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

3 Sylvan Terrace

$2,300 No Fee

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Murray Hill

5 Tudor City Place

$2,400 No Fee

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Upper East Side

126 East 83rd Street

$2,200 No Fee

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East Harlem

159 East 99th Street

$2,200 No Fee

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Hudson Heights

92 Pinehurst Avenue

$2,400 No Fee

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Little Italy

129 Mulberry Street

$2,500 No Fee

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Yorkville

1728 Second Avenue

$2,200 No Fee

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Hudson Heights

225 Bennett Avenue

$2,300 No Fee

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Washington Heights

629 West 170th Street

$2,295 No Fee

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East Harlem

124 East 107th Street

$1,995 No Fee

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Carnegie Hill

1257 Park Avenue

$2,450 No Fee

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Inwood

95 Park Terrace East

$1,995 No Fee

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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

89-10 63 Drive

$1,850 No Fee

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Jackson Heights

35-50 82nd Street

$2,100 No Fee

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Jamaica

88-25 153rd Street

$2,000 No Fee

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Kew Gardens

83-80 118th Street

$1,895 No Fee

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Astoria

43-08 25th Avenue

$2,300 No Fee

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Ditmars-Steinway

23-88 32nd Street

$2,150 No Fee

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Briarwood

139-21 85 Drive

$1,995 No Fee

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Elmhurst

90-36 53rd Avenue

$1,750 No Fee

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Forest Hills

109-10 71 Road

$2,400 No Fee

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Fresh Meadows

196-25 69th Avenue

$2,250 No Fee

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Fresh Meadows

69-10 198th Street

$2,100 No Fee

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Fresh Meadows

196-24 69th Avenue

$2,250 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

Homecrest

1750 East 14th Street

$1,799 No Fee

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Fort Hamilton

351 Marine Avenue

$2,050 No Fee

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Canarsie

9902 Avenue J

$2,000 No Fee

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Weeksville

1588 President Street

$2,450 No Fee

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Bay Ridge

191 73rd Street

$1,700 No Fee

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Sheepshead Bay

2625 East 13th Street

$2,050 No Fee

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Kensington

230 Ocean Parkway

$1,850 No Fee

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Bath Beach

268 Bay 17th Street

$1,725 No Fee

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Bushwick

294 Harman Street

$2,400 No Fee

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Bushwick

294 Harman Street

$2,428 No Fee

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Gravesend

2432 84th Street

$2,500 No Fee

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Bath Beach

1660 Cropsey Avenue

$1,750 No Fee

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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

Mott Haven

276 Grandconcourse

$2,443 No Fee

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Mott Haven

276 Grandconcourse

$2,308 No Fee

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Mott Haven

276 Grandconcourse

$2,365 No Fee

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Mott Haven

276 Grandconcourse

$2,275 No Fee

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Parkchester

1847 Cross Bronx Expressway

$2,318 No Fee

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Bronxwood

3013 Barker Avenue

$2,475 No Fee

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Mott Haven

40 Bruckner Boulevard

$2,356 No Fee

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Mott Haven

40 Bruckner Boulevard

$2,344 No Fee

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Mott Haven

40 Bruckner Boulevard

$2,344 No Fee

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Mott Haven

40 Bruckner Boulevard

$2,232 No Fee

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Pelham Parkway

2157 Wallace Avenue

$1,750 No Fee

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Riverdale

5645 Netherland Avenue

$2,123 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.