Today’s article was written by Antonio Chirumbolo, a SUNY 2013′ student and an OptometryStudents.com dedicated writer and team member. This is Part 2 of 2 yet it pertains mostly to SUNY students yet the principles can be applied at ANY Optometry school.
You can see part 1 by clicking here!
Where to search?
Brokers: People who will essentially do everything for you. They will find apartments that meet your criterion and will bring you to view the apartments. Most of the time however, they do charge broker fees that can be up to an entire months rent (ie: if rent is $3,000/month, the broker will charge you $3,000). This can be very helpful however and often times well worth the money. It is also important to know of a common stipulation in which the broker can show you a mass amount of apartments, and if you end up not choosing an apartment via the broker, you owe him/her no money. Make sure that you choose a broker based on this stipulation. You are only charged a fee if you decide to rent an apartment he/she showed you.
There are some brokers who are “no-fee” brokers and do not charge anything to help you find an apartment. These types of brokers can easily be found online via Craig’s list. This is truly a splendid option, so try to take advantage of this.
Online: There are many websites online that will often times give you a great listing of apartments. Some of these websites however do charge fees just like brokers so be wary. Then there is always Craig’s list. Be very careful with Craig’s list. It is a wonderful asset, but at the same time can cause a great deal of trouble. Just make sure the listing you may decide to investigate is indeed legitimate. Craig’s list is a very popular option for apartment hunting in NYC simply due to mass amount of listings on the site as well as restricting searches to “no-fee.”
Newspapers: Do not forget about newspapers (ie: NY Times). Check the classified section and you just may stumble upon a gem.
Be prepared: Turnover in NYC is extremely fast. Be prepared to put a deposit down within the minute you decide you may want to rent the apartment as well as one month’s rent as a security fee.
Once you find a suitable apartment you will most likely be asked to put down a deposit and one month’s rent within the same day, so be sure to bring your checkbook. Some landlords will require that you provide proof of the capabilities to pay for rent and you must either furnish loan statements or guarantor information. A guarantor is someone who is capable of paying for your rent in the event you fail to. Often times, your guarantor must make at least 30X the rent depending on where you are renting. In Manhattan, this figure of 30X is often more. So be sure to have both loan statements, bank statements, and W2 forms of parents (if possible) when you search for your apartment.
When to search?
As previously stated, turnover in NYC is extremely fast. Searching for an apartment in July is plenty of time to find an apartment for August move in. If you search too far in advance, the apartment will never be available come time you actually need it.
The following are examples of where members of SUNY Class of 2013 live, and the methods they used to find their apartments.
Class of 2013
Students Living in Manhattan:
| Locations: | Midtown East
Financial District Midtown West Lower East Side Upper East Side Roosevelt Island Upper West Side |
| Found Using: | NY Times
No Fee Broker Broker Broker Thru Craig’s List Craig’s List No Fee SUNY Housing Committee |
Students Living in Queens:
| Locations: | Sunnyside
Glendale Forest Hills Astoria Flushing Long Island City |
| Found Using: | Family
Housing Committee New York Times Craig’s List |
Student’s Living in Westchester
| Locations: | Yonkers |
| Found Using: | Family |
As you can see, brokers are more commonly used when living in Manhattan than the other boroughs of NYC.
Good luck in the search, and if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to comment,
Best,
Antonio Chirumbolo
remember you can view part one of this article by clicking here!
The “How To” For Housing In Optometry School- Part 1
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