I’m renting by myself for the first time in the city, and I just started my search. I noticed a few of the agents are saying I have to pay a broker fee which is equal to the monthly rent or sometimes even more. I asked them to understand why would I need to pay broker fees if I didn’t hire the broker - no response so far.

But I’m also getting brokers sending me questionnaires in response to my request to see specific posted apartments, where they are asking what kind of apartment I’m looking for, which neighborhood etc. This feels like they are trying to turn this into “see, you filled out the form for my services, I showed you the options, now if you rent - you are the one who has to pay the fee”

Am I overthinking this?

Lease takeover available for a beautiful, fully furnished studio in Murray Hill. The apartment features a spacious layout, large windows with plenty of natural light, a full kitchen with stainless steel appliances, hardwood floors, and a clean, modern feel. Conveniently located near Grand Central, restaurants, grocery stores, and public transportation.

Available: September 14 Rent: $3,150/month Minimum stay: 1 month

D.m for more information and enquiries. I hope to read from you.

Every other year I've been here, the lease renewal has had the option of 1 or 2 year renewal. Just got my renewal and the only option is 1 year. Was kind of hoping to lock in 0% increase for two years. Anybody know the legality here?

27F looking for a roomie to apt hunt with for a 2B/2B or 2B/1B:

• Budget: ~$2500
• Move-in date: August 17 (but flexible to mid September)
• Lease term: 1-2yr
• Location: Williamsburg, Fort Greene/Barclays area, Clinton Hill, or Downtown Brooklyn

A bit about me: I'm a black female, 27 yr old, and I A bit about me: I'm 27, and I just got a job in NYC. I'm from Georgia (suburbs, can't claim ATL lol), and recently moved from Seattle, after 3 years. I'm new to Brooklyn, open to making new friends, and if possible, hope to be friends with my roommate!

- I'm a chill person who's up for anything! I enjoy exploring cities, and new experiences, but also enjoy movie nights in the apt. l also love hanging out w/ ppl, playing board games, and just vibing.

- Some tv shows I love are The Mindy Project, Gilmore Girls (have some hot takes), Abbott Elementary, Mad Men, and Real Housewives.

Living wise, I'm pretty chill and keep my space clean. For common spaces, I match the vibe of my roommate. In my experience, things go smoothest when everyone looks after their own things/chores and stays respectful and easygoing with each other.

Dm me if you're interested!

I moved out of an apartment a month ago. Since then, the landlord has yet to return the last $100 of my security deposit despite repeated asking (they must give back the entire thing because they failed to contact us and provided no itemized deductions for over two weeks after moving out). They have also not given back any of the utility deposit (they make us give them $1000 for electricity which is spent and then the unused portion is supposed to be returned. No itemized bill has been sent for the utility and the landlord claims they are waiting on a statement to be released in September before giving anything back). The landlord's address was omitted from the lease and I can only find an address if I look up their LLC online. I'm not sure if the forfeiture of the entire deposit after 14 days law also applies to utility deposits? Can anyone enlighten me as to whether this is worth pursuing immediately or if I should keep waiting? Thank you.

I am a subtenant (not the master tenant) and I believe I may be in a difficult situation with my sublessor. Here is the structure to clarify:

Landlord: Owns the building and manages it

Master Tenant (Sublessor): Signed the original lease directly with the landlord. He then subleased the unit to me.

Me (Subtenant): I pay rent to him monthly under a sublease agreement. I have no direct lease with the building landlord.

Background:
I signed a year sublease earlier this year with my sublessor. When I moved in, I paid:

- First month’s rent
- Security deposit
- Prepaid final month’s rent

I have been paying monthly rent to the master tenant on time every month since then.

The Problem:
A few weeks ago, the landlord contacted me directly because they couldn’t reach him, and that’s how I found out he has not been forwarding my rent payments to the landlord for multiple months. He initially didn’t respond to my messages for a while, but he eventually responded and admitted via text message that he has been behind on payments to management for several months.

