SOYOUWANNA FIND AN APARTMENT IN NYC?

Finding an apartment in any city can be a difficult task, but in New York it can be near impossible, or worse, near Trenton, New Jersey. While the stock market's recent performance has thousands of people moving to the city for well-paying jobs, these people have created a huge demand for living space and have driven apartment prices sky high. If this makes you unhappy, Alaska pays people to live there.

1. DETERMINE HOW MUCH YOU WANT TO SPEND ON RENT.

Before you start looking for an apartment, you need to make an important decision: how much are you willing and able to pay in monthly rent? In a city as expensive as New York you will probably have to spend a large percentage of your income on housing. A good way to find your upper-limit for housing costs is to divide your monthly net (after tax) income by three. If this figure seems unusually low, you have three options: (1) make more money, (2) consider living in a less expensive area, like Queens, Brooklyn or Hoboken, or (3) save money on rent by finding a roommate.

Maybe get yourself a roommate

If you decide getting a roommate is the way to cut costs, you can choose a friend/acquaintance yourself or you can use a roommate agency. (Some roommate agencies can be found online here and here). Either way, you must carefully choose your roommate or you will rue the day you opted to get yourself a "roomie." Obviously, not all strangers make good roommates, but less obviously, not all friends make good roommates. To that end, you may wish to ask all potential roommates the following questions to assess compatibility:

• Have you ever had a roommate before? What if anything bothered you about your past roommates?
• Do you have a boyfriend/girlfriend or other friend who will be staying here frequently? Are you promiscuous? (Do not be afraid to ask this one. You probably don't want strange people sleeping over a lot.)
• Do you smoke? Drink? Do drugs? If yes to any, how often?
• Do you stay out late on weekdays?
• Did/do you have any credit problems?
• Do you have any pets?
• What is your occupation?
• What do you like to watch on television? What music do you listen to?

Whatever you ask, in the end you should feel very comfortable with your future roommate. If you do not, you are taking a big risk shacking up with this person. Don't say we didn't tell you if things don't work out.

2. PICK A NEIGHBORHOOD.

Once you've determined how much money you can spend on an apartment, you need to decide what areas to look at. We should inform you that New York City is made up of five separate sections, or "boroughs": Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Staten Island, and Queens. Most people want to live in Manhattan because it's where most of the jobs are, and because it's probably the most happening place in the world. Many choose to live in one of the other four boroughs (where housing is infinitely cheaper) and commute into the city. Hey, it's your call, but everyone should experience living in the Big City at some point, so for the rest of the article, we're going to assume that you're searching for a dwelling in Manhattan. Manhattan itself is divided into many informal "neighborhoods," from Battery Park on the southern tip of the island to Inwood on the northern tip.

Each neighborhood has a different flavor; you can learn more about the neighborhoods by going to here, for starters, and/or you can have a look at books that describe New York neighborhoods, a couple of which we suggest in our related books section. You should also visit neighborhoods you might want to live in, if you can. Just walking around a neighborhood can be a real help in deciding where to live. When reading about or visiting neighborhoods, keep the following factors in mind:

• Is the rent affordable? Are the stores, shops, gyms, and bars in the area affordable? (No matter what they say ahead of time, most people spend their money in nearby establishments.)
• Is the neighborhood safe?
• How close is the public transportation you'll need to take to work, school, etc?
• What are the nearby schools like?
• Who lives in that neighborhood? Yuppies? Students? Kurds?

Once you have a basic idea of the neighborhood(s) you want to live in, you should make the broker decision.

3. DECIDE WHETHER YOU WANT A BROKER.

A broker is a person who does most or all of the apartment hunting work for you. Not for free -- brokers charge fees for finding you an apartment. That fee varies. It is usually equivalent to a little more than one month's rent, but it can be as high as 15% or 20% of one year's rent. This adds considerably to your living expenses, especially if you do not plan on staying in the apartment for several years.

Using a broker also has several advantages. Brokers will do your leg work; they find apartments and make appointments to fit your schedule. A broker would probably be invaluable to an individual who is unable to take time off from work, or someone who lives out of town. Brokers also tend to have a wide selection of apartments to choose from, and they have access to apartments not available to the general public. If you do decide to use a broker, there are several ways to find one. Many brokers advertise in newspapers or in online classified ads, and you can also find brokers in the good old yellow pages. Finally, many companies have associated brokers used for relocating employees. Ask your human resources person if there is a broker your company uses.

If you decide not to use a broker, you will want to clear your calendar for a few weeks and take your vitamins, because you have a lot of work ahead of you.

4. FIND AN APARTMENT YOURSELF USING THESE TECHNIQUES.

Employer or school

You may want to begin your search by asking your employer if the company has any real estate services; some large companies hold apartments for employees or have very good contacts in the rental market. Similarly, if you have any school affiliations – alumni or current – contact your school and inquire as to whether the school has any apartment bulletin boards or online listings. These housing openings are often more affordable and safer than something you could find on your own, and many are only open to people affiliated with the university.

