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

331 East 88th Street

$2,399 No Fee

Studio |

1

East Harlem

2004 Second Avenue

$2,200 No Fee

1 |

1

East Harlem

375 Pleasant Avenue

$2,142 No Fee

2 |

1

Central Harlem

101 Macombs Place

$2,400 No Fee

Studio |

1

East Harlem

1912 Third Avenue

$1,995 No Fee

Studio |

1

Central Harlem

2655 Frederic Douglas Boulevard

$2,500 No Fee

2 |

2

Central Harlem

100 West 139th Street

$2,195 No Fee

1 |

1

East Harlem

154 East 110th Street

$1,800 No Fee

Studio |

1

Lincoln Square

25 West 64th Street

$2,500 No Fee

Studio |

1

Yorkville

336 East 95th Street

$1,875 No Fee

Studio |

1

Yorkville

327 East 92nd Street

$2,250 No Fee

Studio |

1

Lower East Side

156 Orchard Street

$2,495 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

Jamaica

147-35 95th Avenue

$2,050 No Fee

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1

Astoria

26-31 3rd Street

$2,500 No Fee

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1

Woodside

39-75 56th Street

$2,100 No Fee

1 |

1

Kew Gardens

82-40 Austin Street

$2,100 No Fee

Studio |

1

Cambria Heights

119-48 228th Street

$2,000 No Fee

1 |

1

Sunnyside

52-25 39 Road

$2,400 No Fee

1 |

1

Ditmars-Steinway

21-20 21st Street

$2,300 No Fee

2 |

1

Jamaica

153-10 88th Avenue

$2,250 No Fee

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1

Briarwood

147-62 Grand Central Parkway Sr South

$2,000 No Fee

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1

Astoria

34-40 10th Street

$2,100 No Fee

1 |

1

Jackson Heights

25-17 87th Street

$2,100 No Fee

1 |

1

Jamaica

147-35 95th Avenue

$2,250 No Fee

1 |

1

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

Stuyvesant Heights

582 Mac Donough Street

$2,500 No Fee

2 |

1

Ditmas Park

735 Ocean Avenue

$2,175 No Fee

1 |

1

Bushwick

1143 De Kalb Avenue

$2,165 No Fee

Studio |

1

Flatbush

902 Rogers Avenue

$1,950 No Fee

Studio |

1

Coney Island

221 Sea Breeze Avenue

$2,079 No Fee

1 |

1

Midwood

2010 Ocean Avenue

$2,292 No Fee

1 |

1

Ditmas Park

605 East 16th Street

$1,850 No Fee

1 |

1

Fort Hamilton

59 Gelston Avenue

$1,850 No Fee

Studio |

1

Ditmas Park

854 Ocean Avenue

$2,300 No Fee

1 |

1

Flatbush

2501 Newkirk Avenue

$2,165 No Fee

2 |

1

Greenwood

215 23rd Street

$1,800 No Fee

1 |

1

Prospect Lefferts Gardens

181 Hawthorne Street

$2,150 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

Concourse

1700 Grand Concourse

$1,958 No Fee

Studio |

1

Pelham Parkway

2160 Matthews Avenue

$2,166 No Fee

1 |

1

Mott Haven

40 Bruckner Boulevard

$2,254 No Fee

Studio |

1

Mott Haven

40 Bruckner Boulevard

$2,399 No Fee

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1

Mott Haven

352 East 139th Street

$2,458 No Fee

3 |

1

Mott Haven

224 East 135th Street

$2,215 No Fee

1 |

1

University Heights

2264 Grand Avenue

$1,800 No Fee

1 |

1

Highbridge

1115 Jerome Avenue

$2,000 No Fee

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1

Concourse

1011 Carroll Place

$2,400 No Fee

2 |

1

Mott Haven

25 Bruckner Boulevard

$2,121 No Fee

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1

Riverdale

5552 Netherland Avenue

$2,200 No Fee

1 |

1

Riverdale

5530 Netherland Avenue

$1,700 No Fee

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1

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.