How to fly in and find a rental in 48 hours?

I have searched for apartments several times and always try to avoid using a broker. No reason why you can't do both though - search on your own and use a broker. Find a list of buildings you want to go to directly (I assume these are no fee buildings) and also contact a broker. Tell the broker you are looking at some buildings on your own and have a list of those (and do not want the broker to take you to those buildings). The sad fact is that brokers may have some listings that you can't find yourself and that will only be available with a fee (which I have been told is sometimes negotiable). However, there are lots of no-fee high-rise apartments in Midtown and you should be able to see several in that span. If you find one, the building will start the process asap, although actually signing a lease may not get done that weekend. Good luck.

Dealing with a property manager that owns the property such as Archstone will likely be simpler than dealing with individuals as landlords or property managers. As an added benefit, there will be no fee. Nevertheless, completion of the credit check may not happen in time to have an executed lease in hand before you leave. Below is the link for the Archstone Clinton:

http://www.archstoneapartments.com/Apartments/New_York/New_York_City/Archstone_Clinton/

With Archstone, you could even apply on the web if you are comfortable with that.

Keep in mind that you will need to meet NYC credit standards that include documenting 40 times monthy rent in annual income.

As an aside, the first weekend in August may be a tad early for September occupancy.

I'm doing the same in Chicago next week, but on a day trip, as the rental market there is much easier. I expect to be able to conplete the paperwork remotely from Manhattan.

I have two friends (also an out-of-town couple) who just went through this a month ago and got a great place with no broker fee. They did it in two days, but had to return to sign the lease and deliver checks.

1)Visit NYBits.com and NYTimes.com to get a sense of broker-free places, availabilities, prices, income requirements (40-50x monthly rent), amenities etc. Call management companies directly - many management companies don't list everything they have available because they get innundated with brokers - no fee places are lucrative for brokers because they don't have to share the 15% fee with a listing agent. Be prepared to see most places on weekdays. Unless it's a newly opened building, most mgmt companies probably won't show places on weekends.

2) Have all paperwork ready (sounds like you do) - prior year tax returns, letter from employer verifying employment and salary, 2+ months of bank statements, previous landlord contact info, access to capital and cashier's checks for desposit and first month's rent.

3) If you see a place you like, fill out an application and pay the free for the credit check. You don't have to take the apartment if you find something you like better, but you have it in your back pocket.

You are looking in a great spot for broker-free places - many high rises. Good luck!!

Try also urbansherpany.com it is a great site for no fee rentals.

Thanks for the comments. To be clear, I'm fine completing the lease by fax and wire transfer the following week, and our income should be fine. My fear is not being able to lock into a place in one trip, when we're going to be moving a few weeks later. My takeaways so far:

1) We should try to schedule our viewing for two weekdays instead.
2) We should also schedule with a broker to show us places not listed online.

Do you think looking 3 weeks ahead of time instead of 4 will yield more options? Any other advice?

If you are looking at a move date as the 1st of Sept the optimum time to look for rentals would be on or after the 15th of August.

Remember to ask the on site leasing agents for discounts as the market seems quite soft and a number of them are offering one month's free rent including the Helena. Ask and then only you shall receive!

http://www.thehelena.com/

JulieK--

I am a broker who does a lot of high-end rentals (my last listing, a 2 BR, 2.5 BA, just leased at $9,500 a month).

You can't sublet a condo (which would probably involve paying a broker's fee, but be cheaper over the period of your lease than going to a managed building) that quickly. So you're basically left with looking at the corporate buildings that are built and managed as rentals -- and the key with them is to do your homework.

As you call and set up your appointments, have each building fax you its application form so you can see what they'll want. Also, you can check out the reputation of different buildings on threads on wirednewyork.com

I live in the West 50s, and I find it hard to believe that there are even a dozen buildings that meet your criteria. (The last big wave of managed rentals were built in the 1980s; there are some new ones, but lately, it's been more profitable for developers to build condos.)

My advice would be to pick what to you look like the best six, set up appointments remotely and see them all on Friday, and then someone at the building will move the paperwork on Saturday for you.

ali r.
{downtown broker}

I agree with front_porch that buildings built and managed as rentals is the way to go in this situation (I was able to identify one in an earlier post - the Archstone Clinton), but what would be genuinely helpful to the OP is information about this and additional buildings in that category (I myself have no first hand knowledge of the neighborhood).

