There’s no doubt that COVID-19 shook the world. New York was one of the hardest hit, leaving residents concerned about their health and job security. Many New Yorkers who lost their jobs are also experiencing housing anxiety. How can you rent an apartment if the pandemic left you unemployed? First, it’s critical to know that you’re not alone. New York City’s unemployment rate reached 20.4% in June 2020. That’s twice the number during the peak of the great recession in 2009. The rental market responds with rent concessions and drastically lower rents, making life in the city more affordable. However, during an unemployment crisis, it doesn’t make renting a new apartment any easier. But it is possible when armed with some essential knowledge. Here’s how to rent an apartment without a job.

Manhattan Rentals Under $2,500 on StreetEasy Article continues below

Turtle Bay

348 East 49th Street

$2,500 No Fee

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1

Kips Bay

219 East 26th Street

$2,500 No Fee

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1

East Village

171 Avenue C

$2,250 No Fee

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1

East Harlem

19 East 109th Street

$1,975 No Fee

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1

East Village

170 East 3rd Street

$2,200 No Fee

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1

East Harlem

159 East 99th Street

$2,150 No Fee

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1

Fort George

569 West 182nd Street

$2,350 No Fee

2 |

1

Manhattanville

3333E Broadway

$2,495 No Fee

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1

East Harlem

309 East 104th Street

$2,250 No Fee

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1

Yorkville

436 East 89th Street

$2,500 No Fee

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1

Inwood

240 Nagle Avenue

$1,815 No Fee

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1

East Harlem

209 East 110th Street

$2,457 No Fee

2 |

1

How to Get an Apartment Without a Job? Secure a Guarantor

Pre-pandemic, a landlord would ask for a guarantor if someone couldn’t prove income or had terrible credit, says Becki Danchik of Warburg Realty. It still holds in the current market.

“It might not be the most convenient or comfortable way for someone to rent an apartment, but it’s one of the most effective,” she said. And there are two ways to go about finding one. 

1. Use a Personal, Tri-State Guarantor

“The guarantor would be someone whose income is a bare minimum of 80 times the monthly rent,” said real estate agent Bill Kowalczuk. “For example, if an unemployed person is looking at a rent of $3,000 per month, the guarantor would need to make a minimum of $240,000 a year and have excellent credit and low debt. When it comes to how to rent an apartment without a job, if you know someone who meets those requirements and lives in the tri-state area, ask them if they’d be willing to act as your guarantor.

2. Use a Third-Party Guarantor

If you don’t have someone local who meets the guarantor requirements, companies like Insurent will act as one. “To use a guarantor company, usually you have to pay a fee of about two months rent,” said Kowalczuk. “Companies like these typically guarantee rent payments. But, there’s a catch. You need stellar credit.”

Brooklyn Rentals Under $2,500 on StreetEasy Article continues below

Crown Heights

901 Sterling Place

$2,195 No Fee

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1

Crown Heights

139 Rogers Avenue

$2,350 No Fee

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1

Stuyvesant Heights

1889 Atlantic Avenue

$2,440 No Fee

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1

Ditmas Park

585 East 21st Street

$2,375 No Fee

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1

Flatbush

154 Lenox Road

$2,450 No Fee

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1

Cobble Hill

155 Amity Street

$2,450 No Fee

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1

Cypress Hills

354 Arlington Avenue

$1,950 No Fee

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1

Crown Heights

698 Eastern Parkway

$2,100 No Fee

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1

Stuyvesant Heights

479 Monroe Street

$2,500 No Fee

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1

Stuyvesant Heights

582 Mac Donough Street

$2,300 No Fee

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1

Crown Heights

1499 Bedford Avenue

$2,438 No Fee

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1

Bath Beach

153 Bay 11th Street

$2,400 No Fee

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How to Get an Apartment Without a Job? Get a Credit Letter 

If you saved substantially for a rainy day and can’t meet the apartment’s income requirements, you could set up a credit letter with a bank. In a nutshell, it guarantees that a tenant’s rent payments will be received on time and for the correct amount. In this example, it pays to have savings regarding how to get an apartment without a job.

“If the tenant is unable to make a payment on the rent, the bank will be required to cover the full or remaining amount of the rent,” said Kowalczuk. “The tenant supplies the bank with the full year’s rent, which is held by the bank, similar to a typical security deposit. The tenant would still be required to pay the monthly rent. The money held by the bank is used if the tenant is unable to pay the rent for any particular month. At the end of the lease, the leftover funds are returned to the tenant.”

According to agent Jeremy Kamm of Warburg Realty, another similar option is to secure a personal loan. “You could use a personal loan to cover the costs of living while unemployed and using those funds as proof of funds for a landlord,” he noted. “That being said, it may be challenging to secure a personal loan right now, and the interest fees might be very high.”

