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.
Table of Contents
Manhattan Rentals Under $2,500 on Streeteasy Article continues below
Lenox Hill
1446 First Avenue
$2,400No Fee
1 |
1
Lenox Hill
1142 First Avenue
$2,450No Fee
1 |
1
Upper West Side
2785 Broadway
$2,400No Fee
Studio |
1
Manhattan Valley
82 West 105th Street
$2,495No Fee
Studio |
1
Manhattan Valley
82 West 105th Street
$2,395No Fee
Studio |
1
Central Harlem
111 West 130th Street
$2,292No Fee
Studio |
1
Hamilton Heights
550 West 149th Street
$2,250No Fee
Studio |
1
Upper West Side
314 West 90th Street
$1,850No Fee
Studio |
1
Hudson Heights
209 Bennett Avenue
$2,200No Fee
1 |
1
Washington Heights
444 West 162nd Street
$2,000No Fee
1 |
1
Yorkville
307 East 81st Street
$2,425No Fee
Studio |
1
Murray Hill
590 Third Avenue
$2,395No 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
Woodside
41-11 54th Street
$2,223No Fee
2 |
1
Ridgewood
60-17 Putnam Avenue
$1,500No Fee
Studio |
1
Ridgewood
410 Seneca Avenue
$2,200No Fee
1 |
1
Queens Village
206-09 86 Road
$2,000No Fee
1 |
1
Astoria
33-08 29th Street
$2,500No Fee
1 |
1
Queens Village
206-09 86 Road
$1,800No Fee
Studio |
1
Astoria
31-11 30th Street
$1,995No Fee
Studio |
1
Astoria
14-43 28th Avenue
$2,200No Fee
Studio |
1
Woodside
43-16 53rd Street
$1,725No Fee
1 |
1
Astoria
32-15 41st Street
$2,250No Fee
1 |
1
Forest Hills
71-11 110th Street
$2,395No Fee
1 |
1
Astoria
28-32 44th Street
$2,050No 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
Fort Hamilton
9265 Shore Road
$2,395No Fee
1 |
1
Fort Hamilton
302 99th Street
$1,600No Fee
1 |
1
Bedford-Stuyvesant
131 Herkimer Street
$2,000No Fee
Studio |
1
Bay Ridge
7002 Ridge Boulevard
$1,975No Fee
1 |
1
Fort Hamilton
9102 Fourth Avenue
$2,300No Fee
2 |
1
Bay Ridge
7002 Ridge Boulevard
$1,999No Fee
1 |
1
Fort Hamilton
526 86th Street
$1,950No Fee
1 |
1
Ditmas Park
605 East 16th Street
$2,250No Fee
1 |
1
Bay Ridge
7002 Ridge Boulevard
$2,000No Fee
1 |
1
Stuyvesant Heights
628 Hancock Street
$2,400No Fee
2 |
1
Bay Ridge
271 67th Street
$2,300No Fee
1 |
1
Fort Hamilton
9265 Shore Road
$2,395No Fee
1 |
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 StreetEasyArticle continues below
North New York
541 Union Avenue
$1,450No Fee
1 |
1
Concourse
1165 Morris Avenue
$1,600No Fee
1 |
1
Tremont
2191 Creston Avenue
$1,415No Fee
Studio |
1
Concourse
731 Gerard Avenue
$1,525No Fee
1 |
1
Morris Park
1614 Haight Avenue
$2,295No Fee
2 |
1
Riverdale
5730 Mosholu Avenue
$1,750No Fee
Studio |
1
Mott Haven
224 East 135th Street
$2,400No Fee
1 |
1
Mott Haven
276 Grand Concourse
$2,415No Fee
1 |
1
Mott Haven
276 Grand Concourse
$2,343No Fee
1 |
1
Mott Haven
228 East 135th Street
$2,277No Fee
1 |
1
Mott Haven
228 East 135th Street
$2,254No Fee
1 |
1
Mott Haven
228 East 135th Street
$2,430No Fee
Studio |
1
Work With a Real Estate Agent
Looking for the perfect SATC-worthyapartment? 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.