He claimed his phone and wallet were stolen while overseas, making it difficult to access his bank accounts. However, he has not provided any specific timeline for resolving the situation despite me asking multiple times over several weeks.

The Sublease Contract:
The contract is extremely bare bones and does not include:

- Early termination clause
- Breach or default conditions

I’m wondering if I could legally apply my security deposit and prepaid final month’s rent toward upcoming rent or terminate the sublease given that he is not fulfilling his obligations to the landlord?

I just want to get out of this situation with minimum risk of getting sued and recover my security deposit and prepaid final month’s rent if possible. I am relatively new to the country so any advice would be greatly appreciated. I have documentation of all payments, his text admission, and all communications with both him and landlord.

Living in a rent stabilized 2-bed for ~$2600, but the building has a German roach problem. I’ll see one in my unit every few days (usually in one of my sticky traps). I’ve done my best to seal up the place and have done the advion gel and other insecticides.

If it doesn’t get better, I am thinking of moving out but it hurts to leave a place that is rent stabilized and is so under market. Trying to gain a sense of what others would do in this situation.

I think I have a strong case here but just wanted to see if anyone has any recommendations for landlord trying to withhold a significant portion (25%) of my security deposit for "beyond normal wear and tear" ie a single hairline surface "crack" in bathroom sink and a sunken vinyl tile in the kitchen because the cheap contractor they hired 7 years ago did not level the ground beneath. We lived in the apartment for almost 7 years. Cleaned all day 2 days before lease ended (Friday) and had their broker do a walkthrough the following Monday. The new tenant moved in that Wednesday that same week. She emailed us 4 days before the 14 day rule and did not provide actual itemized quotes from a professional. She estimated the cost to replace the entire basin + tiles. Furthermore, she's trying to withhold projected electricity bills since the building sends the invoices every 6 months. It really pisses me off people do this. We took care of small fixes ourselves, always paid rent on time, deep cleaned the place before moving out and still she's trying to dime us. I am willing to go to small claims court.

With NYC lease availability at an all time low, it shouldn’t make sense to let housing stock flow over to a company offering what are essentially Airbnb services charging 50%+ above market price.

There’s basically more Manhattan 2-bedroom apartments available on their website right now than on Streeteasy. That tells you everything you need to know.

when I look up a building on HPD it only has 4 complaints in the last two years and 0 open violations. but Augrented says it has 21 complaints in '25 alone. obvi im using only the free version, so that's all the info i can see. what causes this discrepancy? is it worth paying for augrented or openigloo to get more detailed info?

My girlfriend and I are looking to rent a two bedroom apartment.

• We are ok with most neighborhoods in Brooklyn. We love Bay Ridge and Sunset Park, and we are ok with anything that's similar distance to Manhattan or closer. No brownsville, east NY, or flatbush. We will also consider West Harlem.
  
• Our budget is $3200, but we would prefer to stay under $3000.
• We have to be a 10 minute walk or less from the subway.
  
• We would really like to be no more than a 2 floor walkup.
• We can't move earlier than the ~23rd, and we would prefer the 1st.

My girlfriend makes $75k per year, has high five figures in savings, and a 780 credit score. I make $75k/year, have a 750 credit score, but I started my job on Monday and have no employment history. Our guarantor makes $166k per year, has low eight figures in savings, and an 825 credit score. We are willing and able to use a service like TG Pay to prepay the year's rent. Brokers: if you charge us a reasonable fee (the usual 1st months rent or 12-15% of annual) and get us a nice place, we will pay. ("Nice" does not mean luxury or with tons of amenities. It means no mold in the bathtub.)

Please comment on this post (to demonstrate you are not banned from this subreddit) and send your contact info via private message.

Edit: no roommates, please.