Queens Rentals Under $2,500 on StreetEasy Article continues below

Woodside

63-11 Queens Boulevard

$2,150 No Fee

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South Jamaica

116-31 170th Street

$1,750 No Fee

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Jamaica

152-11 89th Avenue

$2,050 No Fee

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1

Far Rockaway

11-27 Nameoke Street

$1,699 No Fee

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Astoria

23-20 28th Avenue

$2,100 No Fee

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1

Astoria

24-27 Steinway Avenue

$1,911 No Fee

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1

Ditmars-Steinway

22-19 77th Street

$2,300 No Fee

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1

Forest Hills

112-15 72 Road

$2,500 No Fee

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1

Astoria

31-18 35th Street

$2,175 No Fee

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1

Elmhurst

40-36 73rd Street

$1,900 No Fee

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1

Astoria

42-12 30th Avenue

$2,100 No Fee

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Flushing

40-22 College Point Boulevard

$2,400 No Fee

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Don’t Forget Unemployment Benefits

Just because you lost your job doesn’t mean you have no source of income. Unemployment benefits max out at $504 a week in NYC, and it’s more than $600 in New Jersey, meaning you could have around $2,000 or more before taxes to spend. And as of July 2020, a law was signed that provides additional unemployment insurance. You can refer to the U.S. Department of Labor for the latest regarding Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation.

UPDATE: As of September 5, 2021, several federal unemployment benefit programs across the states will expire. Please check with your local unemployment office for more information.

Bronx Rentals Under $2,500 on StreetEasy Article continues below

Bedford Park

3045 Grand Concourse

$1,700 No Fee

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University Heights

150 West 179th Street

$1,885 No Fee

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North New York

133 Brown Place

$1,600 No Fee

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1

East Tremont

2110 Arthur Avenue

$1,950 No Fee

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Concourse

1515 Grand Concourse

$1,795 No Fee

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1

Kingsbridge Heights

3333 Giles Avenue

$2,400 No Fee

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Mt. Hope

1770 Grand Concourse

$1,958 No Fee

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1

Westchester Square

2507 Tratman Avenue

$1,650 No Fee

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North New York

138 Bruckner Boulevard

$2,405 No Fee

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North New York

138 Bruckner Boulevard

$2,405 No Fee

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Concourse

675 Walton Avenue

$2,425 No Fee

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1

Throgs Neck

2936 Greene Place

$1,850 No Fee

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How to Get an Apartment Without a Job? Find a Roommate

If you’re having trouble securing an apartment on your own, consider finding a roommate. Apply for an apartment with a friend (or two) who perhaps are in a better financial situation than you. That way, your combined income could meet the landlord’s requirements. 

If you don’t have potential roommates lined up to share the cost, plenty of online services like Share a Room or Roomi have listings of people looking for roommates. Another option is to find someone subletting a vacant room in an already leased apartment on these sites or Craigslist. 

Staten Island Rentals Under $2,500 on StreetEasy Article continues below

Grymes Hill

217 Arlo Road

$1,900 No Fee

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Grymes Hill

219 Arlo Road

$2,250 No Fee

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Rosebank

50 Clifton Avenue

$2,500 No Fee

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1

Annadale

433 Lipsett Avenue

$1,800 No Fee

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Saint George

115 Stuyvesant Place

$1,798 No Fee

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1

Saint George

50 Stuyvesant Place

$1,650 No Fee

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Clifton

6 Hamilton Street

$2,063 No Fee

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1

Sunnyside (Staten Island)

90 Highland Avenue

$2,225 No Fee

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1

Saint George

252 Richmond Terrace

$1,975 No Fee

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2

Saint George

252 Richmond Terrace

$1,650 No Fee

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1

Grasmere

133 Fayette Avenue

$2,400 No Fee

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1

Huguenot

38 Myrna Lane

$2,000 No Fee

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Consider Renting in a Co-Op

Although it’s not a tried and true method, some experts believe co-ops might be more lenient about renter restrictions given the market and economic climate. “I could see how some of the smaller buildings might be willing to take a chance on the tenant since the responsibility is on the shareholder,” said broker Becki Danchik.  

Apply For Cash Assistance or Rental Relief Programs

Not surprisingly, government agencies are recognizing that COVID-19 created an unprecedented crisis. Even the safety nets in place for residents weren’t enough. In response, additional programs were formed recently to help New Yorkers. These programs could help unemployed residents looking to rent an apartment. 

1. Cash Assistance Program

The Human Resources Administration is providing emergency cash grants to help you pay for rent and other necessities. Certain documents will be needed to apply.

2. COVID Rent Relief Program

The state set up the COVID Rent Relief Program to help households facing an increase in rent burden due to a loss of income during the pandemic. However, it ended. As of June 1, 2021, a new federally-funded rental assistance program opened. If you’re seeking help, please reach out to New York State’s Emergency Assistance Program (ERAP). It is important to note that the rental assistance grant from ERAP does not have to be repaid.