Moving to NYC

Most brokers only want to show you places if you are ready to move within 30 days, because most tennants that are moving out do not tell their landlords until about 30 days before they move. If you are going to use a broker (which is expensive, but the way a ton of places are rented), find a good one a couple months in advance and tell them what you are looking for and your price range so they can keep an eye out for you. If you are going to try and rent without one, start at least 60 days ahead and use sites like craigslist.com for help. Also, there are many no-fee companies that own lots of units (Rockrose, Rose Associates, Manhattan Skyline, Monian, etc.) so try them if you have a little extra to spend as their units are generally full service/more expensive. Good luck.