If they had in hand five such buildings, they could parachute in, check out the available inventory, drop a deposit check on their first choice, go back home, and close the deal remotely. If their first choice somehow falls through, they would have backups in place.

Another one that might work for you.

http://www.themetrony.com/

Thanks for the additional comments. Do others agree that we should wait until after 8/15 to find the maximum number of apartments for a 9/1 move in date? I can see the logic, but it seems to be cutting it close that we would be putting our belongings on a moving truck in California almost before we had the address to deliver them to.

We're interested in places with less than 200 units. Here are a few that were appealing:

Element at 555 West 59th Street in Lincoln Square
www.streeteasy.com/nyc/building/555-west-59-street-manhattan

The Centria at 18 West 48th Street in Midtown
www.streeteasy.com/nyc/building/18-west-48-street-new_york

The Link at 310 West 52nd Street in Clinton
www streeteasy com/nyc/building/310-west-52-street-manhattan

front_porch, could you elaborate on why you don't think many buildings would meet our criteria?

Also, is it odd that Metro NY isn't listed on StreetEasy?
http://www.nybits.com/apartments/301_west_53rd_st.html

If you are looking at the Element, prepare to deal with construction for at least 18 months. There is a big hole across the street.

I just changed my option from buying to renting and most agents I talked to revolve around a 15 day time frame for renting out.They think they can still rent out the unit within 15 days of listing. I would say that is a bit optimistic on their part given the current situation and seeing the DOM. Things have slowed quite dramatically in the last few months and there seems to be a lot of price erosion with investor condos coming on the market as rentals.

Try looking into the Avery, a condo project on Riverside. I think it is by far the best there is tho a bit removed from the scene. I liked the location better than Element. And there is currently a two bedroom listed there under $6000. Don't know what view or floor. Worth checking it out.

look up broadwall management. Great size units, they have number of bldgs in UES..more bang for buck if you ask me, bt not as luxurious as others. You get size instead of granite counters.

JulieP (my apologies for calling you JulieK before, I'm having one of those weeks) Manhattan doesn't have a fully standardized MLS and brokers spend a lot of time trying to charm different computer systems. My guess is that PRC -- which is the management firm for Metro -- just hasn't contacted StreetEasy about getting listed.

I don't think many buildings would meet your criteria because even your shortlist doesn't -- the Link and the Centria are both condos, not rentals. I'd be highly surprised if there isn't some kind of board package, not an elaborate one, but you probably can't do that paperwork in a weekend, and you'll probably be paying brokerage fees, at least to the broker who is repping the apartment.

(The way it works in NY is that renters pay fees, and if there are two brokers, the houses split the commission; if the renter comes in without their own broker, the listing broker keeps the pot.)

It's interesting that you say *smaller* buildings because otherwise my first guesses for you would have been the Orion (an all-glass 600-unit condo near the Port Authority, but a very high-service building popular with lawyers -- there are a lot of firms that can be walked to from there) or the Marc (a 2004 built 400-unit rental in the 50s).

Of the buildings you mentioned, the Element is slightly far from the subway but has its defenders -- look up at the ceilings because it's new construction and one or two units have had leaks; the Centria has very distinctive kitchens along one wall, so if you want a more formal kitchen it's not for you; the Link, as I mentioned before a condo sublet, is a 215-unit 2007 building that I would think, not knowing you, would be the winner -- but it's also the priciest, expect to pay about $8K for a two-bedroom; and Metro, a lovely building, was put up in 1980 so you might find it dated.

If you can tolerate 80s and condo I would throw in Cityspire -- it's a medium-sized, around 350 units, building that doesn't take pets, built in 1987, but it will be a little cheaper than some of these others, and it's on west 56th so you'll get Central Park views, which you might like.

ali r.
{downtown broker}

I went through a similar process a few years ago when I moved here (think I flew in and looked over 2 weekdays, though). The main nuance I would add is that what brokers add in the case of buildings that are no-fee and where you could rent without them, is the ability to be a little more on top of the day-to-day changes in apartment availability. Sometimes you come across a building and location you really like, call and hear there's nothing available, and then you move down your list and don't think about it again. I did that myself, and when I later gave in and got a broker, in just a matter of days something had opened up in the building I thought was ideal. I kind of kicked myself for not having made another round of calls and finding that out on my own, but there were just too many buidings for me to manage to get around to it.

