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

Yorkville

304 East 81st Street

$2,495 base rent

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Lower East Side

337 Grand Street

$2,400 base rent

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Inwood

571 Academy Street

$1,600 base rent

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Hamilton Heights

419 West 146th Street

$2,195 base rent

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South Harlem

247 West 123rd Street

$2,444 base rent

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Fort George

4580 Broadway

$2,200 base rent

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East Harlem

423 East 117th Street

$2,000 base rent

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Hudson Heights

728 West 181st Street

$2,350 base rent

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Fort George

4580 Broadway

$2,500 base rent

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Inwood

510 West 218th Street

$1,675 base rent

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Central Harlem

265 West 146th Street

$1,716 base rent

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Hudson Heights

4469 Broadway

$2,450 base rent

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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

Rego Park

61-61 Woodhaven Boulevard

$2,200 base rent

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Kew Gardens Hills

69-62 136th Street

$2,500 base rent

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Briarwood

138-28 Queens Boulevard

$2,500 base rent

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Long Island City

37-31 Crescent Street

$2,450 base rent

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Jackson Heights

35-60 74th Street

$1,850 base rent

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Ditmars-Steinway

21-17 22 Road

$2,100 base rent

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Ditmars-Steinway

37-12 23rd Avenue

$2,500 base rent

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Astoria

32-16 43rd Street

$2,400 base rent

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Flushing

142-19 Barclay Avenue

$2,495 base rent

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Lindenwood

153-21A Sapphire Street

$2,000 base rent

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Glendale

74-16 64th Street

$2,500 base rent

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Sunnyside

44-15 43rd Avenue

$2,500 base rent

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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

Midwood

2020 Avenue O

$2,295 base rent

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Bay Ridge

644 73rd Street

$1,899 base rent

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Weeksville

1539 Park Place

$2,125 base rent

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Bedford-Stuyvesant

73 Hart Street

$2,400 base rent

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Flatbush

1080 Rogers Avenue

$2,298 base rent

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Bensonhurst

1938 82nd Street

$1,825 base rent

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Dyker Heights

957 67th Street

$1,725 base rent

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Kensington

22 Tehama Street

$2,200 base rent

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Dyker Heights

6815 Eleventh Avenue

$2,500 base rent

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Sunset Park

321 61st Street

$1,975 base rent

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Crown Heights

1223 Dean Street

$2,400 base rent

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Sunset Park

4202 Fifth Avenue

$1,450 base rent

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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

3015 Roberts Avenue

$1,950 base rent

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University Heights

2170 University Avenue

$2,100 base rent

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Mott Haven

2455 Third Avenue

$2,421 base rent

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Pelham Parkway

2160 Holland Avenue

$1,500 base rent

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Riverdale

3636 Fieldston Road

$2,200 base rent

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Melrose

381 East 151st Street

$1,625 base rent

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Bedford Park

3175 Grand Concourse

$2,150 base rent

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Woodstock

673 Dawson Street

$1,750 base rent

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Morris Park

1026 Rhinelander Avenue

$1,850 base rent

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Parkchester

1946 East Tremont Avenue

$2,200 base rent

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Concourse

85 Mcclellan Street

$2,100 base rent

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Riverdale

6629 Broadway

$1,775 base rent

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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.