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

Cobble Hill

155 Amity Street

$2,750 base rent

Studio |

1

Williamsburg

31 Withers Street

$2,700 base rent

1 |

1

Flatbush

1207 Rogers Avenue

$2,400 base rent

1 |

1

Crown Heights

2175 Bergen Street

$2,755 base rent

2 |

2

East Flatbush

1110 East 48th Street

$2,750 base rent

2 |

1

East Flatbush

104 East 53rd Street

$2,573 base rent

2 |

1

East Flatbush

104 East 53rd Street

$2,256 base rent

1 |

1

Greenpoint

87 Commercial Street

$2,940 base rent

Studio |

1

Greenpoint

87 Commercial Street

$2,949 base rent

Studio |

1

Flatbush

180 Lenox Road

$3,000 base rent

2 |

1

Greenpoint

85 Commercial Street

$2,930 base rent

Studio |

1

Bensonhurst

1365 West 7th Street

$1,850 base rent

1 |

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!

Carnegie Hill

1596 Third Avenue

$2,495 base rent

Studio |

1

Chelsea

327 West 21st Street

$2,350 base rent

1 |

1

Hamilton Heights

580 Saint Nicholas’s Avenue

$2,400 base rent

1 |

1

East Village

169 Avenue A

$2,795 base rent

1 |

1

Upper West Side

34 West 86th Street

$2,995 base rent

Studio |

1

Yorkville

1848 Second Avenue

$2,400 base rent

Studio |

1

Manhattan Valley

953 Amsterdam Avenue

$2,300 base rent

1 |

1

Upper West Side

53 West 72nd Street

$2,625 base rent

Studio |

1

Washington Heights

703 West 171st Street

$2,750 base rent

1 |

1

Carnegie Hill

118 East 92nd Street

$2,950 base rent

1 |

1

Yorkville

233 East 89th Street

$2,795 base rent

Studio |

1

Lenox Hill

535 East 78th Street

$2,995 base rent

1 |

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

327 Jackson Street

$2,100 base rent

1 |

1

Hoboken

831 Clinton Street

$2,500 base rent

1 |

1

Hoboken

120 Jefferson Street

$2,275 base rent

1 |

1

Hoboken

518 Hudson Street

$2,300 base rent

1 |

1

Hoboken

205 3rd Street

$2,400 base rent

1 |

1

Hoboken

521 Willow Avenue

$2,350 base rent

1 |

1

Hoboken

114 Washington Street

$3,000 base rent

1 |

1

Hoboken

333 Monroe Street

$3,000 base rent

1 |

1

Hoboken

512 Observer Highway

$2,578 base rent

1 |

1

Hoboken

1315 Washington Street

$2,600 base rent

1 |

1

Hoboken

405 4th Street

$3,000 base rent

1 |

1

Hoboken

800 Park Avenue

$2,800 base rent

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!”

Oakland Gardens

75-08 Bell Boulevard

$2,300 base rent

1 |

1

Woodhaven

86-22 98th Street

$2,050 base rent

1 |

1

Kew Gardens

84-17 Austin Street

$2,349 base rent

1 |

1

Ditmars-Steinway

23-12 Steinway Street

$2,600 base rent

2 |

1

Forest Hills

67-41 Burns Street

$2,195 base rent

1 |

1

Glendale

74-25 65th Street

$3,000 base rent

3 |

1

Astoria

23-49 33rd Avenue

$2,000 base rent

1 |

1

Ridgewood

60-80 Myrtle Avenue

$3,050 base rent

2 |

1

Maspeth

60-23 54th Street

$2,600 base rent

2 |

1

Sunnyside

50-15 39th Street

$2,800 base rent

Studio |

1

Astoria

32-12 Broadway

$2,200 base rent

1 |

1

Queens Village

93-23 218th Street

$2,150 base rent

1 |

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.

Bergen/Lafayette

75A Clifton Place

$2,000 base rent

2 |

1

Historic Downtown

837 Jersey Avenue

$2,990 base rent

1 |

1

Jersey City

111 Baldwin Avenue

$2,200 base rent

2 |

1

Jersey City

212 15th Street

$1,900 base rent

1 |

1

Jersey City

153 Christopher Columbus Drive

$2,299 base rent

1 |

1

Journal Square

589 Pavonia Avenue

$2,695 base rent

Studio |

1

Bergen/Lafayette

313 Pine Street

$2,578 base rent

1 |

1

Bergen/Lafayette

313 Pine Street

$2,578 base rent

1 |

1

Journal Square

35 Highland Avenue

$2,750 base rent

2 |

1

Historic Downtown

280 Luis M Marin Boulevard

$2,400 base rent

Studio |

1

Jersey City

139 Wilkinson Avenue

$1,899 base rent

2 |

1

Historic Downtown

143 Newark Avenue

$2,300 base rent

Studio |

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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