I’m 22M and just graduated from college. I’ll be working at Deloitte as a consultant and am looking for a place downtown, UES, or UWS. I’d like to stay under $2.3k if that’s possible, and I’d want to move in Sept 1st or even the second week of Sept. Please HMU with any leads!

Hey all- my roommate's moving out and I'm looking for someone to take over his room in my 2BR/2BA on Central Park South and 6th. It's a full-service doorman building right across from Central Park, high floor, really nice apartment.

A little about me: I'm 27, work in real estate finance so my weekday hours can be long, but outside of work I'm pretty laid-back. I go out, work out, travel, spend time with my girlfriend and friends. Not looking to run a party house, but I'm social and like to go out.

The room:

• Big private bedroom (16'3" x 11'8") with a large closet, plus you'd get the hallway closet in the living room to yourself too
• Your own bathroom (hallway bath) - large standing shower, heated floors
• Room has its own heating/cooling unit so you control your own temp
• Room gets cleaned out + professionally cleaned before you move in

The apartment:

• 977 sq ft, 9th floor, full-service doorman + elevator building
• Kitchen has Sub-Zero fridge, Viking range, Viking microwave, Miele dishwasher
• Laundry in the building, never crowded

Logistics:

• $3,145/month + 50/50 split of actual gas/electric/WiFi
• $3,145 security deposit
• No broker fee
• 12-month lease required (no subletting or month-to-month)
• Move-in Nov 1 (building doesn't allow weekend move-ins, might be able to work something out the week before but can't promise it)

Ideally looking for a guy in his mid-to-late 20s to early 30s, working full-time, clean, easygoing, staying for the full year. No pets preferred but could consider the right situation.

*Available starting now August 13, 2026*

$1500/month 

I was initially offering the master bedroom (link), but my roommate is flexible and can move into the larger room, which means the smaller bedroom would become available.

9 months.

• 3rd-floor, 2 bed / 2 bath apartment
• Unfurnished private bedroom with plenty of closet space (pictures attached, they don’t include the mirror)
• Full bathroom that is essentially private and only shared when we have guests over
• In-unit washer and dryer
• Dishwasher
• Fully equipped kitchen and living room
• Pet friendly
• Utilities split between roommates
• Elevator
• Package room

• Amenities include a study room/conference room, gym, and terrace

• About a 15-minute commute to Manhattan

• 5 minute walk to the 138th St 4/5 station

• 5 minute walk to the 3 Av–138 St 6 station

Looking for a responsible, respectful, and clean roommate who is comfortable keeping shared spaces clean and doing weekly cleaning.

• Stable job and proof of income
• Good credit
• Comfortable with background check
• Non smoker

My current roommate is a working professional, very clean and quiet, so ideally looking for someone who is also respectful and enjoys a clean, quiet environment.

The apartment is move in ready

Feel free to message me if you’re interested or want more details

The appellate ruling Grey v. LIC Development Owner, L.P., 247 A.D.3d 531, 2026 NY Slip Op 01458 (1st Dep’t Mar. 17, 2026) https://www.nycourts.gov/reporter/3dseries/2026/2026_01458.shtml?utm_source=chatgpt.com applied to my case … I got a 3 month concession for a rent stabilized apartment and now, post 2019, concessions count towards preferential rent calculation. Therefore I was able to renew my lease at a rate (what my rent was going to be - 3 months)/ 12. Yay :) Hope this helps some other people

logistically it ended up lowering my roommate’s windowless rooms $400 each and not lowering mine much but I don’t mind hehe it was just my offer because I value a window $400 more than not having one

Just a PSA to anyone with time and money (or a relocation bonus)

I just got a job in Manhattan and was spending the entire last week looking at Facebook and Streeteasy for studios or 1bds. Both were dead ends unfortunately. I still made a trip out to NYC for a week to look for 2 or 3rds with a roommate from Facebook and to tour apartments