So I guess my point is that the apartment stock is really a moving target, and since it's the brokers' full-time job to call and call and call the various buildings (and in a big office, they might even have assistants doing it for them), that's kind of what you get from them. I wound up paying one month's rent as a fee (which is an 8% fee), which while a lot of money for just a couple of days of the broker's time, is better than the 15%. Had I done it on my own, I think I would have wound up in a different apartment building where the unit was just a bit weaker in the value I got (i.e., a hair more expensive than it should have been, for what I was looking for), but again, I would have bypassed the fee.

didn't read through all the posts but I have to assume you looked in craigs list under apt for owner. keep in mind a lot of time brokers are under this category but if you look often enough an apt will open up that is being offered directly by the owner. I am of course referring to condo units.

I would look in nytimes.com, honestly. The trouble with craiglist is that it is free or a minimal charge for people to post there, so you get all sorts of dreck. Advertising that people -- whether brokers or rental leasing agents or owners who are trying to rent their own places -- have to pay for tends to be more direct, and usually represents an actual apartment. (At least the ones with specific addresses like "The Link" do; an ad for "2-bedroom luxury midtown loft" can often be a bait-and-switch).

ali r.
{downtown broker}

When my husband was moving to ny for work before we met, he flew in and viewed some properties he had researched online and signed at the Biltmore in 1 weekend. If you do your research, you can definitely take care of this in a weekend, particularly the buildings with on-site management (no-fee). The Biltmore is on 47th st and may be a little close to times square for your taste, but the url is www.thebiltmoreny.com

I also made a spreadsheet of no-fee places when we were looking for our place, primarily ones that allowed dogs. I just spot checked it and found these in various parts of midtown west. i'd be happy to email you the whole thing if you want to leave your email address because streeteasy is flagging as spam cause of all the links (hence also removing the .com and formatting)

The Nicole 400 w 55th 212.430.3700 www thenicole
Foundry 505 W 54th St 212-757-0100 www foundrynyc
The Clinton 520 W 48th St www theclinton
Marc 900 8th Ave www marcny
Midwest Court 410 W 53rd St 212-245-0399 www rockrosenyc

Although I agree with front_ porch he does bring out some pointers when looking through craig list"
1: Make sure condo is listed by by owner
2 If it is by owner make sure you only respond to ones that list their telephone #'s
3 Make sure they have the address of apt on the listing
4 If all of above criteria is not met then move on.

We rented from Glenwood at one point. Very well managed building; they have several around town and you can deal with them directly.

Look at The Marc on 54th and 8th. You can deal with them directly. (wwww.marcny.com).

Julie,

First, I'm PICKY as hell. I just spent 3mo trying to avoid brokers and I've seen so many NO FEE/Brokered condos that people suggested I BECOME a broker now that I'm armed with so much knowledge! I ended up in Orion but was lucky to get owner-direct (rare). E-mail me directly if you decide to entertain other neigbhorhoods: nivitav@yahoo.com else, here's my $.02 for Clinton area:

NO FEE Bldgs (notwithstanding the 200-unit rule):
- The EPIC: a GREEN bldg (gotta love that)- good value, w/d in all units, great views
- Tower 31: great views, no w/d in units I saw but 2bd may be diff, great sml restaurant on ground flr; I found EPIC to be better value though; both bldgs are 5 min from each other
- Biltmore: compared to 2 above, I didn't like the UNITS in this one; great amenities tho
- Helena: I'd pass - green bldg and nice but too far West to be convenient
- www.Marcny.com - not too impressed w/1bd but 2bd might be a different story
- The Metro - recent conversion; doesn't impress from exterior but units are REALLY nice (very homely feel to them) and I thought they offered great value
- The Nicole - not good value in my book - I'd pass
FYI: All Related Rentals and RockRose are NO FEE rentals (Related is better of the two)

Here are BROKER represented bldgs I liked in Clinton area:
-ORION: I have a love-hate relationship w/Times Sq location of this bldg but condos can't be beat - spacious w/amazing views if you are 31+flr; GREAT access to subway, steps to Hell's Kitchen dining.. everything!
- Chatham 44: not sure they have 2bd; a small 9-story MODERN bldg; on corner of 44/10th Ave which makes subway a pain to access but reasonable pricing and lovely, modern units.
- Sheffield57:Recent conversion - great units but views I saw weren't great & doesn't seem like good value for money
- 325 Fifth Ave/33-4: Ok, it's not in Clinton but it was MY FAVORITE OF ALL! And I saw at least 100 places. If I could have avoided broker fee, I would have rented here! LOVED units, loved bldg, loved access to all subways, and loved Fifth Ave. Don't pass it up!

