NYC Sublets - Advice re: my situation

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Hey kids. Looking for a reality check. I've been trying to relcoate up to NY, with the idea of starting with a sublet (say 3 mos) and eventualy moving into my own place. I am a) older and b) don't like roommates, so my options seem relatively limited. I'm not stuck on Manhattan; I just don't know the boroughs that well.

For whatever reason I've had little luck on the usual sites. I'm going to a one BR on LES tonight that will be about $1600 all inclusive.

1. It's more expensive than I'd like, but it's manageable. What do regulars think about that related to the market?
2. The renter wants at least two, preferrably all three months up front plus $1000 security deposit. Is this reasonable/standard? I am a little worried about handing over so much money. What kind of protection do I have (or should I get)?

Thanks in advance!

― mitya's new york minute (mitya), Sunday, 2 April 2006 20:07 (nineteen years ago)

you should be very worried about handing over that much money upfront in this kind of situation. if it's a totally legal, above-board sublet then the tenant should be cool with you issuing post-dated checks directly to the landlord.

― lauren (laurenp), Sunday, 2 April 2006 21:08 (nineteen years ago)

he says a) he's going to show me his lease to prove that he's actually renting officially and b) we'll sign an sublet agreement.

― mitya's new york minute (mitya), Monday, 3 April 2006 03:00 (nineteen years ago)

$1600 for a one bedroom on the LES sounds really good to me, considering. He's asking a lot, but I assume he is trying to protect himself from getting screwed over. I think the usual subletter agreement would be just one-month of security deposit. I'm not sure there's any protection you can get in this situation. Sublets aren't legally binding (as far as I know) so any agreement the two of you sign will just be a sort of good-will gesture. Or am I wrong here? I thought, actually, that sublets were illegal in New York, so that's why the original tenant usually pays the landlord directly. But maybe it's just that many landlords don't allow sublets. If you really like the apartment and have a good feeling about the guy, you might want to go ahead with it. Then again, by shopping around you might be able to get a deal you are more comfortable with.

― Mary (Mary), Monday, 3 April 2006 03:21 (nineteen years ago)

This is NY real estate. Does one EVER like the situation?

I actually liked the guy pretty well once I met him. The apartment is clean enough but awkwardly furnished - enough junk that I can't really bring in my own stuff, but not really usable. Probably not things I should worry about but still...

― mitya's new york minute (mitya), Monday, 3 April 2006 12:40 (nineteen years ago)

My friends are renting a 2 bedroom on the LES for $1750.

― Ansible Adams (ex machina), Monday, 3 April 2006 12:52 (nineteen years ago)

Meaning he's asking too much? Perhaps, but I need a sublet -- I don't have a permanent job so won't be able to get my own place. The idea is to use the sublet as bridge. After a few months I should have be in a position to be more choosy. I also don't want to get stuck with one sublet for three weeks, another for a month, etc. Craigslist is littered with crap like that.

― mitya's new york minute (mitya), Monday, 3 April 2006 13:10 (nineteen years ago)

1brs are always going to be more expensive than shares, though. you pay a premium for living alone.

― lauren (laurenp), Monday, 3 April 2006 13:39 (nineteen years ago)

That's not an obscene amount for a 1BR sublet that's in good condition, but I agree that you should be very wary about handing over that much money. And regarding sublets, they are illegal if the apt is rent subsidized/rent controlled (meaning any contract wouldn't be enforceable), but I'm pretty sure that's not the case if the apt is NON-subsidized/controlled. In any case, it might be worth the money to find a real estate lawyer to look over any contract.

Be forewarned though that 3 months might not be enough to find an apartment... Although May is a good time to look in the LES/East Village because all the NYU trustfund babies are moving out.

And unfortunately the real advice is that NY real estate sucks big time and you'll just have to be super patient and make it a part-time job to find a place.

― Aaron W (Aaron W), Monday, 3 April 2006 15:04 (nineteen years ago)

No matter where you end up renting, someone is always going to have a "better" deal than you, so don't worry so much about that.

― Mary (Mary), Monday, 3 April 2006 18:01 (nineteen years ago)

$1600 for a 1br is a bad deal though

― Masked Intruder (ex machina), Monday, 3 April 2006 18:09 (nineteen years ago)

That's probably lower than market for Manhattan.

― Mary (Mary), Monday, 3 April 2006 18:27 (nineteen years ago)

for a 1br on the les that's not bad at all.

― lauren (laurenp), Monday, 3 April 2006 18:33 (nineteen years ago)

for the record, i just got a really really nice 1br in a prime les location after looking for only three days (i got very lucky). my rent will be $1650, which is way lower than market in that area, i assure you. point being $1600 is fair, but being asked to pay that much up front is not.

― Jams Murphy (ystrickler), Monday, 3 April 2006 18:34 (nineteen years ago)

mitya,

are you planning on doing a nyc lifestyle segment on a local news channel?

― Chex Dwarf (sanskrit), Monday, 3 April 2006 19:44 (nineteen years ago)

for a 1br on the les that's not bad at all.

I would say it depends on the kitchen + bathroom; my friends have a 2br with decent kitchenette and small living room for not much more than that

― Masked Intruder (ex machina), Monday, 3 April 2006 22:02 (nineteen years ago)

does NYC pull shit like SF does, claiming that obvious 1 bedroom places are "two bedrooms" and counting some tiny "dining area" or hallway as the living room?

― kyle (akmonday), Monday, 3 April 2006 22:20 (nineteen years ago)

Haha man I hate that shit.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Monday, 3 April 2006 22:47 (nineteen years ago)

Not so much, unless it is a sublet or a share. People with share's are like 500 for your own bedroom and you go see the place and realize that you are sleeping in their living room.

― Mary (Mary), Monday, 3 April 2006 22:50 (nineteen years ago)

My first 2B in SF was exactly as kyle describes: a true 1B with a living room (now a 2B) and a dining room (now a living room).

― Steve Shasta (Steve Shasta), Monday, 3 April 2006 22:51 (nineteen years ago)

I have a 2B but it doesn't have a dining room and the kitchen is def not eat-in.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Monday, 3 April 2006 22:53 (nineteen years ago)

Thanks everyone (and no, chex, i am not trolling for factoids and real-life stories - this is my own real life here). i turned the place down (but i think Jams may have taken it. :)

The thing is that I'm not wedded to Manhattan and it seems like I should be able to do better, either paying less for a comparable space or getting more for that price.

― mitya's new york minute (mitya), Tuesday, 4 April 2006 01:10 (nineteen years ago)

you seem to know this already, but if you're not wedded to Manhattan, yes, you can get a lot more value in the boroughs

I'm not sure if sublets will be as common, though

there are tons of great neighborhoods in Queens and Brooklyn ... just make sure the apt. is close to a subway station, some areas (like Greenpoint) only have one train, and having a huge hike to the subway is a bummer

Queens is the most affordable, I'd suggest checking out Astoria, Jackson Heights, Sunnyside, Woodside (maybe Long Island City) .... Brooklyn is more expensive but the neighborhoods have a hipper vibe, there are too many possibilities to list really.

― Renard (Renard), Tuesday, 4 April 2006 16:12 (nineteen years ago)

tell us what you're like and what you need and we'll tell you where to live.

― jhoshea (scoopsnoodle), Tuesday, 4 April 2006 16:36 (nineteen years ago)

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