Renting in New York is a unique experience. Apartments are expensive, rent quickly, and via the New York City subway a wide variety of neighborhoods are available to fit both your ideal commute and lifestyle.
While you can certainly search on your own, my team and I know the market, neighborhoods, specific landlords, and can coordinate access to make the best use of your time. We are experts in the field and serve as our client’s coach, advocate, and negotiator in helping secure the best apartment and terms for you.
We understand the hesitation when it comes to paying an additional fee in your apartment search process. Depending on the time of year, neighborhood, and price point, if myself or a member of my team brings you to an apartment that you end up renting, there will be a broker fee from 0 (No Fee) to 1.8 months (15% of the annual rent). As tenant’s agents we are hired by you, and our fiduciary responsibility is solely to you, not the landlord. We represent your interests and our goal is to find you a new home you’ll love.
Once you’ve found the the place you are looking for, it isimportant to move quickly to secure the location. For this reason, I recommend you check your qualifications and have your necessary paperwork in order.
Credit – Your credit history will be checked as part of your rental application. If you don’t know what your credit score is, I recommend you use CreditKarma.com – a free way to check your TransUnion/Equifax credit score. Being prepared with this knowledge will prevent the stress of you having to make last minute accommodations like providing a guarantor or adding extra security, or even potentially not being approved. Building credit takes time, but CreditKarma.com can show you how to take the best long term steps to make yourself look better in the eyes of a landlord, bank, or any creditor you come across.
Income & Assets – Landlords typically require that you demonstrate you earn 40-50 times the monthly rent as your yearly income. They’ll often ask for this verification via a Letter of Employment, Pay Stubs, or Tax Returns. They’ll also want to see at least a couple of months of rental liquidity in Savings, Checking, or Liquid Investment Accounts. Having these documents ready can really expedite your renting process, and make your life easier.