Housing rental in New York: the experience of a Russian who has gained more than one bump in the process

Ural journalist Alexey Postnikov told the publication e1.ru how to find housing in New York, how much it costs, where to look for apartment neighbors and how not to fall for the tricks of landlords who might want to trick you.

The first thing to remember for those who decided to move: to rent a house while in another country will not work. Because the landlord, as a rule, wants to conclude a formal contract with the tenant and study his credit history. However, as the author notes, there are exceptions.

The first rented apartment in New York

Alexey Postnikov moved from Yekaterinburg to New York in February 2018.

He rented his first apartment in New York by video chat. The landlord was an American who spoke good Russian.

“He asked me to tell about myself, asked how long I plan to live in New York. My future was vague at the time, but we were still able to agree. I sent him a deposit, although it was risky: I could fly in and not find either that guy or the apartment. But it all ended well, ”said Alexey.

According to Postnikov, it’s much easier to look for housing when you are already in New York. For example, you can shoot it on Airbnb - this, of course, will cost you more, because you will have to pay by the day. But this is a guarantee that you will have somewhere to spend the night.

There are some tricks to help you make a lease soon. One of the life hacks that Alexey shared was his arrival in New York at the beginning or in the middle of the month.

“Most leases begin on the 1 or the 15. All that is between these dates is how you can negotiate with the landlord, ”he explained.

About housing prices, good and bad areas

Alex rented the first room in Brooklyn very cheaply - for $ 450.

Naturally, the rental price depends on the area and proximity to the metro, he explained. The exception is Staten Island, where people who have cars live. While there is no metro in this area, only buses run, but not regularly.

Emigrants usually choose areas such as Brooklyn, Queens, and Harlem for life. Here renting a room will cost $ 700 – 800 per month. If you want to rent your entire home, be prepared to pay a minimum of $ 1600.

There are quite budget options. For example, you can rent a wardrobe under the stairs, "similar to the one in which Harry Potter lived," for $ 400. Or settle in the attic, though only the bed is placed there from the furniture, said Alexey.

The most expensive housing in Manhattan. Here, prices start from $ 1200, and there is no upper limit.

Bad fame reaches for Brownsville - because of the high crime rate. In general, Brooklyn is quite safe, the author added.

The Bronx is a borough in which there are many “notorious” neighborhoods. Because of this, cops with raids like to visit here.

“Everything is used: cars, helicopters. At the same time, you need to remember that buying a weapon in the USA is not a problem, a crazy bullet can hook you anywhere. Even in Manhattan, ”concluded Alex.

Utilities

Utilities are not included in the rental price.

Alexey rents a three-room apartment with other people, for a month they pay a little more than $ 160.

“This amount includes a fixed fee for gas ($ 25) and electricity ($ 90). Over the Internet - another $ 45. If you divide the amount into four, it turns out that everyone pays $ 40, ”said Postnikov.

Bail

Another feature of rental housing in the Big Apple is the need to make a deposit. Usually it is equal to the amount of rent per month. If you decide to move out and the room is fine after you, the deposit will be refunded.

You may also be asked to pay a deposit for the last month.

“For the landlord - this is a guarantee that you will not leave before the agreed date. If you still decide to leave, the money remains with the landlord, ”Alexey explained.

On the subject: How to avoid becoming a victim of fraudsters when renting housing in the US

The guarantee is also a guarantee for those who are looking for a companion for rental housing.

“For example, you rent an apartment and you have a free room. You find a tenant, conclude a contract, but do not take a deposit. A couple of days before arrival, the tenant writes: oh, sorry, I found another room. And you have an empty room that you have to pay for, ”the journalist said.

There are times when the tenant has to pay the commission of the agent who helped complete the transaction. But most often this applies to cases of rental housing in its entirety. By the way, the help of an agency that can help you solve the problem of a lack of a credit rating may come in handy.

“True, even in this case you will have to prove your solvency,” the author noted.

If you are looking for a room, then contacting the agency is optional.

The subtleties of rental housing

In New York, they are loyal to tenants whose names are inscribed in the contract, and people use it. They may not pay for housing for a long time, but they will not be evicted.

To solve the problem, the landlord has to hire a lawyer and go to court.

This process can take a very long time, and the tenants at this time will continue to live in the rented premises.