Online

There are a bunch of apartment sites out there, but we like Move.com apartments & rentals the best. HomeStore provides regularly updated listings of apartments available for rent in various neighborhoods based on options you select. They also offer moving tips, roommate advice, legal tips and other information useful to renters.

Newspapers and magazines

Newspapers and magazines are good sources for apartment listings, both in print and online.

LOOT - A weekly publication of classified ads (a new edition comes out every Wednesday and is sold at newsstands). Loot also has ads for sublets, shares, artist studios, lofts, and condos.

NEW YORK NEWSDAY - Although once a New York City paper, this Long Island publication includes listings of apartments and houses for rent or sale primarily in the Long Island and Queens area. Newsday's online real estate listings are at www.newsday.com/classified/realestate/.

NEW YORK OBSERVER - A weekly newspaper sold primarily in Manhattan with a small real estate section with apartment listings, mainly for apartments in Manhattan.

NEW YORK PRESS - A weekly newspaper sold primarily in Manhattan (212-244-2282) with a large section for real estate classifieds (primarily in lower Manhattan).

NEW YORK TIMES - The real estate section, which includes listings for the greater NY Metro area, is included in the Sunday edition. Be aware that subscribers have an advantage, since their real estate section is delivered with the Saturday edition. The Times also offers an online listing there.

VILLAGE VOICE - A free weekly paper, which can be very difficult to find above 14th Street, the Voice lists a large number of apartments in lower Manhattan and Brooklyn near the harbor, but few choices for those looking in other areas of NYC. The apartments listed in the print version of the Voice are also available online at http://newyork.backpage.com/gyrobase/classifieds/index. Since the Voice is very popular and often lists inexpensive apartments, you will probably have more success on-line. You will also want to check the web site as soon as it has been updated, usually at noon or 1pm on Monday or at midnight Tuesday through Friday.

Neighborhood bulletin boards, postings

Aside from letting you know what the area is like, walking around the areas that you would like to live can be helpful in uncovering leads. People often post flyers offering nearby apartment sublets and rentals at churches, gyms, recreation centers, bus stop shelters, and telephone booths in the neighborhood. Go. Look.

Doormen

We've done some devious things to find apartments in Manhattan. Some of them just made us look really dumb, but the one strategy that has turned up some good leads is talking to doormen. Not just random doormen, which, although interesting, is probably less helpful than talking to the doormen at buildings in areas you are interested in living in. Dress nicely, politely approach the doorman, and tell him you're interested in living in the area. He may know of an opening in the building and help you out. It happens. (Tip him if he helps you.)

5. VISIT POTENTIAL APARTMENTS.

Once you've found a listing that sounds promising, call right away to schedule an appointment. If you reach an answering machine, leave a clear, concise message; say that you are calling about the apartment that was listed in X publication. Give your name and telephone number, and ask the person to call you back at his/her earliest convenience to schedule an appointment to see the apartment. Follow up with another (polite) call in 24 hours if you don't get a call back. There are times when apartment renters are swamped, and won't return your call, but if you catch them while they're around, you can usually work yourself an appointment.

If you are able to schedule an appointment, be sure to make a good impression. Arrive on time, dress neatly, and, in general, act like a mature, responsible individual who isn't going to skip rent payments, trash the apartment, or keep a pet wildebeest in the closet. Also remember to ask intelligent questions -- asking questions will not only make you look responsible, but will also give you a chance to learn information that may affect your decision to rent a particular apartment. Here is a list of general questions you should ask when you see an apartment:

• How long is the lease?
• Do you have the option to renew?
• How large of a deposit will you be required to leave as security?
• Are utilities included in your rent? Which ones (gas, electric, water, cable, etc.)?
• Are you allowed to keep pets in the apartment?
• Are you allowed to sublet if you go away?
• What sort of security does the building have?
• Does the building have laundry facilities?
• Does the building have a super or some sort of arrangement for repairs?
• Does anyone else have keys to the apartment?
• Do you need special permission to make superficial changes, i.e. painting or hanging picture

6. BEFORE YOU SIGN, KNOW YOUR RIGHTS AS A TENANT

Once you've found an apartment, make sure you know your rights and responsibilities as a tenant. Your rights are best protected if you have a written lease. If you have an oral lease, you may be subject to restrictions that you aren't aware of. For example, even month to month tenants with an oral lease must give 30 days notice before vacating an apartment; failure to do so may result in loss of your security deposit.

New York City has many laws protecting the rights of tenants. You may be entitled to interest on your rent security deposit. You may also be entitled to withhold rent if repairs aren't made in your apartment in a timely manner. You may want to contact the New York State Department of Housing and Community Renewal (phone: 212-480-6444) if you have any questions. If you go to www.tenant.net/nyc.html, you can familiarize yourself with basic tenant rights, remedies and obligations.