Rental inventory usually increase in the fall?

Likely the apartments will be the same, but there won't be as much competition for them. Where are you from? What is your budget?

Also, have you actually been in NYC looking for apartments? Or just online?

Actually, from my days in rentals back in 2004-2005, it was always SEPT that was the most active/popular move in date. Not sure if it still is this way, but I dont see why that would change much. Id expect more competition around the SEPT move in date, especially the 2-3 weeks before

Aug 1, Sept 1 are the two busiest move in days. There is a drop off after that however.

I don't think the inventory decreases, but rather the number of people looking decrease and prices drop on the order of 10% seasonally. With Sept 1, you're not going to catch the drop. With, say, Nov 1 - Mar 1, you'd catch the best of it. One option to consider, particularly if you're planning on renting in NYC for years, is to do a 3-month temporary furnished place to put you on the right cycle.

How are you searching? The one thing about the NYC market compared to most places is that the price variance for the same thing is huge. In a normal market, an apartment may go for X +/- 15%. In NYC, it'll be X +/- 30%. Most of what's left on the market is the higher-priced stuff because, well, no one takes it. Well-priced places, especially in the generic category you're looking at, move in a couple of weeks.

Related Q to the OP:

Given that I have flexibility on when to move (living in a RS apt right now) I was thinking of waiting until the rush is over and start looking in September. I know there will be less, but what is left will move more slowly, which is to my advantage considering I have the time to wait.

Looking for a 2BR on the UWS.

All good advice, even from Jim Jones.

Speaking of Kool-aide, I might be drinking it because I think he might FINALLY be right - my building and others I looked at last summer are asking considerably more for new renters this time around.

but...the real question is whether or not they're getting it. will take time to see.

I'm moving from the Bay Area and have been out once to view apartments with our broker but the bulk of the research has been done online....and despite some brokers best efforts, the pictures can be deceiving-both to their benefit or ours! I'm looking to stay under $4500 and staying away from walkups (young baby). We would like to be in our permanent place sometime in August but have a little bit of flexibility and could do a short term corporate housing until the perfect place was available. I'm just trying to avoid a situation where we are pressured to take whatever we can get.

You really want to do the corporate short term housing IMO. In addition to being able to push your start date out 2-3 months for better seasonality, you got two other things working for you. First, you'll be able to do the searching while you are here. Second, you'll have flexibility to wait for the right place and will be able to say "I'll move in 3 weeks". You will be pressured to take whatever you can get otherwise.

Your budget is somewhat tight if you want if you're looking for decent finishes, but doable with work in the less prime areas of the UES and UWS.

note comment from inonada. key problem with nyc rentals. you can see 20 apartments in a row and be convinced that you'll never find anything decent and then out of nowhere appears the perfect place. can be extremely discouraging but the good news is that patience is rewarded. my theory is that many are persuaded/forced to settle leaving a few select places to be found. based on the little you said, it would seem that your best bet is to weather the two moves---you need to think of looking for a place as a temporary full time job!

Good advice, Inonada....and echos my last conversation with our broker. While its nerve wracking to move across the country without a permanent residence lined up, I think we'll have a better chance of finding something if we are "on the ground" and can move quickly on something. I agree-seems in our budget there is a wide range of what we can get and it's not always what I'd hoped for.....just don't want to end up with a flashy place right on the 2nd street subway construction zone :)

"you need to think of looking for a place as a temporary full time job!"

Amen. When I first moved to NYC, I had the benefit of temporary & flexible housing, but no Streeteasy, no nybits.com, etc. Although the first place I found was good value (mainly due to the temp full-time job thing), it was nowhere near future values that I was able to find. Nothing will prepare you for the volume of crappy places that no one has bitten on.

I second Inonada's recommendation. Use temporary housing for as long as you can, because you will get a much better deal in November than you would in September.

Lolls
about 2 hours ago
ignore this person
report abuse I'm moving from the Bay Area and have been out once to view apartments with our broker but the bulk of the research has been done online....and despite some brokers best efforts, the pictures can be deceiving-both to their benefit or ours! I'm looking to stay under $4500 and staying away from walkups (young baby). We would like to be in our permanent place sometime in August but have a little bit of flexibility and could do a short term corporate housing until the perfect place was available. I'm just trying to avoid a situation where we are pressured to take whatever we can get.

i doubt very seriously you got your broker's best effort going out to look at apartments now for an august move in. your best bet (if you chose to forgo the furnished rental route) is to come back 3 weeks before you plan to move for one full week and get it done then. Searching online doesn't count. The market is too fluid.

You should DEFINITELY do the temp apt first! I did when I moved from SF - and its a MILLION times easier! At many buildings, they only advertise online for a minority of units - you would never even know they were available until you were on-site!

Do the short term. Pick up a furnished sublet on Craigslist for now. Look at the big landlords (Glenwood, Rose, Macklowe...) renting for no fee if you deal with them direct. Some of their own in house agents are excellent and have knowledge about availability a few months down the road. Will you have furniture to move and store?