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

Washington Heights

533 West 158th Street

$2,300 No Fee

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1

East Harlem

375 Pleasant Avenue

$2,200 No Fee

2 |

1

Murray Hill

245 East 39th Street

$2,300 No Fee

1 |

1

Yorkville

511 East 81st Street

$2,500 No Fee

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1

East Village

303 East 9th Street

$2,400 No Fee

Studio |

1

Lenox Hill

405 East 63rd Street

$2,500 No Fee

Studio |

1

Hamilton Heights

631 West 152nd Street

$2,360 No Fee

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1

Central Harlem

150 West 140th Street

$2,034 No Fee

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1

Two Bridges

117 Henry Street

$2,400 No Fee

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1

Upper West Side

158 West 84th Street

$2,450 No Fee

Studio |

1

Upper West Side

949 West End Avenue

$1,850 No Fee

Studio |

1

Fort George

558 West 193rd Street

$1,800 No Fee

Studio |

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

Flushing

140-75 34th Avenue

$1,700 No Fee

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1

Woodhaven

83-14 101st Avenue

$2,500 No Fee

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1.5

Middle Village

75-26 Metropolitan Avenue

$1,799 No Fee

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1

Rego Park

65-61 Saunders Street

$1,750 No Fee

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1

Astoria

31-56 29th Street

$1,900 No Fee

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1

Ridgewood

18-18 Centre Street

$2,500 No Fee

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1

Jamaica

107-03 Guy R Brewer Boulevard

$1,750 No Fee

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1

Sunnyside

47-07 41st Street

$2,250 No Fee

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1

Astoria

31-70 34th Street

$2,300 No Fee

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1

Jamaica Estates

177-18 Wexford Terrace

$2,100 No Fee

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1

Kew Gardens

116-16 Audley Street

$1,750 No Fee

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1

Jamaica

147-40 Archer Avenue

$2,310 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

Flatbush

148 Linden Boulevard

$2,295 No Fee

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1

Sunset Park

4721 Eighth Avenue

$2,250 No Fee

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2

Bay Ridge

565 85th Street

$2,200 No Fee

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1

Bay Ridge

149 Bay Ridge Parkway

$2,200 No Fee

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1

Midwood

1355 East 18th Street

$1,950 No Fee

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1

Sheepshead Bay

2790 Bragg Street

$2,450 No Fee

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1.5

Gravesend

2375 East 3rd Street

$2,500 No Fee

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1.5

Gravesend

388 Avenue X

$1,950 No Fee

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1

Brighton Beach

2733 East 12th Street

$2,492 No Fee

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1

Ocean Hill

103 Hull Street

$2,500 No Fee

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1

Bushwick

35 Aberdeen Street

$2,499 No Fee

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1

Sunset Park

5411 Second Avenue

$1,900 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

Riverdale

5445 Netherland Avenue

$2,500 No Fee

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1

Woodstock

718 Union Avenue

$1,800 No Fee

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1

University Heights

2175 Cedar Avenue

$1,949 No Fee

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1

Concourse

930 Sheridan Avenue

$2,125 No Fee

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1

Morrisania

664 East 166th Street

$1,950 No Fee

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1

Concourse

1504 Sheridan Avenue

$2,475 No Fee

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1

Concourse

124 Elliot Place

$1,550 No Fee

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1

Bedford Park

2900 Briggs Avenue

$2,300 No Fee

3 |

1

Bronxwood

2700 Bronx Park East

$1,750 No Fee

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1

Parkchester

1849 Cross Bronx Expressway

$2,500 No Fee

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1

University Heights

2265 University Avenue

$1,795 No Fee

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1

Bedford Park

3175 Grandconcourse

$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.