Renting in NYC: The Ultimate Guide

How To Find the Best Rental for You on StreetEasy

By Erika Riley November 17, 2021

You’re on the hunt for a new place in NYC and don’t know how to navigate all the information available. Here, with the help of our highly knowledgeable employees, we share the best tips for finding NYC rentals on StreetEasy. Not to brag, but our user-friendly search filters will help you find the best apartment for you based on your specific preferences — for example, must-have amenities like a dishwasher or outdoor space. Ready to learn how to find apartments for rent with StreetEasy? Let’s get started!

Table of Contents

Bushwick

205 Himrod Street

$2,300 No Fee

1 |

1

Bushwick

1122 Willoughby Avenue

$2,900 No Fee

2 |

1

Flatbush

948 New York Avenue

$2,999 No Fee

2 |

1

Bedford-Stuyvesant

785 Dekalb Avenue

$3,000 No Fee

1 |

1

Williamsburg

314 Bedford Avenue

$2,800 No Fee

2 |

1

Greenwood

233 34th Street

$2,700 No Fee

Studio |

1

Fort Hamilton

368 94th Street

$3,000 No Fee

3 |

1

Gravesend

235 Quentin Road

$2,195 No Fee

1 |

1

Bushwick

1801 Broadway

$2,600 No Fee

1 |

1

Bushwick

1801 Broadway

$2,400 No Fee

Studio |

1

Flatbush

868 New York Avenue

$2,900 No Fee

3 |

1

East Flatbush

1630 Brooklyn Avenue

$2,250 No Fee

2 |

1

How To Find Apartments for Rent With Basic Filters

^{This short video shares how to find the Advanced Options when searching for apartments.}

So, let’s say you are looking for a rental in Hell’s Kitchen. Just type Hell’s Kitchen into the Neighborhoods box, enter your minimum and maximum price, and select the number of bedrooms you want. Don’t want to pay a broker’s fee? Check the no-fee box. You can further customize your search to see only units that offer virtual viewings and video or 3-D tours.

Expert tip: When looking at an apartment listing, scroll down and take a peek at the Days on Market. Has it been on the market for a while, like more than 30 days? “That may indicate that the landlord is having no luck renting the unit. You may be able to negotiate the rent,” says Deirdre Sullivan, a senior content strategist at StreetEasy. Psst, there’s another instance that allows the opportunity to strike a deal. More shortly!

East Village

11 Avenue D

$2,875 No Fee

2 |

1

Yorkville

233 East 89th Street

$2,695 No Fee

1 |

1

East Village

510 East 13th Street

$2,712 No Fee

1 |

1

Central Harlem

304 West 151st Street

$2,425 No Fee

2 |

1

Central Harlem

2750 Frederick Douglass Boulevard

$2,756 No Fee

1 |

1

Fort George

570 West 182nd Street

$2,319 No Fee

1 |

1

Central Harlem

168 West 136th Street

$2,799 No Fee

1 |

1

West Village

634 Hudson Street

$2,495 No Fee

Studio |

1

South Harlem

73 East 115th Street

$2,083 No Fee

Studio |

1

South Harlem

121 West 116th Street

$2,698 No Fee

1 |

1

Yorkville

1640 York Avenue

$2,267 No Fee

Studio |

1

Little Italy

375 Broome Street

$2,800 No Fee

2 |

1

How To Find Apartments for Rent With Advanced Options

^{This handy filter makes it easier to find rentals based on your timeframe.}

Of course, there are more filters for customizing your home search. Underneath the Neighborhoods box we mentioned earlier, click Advanced Options. Here, renters can further customize their search by selecting any combination of settings.

Here’s a list of popular options:

Custom boundary allows users to laser-target a precise area to search.
Listing amenities provides the opportunity to see only units with specific features or requirements, including private outdoor spaces, dishwashers, and rentals that accept guarantors.
Building amenities offers a plethora of choices, from garage parking and gyms to pet-friendly policies and smoke-free environments.
Nearby transit lines are arguably among the best filters for commuters, particularly if living near the C or 6 train is one of your top priorities.

Expert tip: Now, you can find apartments based on your ideal moving date! “The Move In Date filter is a total time-saver — you don’t waste time looking at places that aren’t available when you need them,” says Michele Petry, web editor, and writer at StreetEasy.

Hoboken

359 3rd Street

$2,750 No Fee

Studio |

1

Hoboken

22 Hudson Place

$3,000 No Fee

1 |

1

Hoboken

1013 Jefferson Street

$2,850 No Fee

1 |

1

Hoboken

56 Monroe Street

$2,531 No Fee

1 |

1

Hoboken

721 Bloomfield Street

$2,750 No Fee

1 |

1

Hoboken

1032 Park Avenue

$2,700 No Fee

1 |

1

Hoboken

104 11th Street

$1,874 No Fee

1 |

1

Hoboken

1409 Grand Street

$2,160 No Fee

2 |

1

Hoboken

601 Bloomfield Street

$2,850 No Fee

1 |

1

Hoboken

227 Adams Street

$2,800 No Fee

1 |

1

Hoboken

259 3rd Street

$3,000 No Fee

1 |

1

Hoboken

513 Willow Avenue

$2,500 No Fee

1 |

1

StreetEasy Makes Your Apartment Search Even Easier

^{StreetEasy makes adjusting your rental search a snap!}

Adjusting your preferences while searching a specific neighborhood is a cinch. Right next to the Location box at the top of a neighborhood search page, you will find five more boxes:

Price: Input your rental budget — there’s also an option for no-fee only.
Beds: Here, you specify the number of bedrooms or click studio.
Pets: You can click any or pets allowed.
Amenities: Here, you can toggle back and forth for your must-have vs. nice-to-have features — your dream of renting a unit with a private outdoor space may be possible if you forgo the washer and dryer! The video below this list shows how it works.
More: This will open up a new pop-up window revealing even more details you can enter, like proximity to subway lines and desired square footage.