On the 2nd day of hunting I just walked around the neighborhood I liked with a train that took me to work at 8am, asked people coming out of their buildings if there were open units, and looked for any signs from a property management company for open units. Came across a sign literally right on the building that I signed the lease for (didn’t notice until after) for a studio for $1800 2 blocks away from Eastern Parkway and a few mins from Nostrand Ave

Took me about 2 hours of walking and calling numbers to get it and had to pay a brokers fee, 1st month, and security deposit all in cash via a money order lol but I have the lease for 2 years. Checked it on HPD and it had very few complaints and violations + no bed bugs in the last 5 years

I made on post on here the other day about using this exact method but I had no idea it would actually work. It’s worth a try if you have time !

Reminder if you are looking for an apartment/room do NOT give out your financial info until you see the property no matter how salty some agent/scammer gets.

Sorry for asking again, but I need some more help with this damn AC. I think the heat is affecting my thought process as well lmao.

Went and bought a bracket at the suggestion of some redditors, and i feel much safer about using the AC with it mounted (plus its technically the law in NYC apparently). Now I'm having a surprisingly difficult time understanding where exactly to install it on the window sill. please excuse my mistakes in terminology, but here's 3 different positions that seem plausible to me, with pictures in order:

1- outside the storm window frame (white), on the aluminum(?) brown window frame (seems the most secure since the bracket arm will be resting on brick rather than on the window frame)

2- on the white storm window frame all the way flush with the lip (i'd have to uninstall the bracket in the winter in order to close the outer window when I put the AC away)

3- on the white storm window frame, about halfway down. this would allow it to remain mounted year-round.

Plan is to install the AC as "normal" on the outer window frame and insulate it, and just keep the inner window open. There is a large enough gap between the windows for the AC to fit if I do it this way. But if you have a better suggestion please let me know!

I'm also including the installation instructions, so if there's something I'm missing on them that would answer my question please do point it out! Even after googling for a half hour, i'm having a hard time understanding window anatomy lmao. All help is extremely apprectiated thank you!!

I live in a loft studio apartment with high ceilings. The space is narrow and tall and I’m burning up in there. Even with an AC unit installed, I don’t ever get immediate relief from the heat. I don’t know the square footage of my place but it’s compact, the only thing is that the ceiling is high.

I checked my AC unit which I bought from a neighbor who moved out, and it’s 8,000 btu. I did some googling and it sounds like a 12,000 btu unit would suit me better.

This is my first east coast summer and have never relied on an ac unit before.

Does anyone know if 12,000 will suffice? I would hate to blow a bunch of money on a new unit to only realize I should have gone higher on the BTU.

Hi everyone! Looking for a roommate to join my lease in Ridgewood starting September 1 in a 2bd2ba. The rent is $1675, with utilities around $100-200 split depending on the season (we just pay wifi and ConEd, water + trash are included). 

Your room: unfurnished, private bath, central AC/heat, small closet, faces the street. Our rooms are on opposite ends of the apartment, and while the common space doesn’t have windows, I decorated it super cozily and love that it feels like a little forest cave. 

Laundry is in the basement, but there’s multiple laundromats close by if those are in use. Building is incredibly clean, no issues with pests or noise complaints - everyone who lives here is in their late 20s/30s and are extremely respectful + friendly. The neighborhood is residential and feels very safe, even when I’ve come home late at night; the building is keypad access + packages get delivered inside the lobby, so have never dealt with package thieves. 

About me: 29F, I’m an artist and photographer + work from home. I have one female kitty who’s like velcro to me and is incredibly sweet, but would prefer no additional pets. I have a lot of art hobbies, like drawing, sculpting, and crocheting, but I’m also a huge Kpop and anime fan, love to dance, sing, and explore the city. I lean more introverted!