Comments on Bldgs you chose:
The Link: Great bldg/units/loc but found it relatively pricey and units I saw didn't offer privacy (facing another bldg).

Centria: Gorgeous new bldg/units, rt in front of Rockefeller Ctr, but units I saw offered no privacy because most seem to look into commercial bldg across the street & though kitchens were uber-modern, I think most seemed to be lined up against wall which I didn't like - I was looking at 1bd though so maybe 2bd will be diff.

Element - beautiful modern condos but I thought it was too "far West" - not centrally located; I'd pass.

If you get more time somehow and want to avoid broker fee, leave your contact info w/lobby attendants (some are willing to work w/you in renting directly through owners) and/or start sending LETTERS out to the bldgs with UNIT #s listed on them on this site! Say you are interested and wish to work directly w/owner - it's worth a try. GOODLUCK!

There is a 2 bed available for rent at the Orion on the 36th floor. $5700 and no Broker fee. Contact 212-459-0422. Available July with a flexible date-whatever that means.

I think one thing that's starting to come up on this thread is a moving definition of "Clinton" -- a lot of the buildings brought up by posters, including myself, are in the south end of what brokers now call "Midtown West" -- the area traditionally known as Hell's Kitchen. (Roughly the 10036 zip code). You're closer to Times Square, and in some ways the restaurant/bar scene is more vibrant. There's a great coffee store. That catchement area gets you the Biltmore, which is a 2003 rental building that unfortunately doesn't have a ton of 2-bedroom units, and the Orion condominium, which is a full-service building that is large -- so the downside is dinner hour, when the residents wait for their food as the poor doormen have to buzz up takeout for 600 different people.

Hell's Kitchen has got a different feel than the north end of "Midtown West" -- which didn't really have an identity until about 10 years ago, when it became "Clinton." I live in a prewar condo here, mainly because even though I thought Hell's Kitchen was cooler, there really wasn't anything to buy years ago when I bought. You're closer to Columbus Circle, and Central Park, and Time Warner Center, which has a Whole Foods, but it feels a little more corporate and staid up here. (Roughly the 10019 zip code). This catchement area gets you the Marc rental building and the Link condo, which I've previously commented on. There's also a strip of 1980-s vintage towers that were put up on 56th and 57th streets, which don't feel neighborhood-y at all, but have great views of the park. In an attempt to imitate them they've just retrofitted the Sheffield, which has great views from the common amenity floors, though not necessarily from each individual apartment.

ali r.
[downtown broker}

Sheffield is the most over rated building. Way overpriced for everything but its location. The refurbishment is also third rate at best.

I just wanted to provide a quick update. My work is going to provide us a furnished apartment for the month of September, so we no longer need to fly in and find this in 48 hours. This will make the search process a lot less intimidating.

As to location, I'm going to be commuting from the ferry dock at 39th and 12th. So, I'm largely aiming for a 10 to 15 block walk from there. I see Columbus Circle as the far outside of walking distance. North Chelsea is also a good option.

I have a 2 year old, so I'm hesitant to be right next to the Port Authority or in Times Square. I also am attracted to being closer to Dewitt Clinton Park at 52nd and 11th.

Finally, I'm getting slowly convinced that, unless we get lucky, I will probably have to use a broker to get the unit we want.

well, juliep, if you need a broker, put me on your short list -- I can be reached at ali{at}dgneary{dot}com

ali r.

juliep, if you read enough of my posts you'll realize I can't stand most brokers, but Ali R. is one of very few exceptions. If you decide to go the broker route, I'd recommend getting in touch with her.

Juliep -
I'm not sure where you're commuting to in NJ, but you should take a look at living in Jersey City or Hoboken. Unless you live really, really near to the ferry on 39th st and 12th (and there just aren't great places to live near there with a 2 year old) you're in for a COLD winter commute.

tenemental, thank you, I'm touched.

ali r.

grunty, do you think the walk to the ferry dock is so cold because it's exposed? Wind blowing off the Hudson? Of course, the ferry and the terminals on each side are heated (unless I go out to the roof deck!). NY Waterways also runs a series of buses, or I could hop a cab on awful days. But generally, I'm looking forward to including the walk in my daily commute as opposed to the California car culture.