^{Now you can find apartments on StreetEasy based on your must-have vs. nice-to-have features.}

Expert tip: Mandira Chawla, a product marketing manager at StreetEasy, says the must-have vs. nice-to-have amenities feature, referred to as StreetEasy Flexible Search, is a true game-changer. “It’s a convenient way to see all potential listings at once and easily compare them by the amenities you’re interested in — winning!”

Astoria

32-80 30th Street

$3,400 No Fee

3 |

1

Astoria

34-17 34th Street

$4,000 No Fee

4 |

1

Astoria

25-19 34th Street

$2,250 No Fee

2 |

1

Astoria

28-44 47th Street

$2,800 No Fee

1 |

1

Ditmars-Steinway

20-15 46th Street

$3,500 No Fee

2 |

1

Ditmars-Steinway

25-09 24th Avenue

$2,500 No Fee

2 |

1

Ridgewood

1863 Putnam Avenue

$3,400 No Fee

3 |

1.5

Ridgewood

1635 Putnam Avenue

$3,300 No Fee

3 |

1

Jackson Heights

34-01 92nd Street

$2,000 No Fee

1 |

1

Hunters Point

12-09 Jackson Avenue

$4,800 No Fee

3 |

2

Kew Gardens

118-65 Metropolitan Avenue

$1,950 No Fee

Studio |

1

Ditmars-Steinway

19-43 77th Street

$2,500 No Fee

2 |

1

How To Read StreetEasy Listings

Now you understand how to optimize your search with StreetEasy’s filters. But there are more ways to maximize your home search. Here are some tricks for reading and understanding a listing beyond the basics.

User Saves

It is a valuable metric for gauging interest in a rental. If you see the numbers rack up fast, you should consider contacting the listing agent STAT.

How To Read Price History

StreetEasy tracks pricing history for rentals, which can be helpful.

For example, the price history can reveal how much rents have increased over the years. Or, it can show if they’ve dropped recently. If there is a dip, it could indicate the landlord is having trouble getting a tenant — this opens up the possibility for a rent negotiation.

Jersey City

64 Sherman Place

$2,000 No Fee

1 |

1

Jersey City

246 Grove Street

$1,900 No Fee

1 |

1

West Side

563 Bergen Avenue

$2,349 No Fee

3 |

1

West Side

57 Wallis Avenue

$2,300 No Fee

2 |

1

Jersey City

86 Bostwick Avenue

$2,300 No Fee

2 |

1

West Side

93 Fairview Avenue

$1,895 No Fee

1 |

1

The Heights

29 Thorne Street

$2,150 No Fee

2 |

1

Journal Square

3137 John F Kennedy Boulevard

$2,099 No Fee

1 |

1

Bergen/Lafayette

136 Summit Avenue

$3,000 No Fee

2 |

2

Bergen/Lafayette

46 Clifton Place

$2,249 No Fee

Studio |

1

Bergen/Lafayette

267 Summit Avenue

$2,200 No Fee

2 |

1

Jersey City

62 Wallis Avenue

$2,449 No Fee

2 |

1

How To Find Apartments For Rent With These Bonus Tips

What if you’re looking for something particular — a duplex, for instance, or a rent-stabilized apartment, or a building with a gym stocked with Pelotons — there are two ways to search.

If you’re on the NYC Apartments for Rent page, open Advanced Options and enter the info in the description box.
If you’re already searching by location, click More on the upper right and enter the info under keyword search.

Another great way to optimize your NYC rentals search is to set notifications. This lets StreetEasy do the searching for you! After setting up your search parameters, click the blue box on the far right that says Save Search. You will receive daily updates of new and updated listings that match your filter settings.

What if you’re done with Spectrum? You can search specifically for listings in buildings wired for Verizon FIOS under amenities.

Expert tip: Sean Ryan, a copywriter at StreetEasy, says, “I can’t stress enough how effective it is that you narrow down your StreetEasy search. Our filters let users cut to the chase and get in touch about homes they actually love — the data bears that out. Plus, you can save as many precise StreetEasy searches as you want by clicking the Save Search box.”

What About the StreetEasy App?

Of course, we would be remiss if we didn’t mention our app, which is available for iPhone and Android.

Expert tip: Cristen Brophy, a senior marketing manager at StreetEasy, says, “The SE app makes it easier to find units while on the go — filter away while waiting for the subway or your coffee order. Don’t forget to check out the amenity filters. Only the three most popular amenities appear automatically. Hence, it’s minimal and super easy to navigate — and the adorable icons are a bonus! If there’s something else you’re looking for, tap’ +More.'”

Our last bit of advice? Be open-minded about neighborhoods. Try searching for the exact criteria you want without choosing a neighborhood. Be specific in price range, the number of bedrooms, and amenities. Then, see where those apartments are in the city. You might be surprised to find a dream apartment in an unexpected location.

Start your search for the perfect rental here

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