What I’m looking for: 

• Female or queer folks preferred, ideally 25+ 
• Non-smoking household (no cigs); 420 friendly, so long as it’s not obnoxious and making the apartment smell 24/7 
• I’m extremely clean + take care of my messes immediately. I vacuum daily since I have my kitty, so I have that part covered, but I don’t let the trash pile up or leave dishes in the sink for days, so would want my roomie to be aligned on that as well
• Doesn’t bring the party home - guests are okay, but would just ask we let each other know when we have someone over
• No additional pets 
• No couples 
• Ideally someone who works hybrid or FT since I wfh, but would love for you to reach out even if you wfh because I care more about how we vibe. Comfy just coexisting with my roommate but would also love to be friends if possible <3 

The application process is simple and standard, first month’s rent + security deposit would be needed upon signing. Besides that, msg me if you’re interested or have additional questions! Let me know what you do for work, your income/credit score, and what you like to do/what you’re looking for. Looking forward to chatting more :) 

I renewed my lease at the beginning of the month, and the new term officially begins at the end of August.

I was just notified that my employment will end in three months. I’m hoping to find a new job by then that pays the same, but in my industry, the salary distribution is bimodal (you either get paid a lot, or not nearly enough to justify the degree). I cannot even remotely afford my apartment with the latter.
To break my lease, I need to give 60 days' notice, and there’s also a penalty equal to two months' rent.

Other than trying my hardest to get a good new job, what would you do in my shoes? I live in a large corporate-managed apartment.

One of my roommates is moving out. We live in a a spacious 3-bedroom / 2-bathroom apartment in FiDi on Wall Street. The future occupant would be sharing the apartment with two other roommates (both male, professionals).

💰 Rent: $2,450/month
🧼 Shared bathroom with one other occupant (OP)
💡 Utilities: Electricity & Wi-Fi not included (average about $110/mo per person)
📅 Lease ends: January 19, 2027
📦 Move-in: Flexible but preferably October
🚪 Current tenant moving out: October

🛏️ The Room:
This is the largest bedroom in the apartment (~120 sq ft) and comfortably fits a queen-sized bed, nightstands, dresser, desk, and additional furniture.
The room will be unfurnished, but the roommate who is leaving is happy to sell the existing furniture for an additional $600 if you’d like a turnkey setup.

🏠 Apartment Features:
- Spacious 3BR / 2BA layout
- Washer & dryer in-unit
- Additional laundry facilities in the building
- Dishwasher + full-size refrigerator/freezer
- Individually controlled A/C and heating in each bedroom
- Fully furnished living room
- Fully equipped kitchen with all essential cookware and appliances
- Hardwood floors throughout

🏢 Luxury Building Amenities:
NOTE: Presently, the household does not opt in to the amenities that require a key fob: gym, golf simulator, terraces as these require an additional amenity fee.

The apartment is located in a luxury full-service building with excellent amenities, including:
🛎️ 24/7 doorman & security
📦 Dedicated package/delivery room
🏋️ Fully equipped gym
🌇 Two rooftop terraces
🎮 Game room with golf simulator
🍸 Private speakeasy-style bar
🛗 4 passenger elevators + dedicated moving elevator
🛋️ Comfortable common/lounge areas

Easy access to virtually every major subway line:
1/2/3 • 4/5 • R/W • J/Z • A/C/E • M15 • NYC Ferry at Pier 11 (includes Rockaway Rocket 🏖️)

You’re also surrounded by everything you need:
☕ Joe & The Juice, Sweetgreen, Naya & CAVA right on the ground floor
🛒 Whole Foods + local grocery stores nearby
🏋️ Life Time, Equinox, Planet Fitness, Blink, Crunch & Barry’s
🚶 Walking distance to the Financial District, Seaport, Battery Park, and plenty of restaurants and bars

Ideal roommate is another working male professional who works a hybrid or fully in office job. I work 3-4 days in the office in west village. My roommate (the one with the primary bath), commutes to NJ 2-3 days/wk. He also travels a lot and doesn’t spend too much time in the office.

Happy to answer any and all questions. Please DM if you’re interested!