buildings are known for much larger closets and bigger windows. While very few buildings in the City offer central air conditioning, apartments in post war buildings often include individual A/C units.

Townhouse - Built to be single family dwellings, these buildings often display the splendor of the times long gone. They are often closer in layout to a suburban mansion than a City home.

Brownstone - Brownstones were created as middle to upper-middle class townhouses. The name is derived from a brown sandstone that usually covers their fronts. Most brownstones have been converted into multi family dwellings that offer unique layouts, high ceilings, sometimes exposed brick walls and tons of character. Second floors are the most coveted and usually have better details and higher ceilings. Some brownstones have an elevator. Unlike townhouses, brownstone entrances are either several steps below street level or on top of a grand staircase, half a flight above the sidewalk.

Single family - These houses often have a driveway, a garden and other amenities of a suburban home. They are very rare in Manhattan but common in New York's other Boroughs.