“That is, the landlord not only does not get paid, but he is also forced to pay so that tenants move out of his apartment. But if the court takes the side of the owner of the housing, then the eviction record will become a kind of black mark - it is practically impossible to rent a house with such a background, ”the journalist explained.

Such stories affect homeowners in New York who seek to contract with reliable people.

Emigrants fall into the category of “unreliable”, because they do not have a credit history and a permanent job, which prevents them from finding housing quickly.

“We managed to rent an apartment because we found a guarantor. He became our common American friend. We paid him $ 1 one thousand, which, in fact, is not much, ”said Alexey.

What are the lease agreements

There are two types of lease agreements.

The first is when you rent an apartment directly from the owner of the house. But in this case, many documents will be required from you (credit rating, bank statement with annual income, etc.).

The second option is a sublease agreement.

“This is when you rent a room from people who live in an apartment. It’s easier to agree with them. You can explain that you do not have a job, but there is money in the account that you will definitely have enough for a half year rental, ”Alexey advises.

There is a third option - to rent a room on Brighton Beach on a monthly basis. It will cost about $ 700. The disadvantage of this option is the need to live with the owner.

“This, by the way, is often found in Russia. For example, you live with some grandmother, perhaps even without a contract, by oral agreement. Nobody can ask for documents from you either, ”says Alexey. “But, as for me, this option is quite risky, so I would not advise doing so.”

A landlord who makes money by renting his property usually transfers his business to a management company, which conducts business on his behalf.

If you need to make any changes to the contract, then with this question you can contact this company. For example, Alexey was asked to pay $ 300 for changes in the lease.

“Let's say a certain manager Stephen is talking with us, with whom we have problems. Somehow, it was necessary to amend the contract in order to enter a new tenant into it. Stephen did not want to make changes, although it was legal. He asked to terminate the contract prematurely and conclude a new one, ”recalls Alexei.

He decided that in this way they want to be fined: because if you break the contract, the owner may demand compensation. Therefore, he, together with the people with whom he rented a house, refused to break the contract.

The manager began to send many emails and try to convince tenants by phone, but they did not agree. As a result, according to Alexei, time played in their favor.

“The contract expired, you had to do something. Stephen could not evict us, because our names are inscribed in the contract and we regularly pay rent. Then he said that he was ready to meet and not break the contract, ”Alexey continued.

However, the manager set a condition: the new tenant must have a surety.

“We agreed, and here three days before the expiration of the contract he billed us - $ 300! He called it “for administering the renegotiation of the contract,” the journalist said.

However, the guys here were in no hurry to agree with a real estate agency. One of the American tenants wrote a long letter to the manager. In it, he stated that he had carefully read the lease agreement, as well as the housing code, and did not find confirmation in them that a fee for administration of the agreement was supposed.

In response, they received a letter from the manager stating that the agency concluded that “it is not necessary to charge you for administration.”

“In other words, we stated that Stephen should not take money from us for the renewal of the contract, and he replied - ok,” Alexey explained.

That is, the agency manager may ask you to pay the agency for some service, however, it is against the law to demand from you that is not prescribed in the contract.

Where to find apartment neighbors

“I’m looking for roommates on Facebook,” the journalist shares his experience.

According to him, sometimes some tenants do not find a common language among themselves and someone is forced to move out.

“Now I live in an apartment with an American, a German and a Georgian. From time to time, someone moves out, and then we look for a new tenant, ”he said.

To search for roommates, a guy usually places an ad in a group on Facebook.

“Of those who respond to it, I choose who writes in English (for some reason, 30% answer in their native language, and this is not Russian). Then I look at their accounts to make sure that they are real people, ”the journalist shares his experience.

Then all applicants are invited to open house, but only half comes, he said. Then, among those who came, they choose the one with whom they could get along.

Usually during a joint rental of housing people argue over trifles, such as cleaning the house, because everyone has their own cleanliness criteria. Inconvenience may also arise due to the need to use the stove in shifts.

“This is difficult, especially when everyone comes from work at the same time. For the rest, we were lucky because we were able to get along with each other, ”sums up Alexey.

In general, renting a house together can even be fun.

“Sometimes we make jams because many people play musical instruments. The American is on the banjo, the guy from Georgia is on the guitar, I am also on the guitar. We also have dinner party. Someone is preparing food, we call guests and have a party. But most often, we just sit in the kitchen and talk, ”Postnikov finished his story.