Maybe you felt the siren call of New York City for college. Or want to climb your way up Manhattan’s sky-scraping corporate ladder. But if you’re moving to New York for the first time, you may be in for a reality check. Finding an apartment can be as daunting as navigating the subway for the first time if you’re among the city’s many international renters. We interviewed industry pros for everything international renters need to know about finding a place to live in NYC.

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

Murray Hill

304 East 41st Street

$2,395 No Fee

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1

Fort George

4300 Broadway

$2,350 No Fee

2 |

1

Hell’s Kitchen

421 West 56th Street

$2,250 No Fee

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1

Central Harlem

28 Macombs Place

$2,175 No Fee

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1

Chelsea

335 West 19th Street

$2,500 No Fee

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1

East Village

312 East 6th Street

$2,300 No Fee

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1

Yorkville

1683 First Avenue

$2,225 No Fee

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1

Washington Heights

515 West 168th Street

$1,975 No Fee

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1

Washington Heights

516 West 169th Street

$2,295 No Fee

2 |

1

Washington Heights

29 Wadsworth Avenue

$1,975 No Fee

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1

Central Harlem

217 West 145th Street

$1,400 No Fee

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1

Hamilton Heights

334 Convent Avenue

$2,500 No Fee

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1

Demonstrate Your Financial Stability

Most landlords require prospective tenants to prove that they are currently employed, with a salary of at least 40 times the monthly rent. It sounds intimidating, but it’s just sticking to the common advice that your rent be no more than 30% of your income.

However, even prospective tenants with high-paying jobs in the U.S. can run into challenges if they don’t have a U.S. credit score, U.S. tax returns, and rental references from local landlords. Still, there is some good news for international renters: “No credit is always better than bad credit,” says Senad Ahmetovic, a licensed associate real estate broker for Brown Harris Stevens. Ahmetovic has worked with tenants from all over the globe, including the United Kingdom, Australia, India, China, and elsewhere.

Before applying for an apartment, request a letter from your U.S. employer that verifies your job title, length of employment, and salary. If you are moving to the U.S. for the first time, you might also consider obtaining reference letters from individuals in your home country, such as previous employers and landlords.

You should also be prepared to provide documentation of all international bank accounts and assets. In lieu of a formal credit check, these credentials will help assure prospective landlords of your ability to pay rent. “My advice to anybody renting, but especially international renters, is to get these documents together upfront,” says Angela Mannino, a licensed real estate salesperson at the Bizzarro Agency. “When you’re going through brokers, they’re going to ask for it.”

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

Ditmars-Steinway

22-06 38th Street

$2,250 No Fee

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1

Ridgewood

605 Fairview Avenue

$2,350 No Fee

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1

Ditmars-Steinway

22-44 29th Street

$1,900 No Fee

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1

Jackson Heights

85-05 35th Avenue

$1,995 No Fee

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1

Hollis

184-10 89th Avenue

$2,300 No Fee

2 |

1

Woodside

59-16 Woodside Avenue

$2,150 No Fee

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1

Briarwood

139-09 84 Drive

$1,995 No Fee

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1

Astoria

30-43 34th Street

$2,350 No Fee

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1

Jamaica

152-09 88th Avenue

$2,150 No Fee

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1

Jamaica

152-09 88th Avenue

$2,500 No Fee

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1

Flushing

143-05 41st Avenue

$2,200 No Fee

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1

Jackson Heights

82-15 35th Avenue

$2,390 No Fee

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Can International Renters Pay More Upfront?

The short answer: nope. “In the past, people would pay a few extra months of security or prepay the rent,” Ahmetovic says. But in 2019, the state of New York changed the law to protect tenants. Now, the maximum amount landlords can collect from tenants for a security deposit is one month’s rent and not a penny more. “There’s no prepayment of rent allowed, either,” Ahmetovic says.

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

Weeksville

252 Schenectady Avenue

$2,382 No Fee

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1

Flatbush

2915 Albemarle Road

$2,492 No Fee

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1

Dyker Heights

1255 84th Street

$1,600 No Fee

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1

Bay Ridge

219 78th Street

$1,899 No Fee

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1

Williamsburg

116 South 1st Street

$2,500 No Fee

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1

Stuyvesant Heights

676 Lexington Avenue

$2,499 No Fee

2 |

1

Weeksville

187 Rochester Avenue

$2,100 No Fee

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1

Fort Hamilton

374 87th Street

$1,875 No Fee

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1

Williamsburg

390 Hooper Street

$2,376 No Fee

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1

East Flatbush

3301 Farragut Road

$1,975 No Fee

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1

Williamsburg

376 South Fourth Street

$1,719 No Fee

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1

Park Slope

558 Seventh Street

$2,283 No Fee

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1

Find a Guarantor

So, what’s an international renter without deep pockets to do? “If you don’t have a ton of reserves and don’t make the 40 x the rent, then a guarantor, someone who will pay the rent when you can’t, is absolutely essential,” says Mannino, who adds that they’ll need the guarantor’s proof of income and tax return to proceed.

Enlisting the help of a guarantor is a way to assure prospective landlords that your rent will be covered if you can’t pay it. Still, international renters should know that many landlords will not accept guarantors who reside out of the tri-state area, let alone out of the country. “There is no such thing as an international guarantor,” Ahmetovic says. “I’ve been in the business for 22 years. Some landlords will take a Canadian guarantor, but for most, the guarantor has to be the U.S.”

This was the case for 28-year-old Natasha when she moved from Vancouver to New York to begin design school. “One broker told me that in her entire real estate career she’d never seen a landlord accept a Canadian guarantor because there’s no way to take action if rent isn’t paid. I would say it comes down to either finding a building that’s familiar with international renters or finding a broker that will help push it through.” Natasha also recommends asking about the building’s guarantor policies upfront, to avoid wasting time on an application only to be turned away because you don’t meet a building’s requirements.

Don’t have a local you can ask to be your guarantor? You still have options. Ahmetovic recommends using a third-party guarantor. Companies like Insurent, Rhino, or The Guarantors can act as your guarantor in exchange for a monthly fee. “It could be as little as $20 a month, to much more,” Ahmetovic says.

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

Pelham Bay

2940 East 196th Street

$1,595 No Fee

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1

Throgs Neck

3255 Randall Avenue

$1,950 No Fee

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1

Parkchester

1847 Cross Bronx Expressway

$2,400 No Fee

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1

Country Club

1110 Stadium Avenue

$2,150 No Fee

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1

Norwood

3071 Perry Avenue

$2,095 No Fee

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1

University Heights

2390 Davidson Avenue

$1,876 No Fee

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1

Concourse

675 Walton Avenue

$2,425 No Fee

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1

Concourse

675 Walton Avenue

$2,350 No Fee

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1

Fordham

2501 Morris Avenue

$1,475 No Fee

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1

Concourse

735 Walton Avenue

$1,550 No Fee

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1

Highbridge

1425 University Avenue

$2,295 No Fee

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1

Kingsbridge Heights

3451 Giles Place

$1,895 No Fee

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Work With a Real Estate Agent

Looking for the perfect SATC-worthy apartment? Hire a professional real estate agent. With boots on the ground, a good real estate broker in New York City will be well aware of all the issues you might face as an international renter. Additionally, they will likely have the knowledge and the understanding of the market gained from years of living and working here. Examples include the character of different neighborhoods and buildings, the responsiveness of landlords and management companies, and more. A real estate broker can help an international renter get their feet literally in the door — so they can start living their best NYC life.