Craigslist apartment search (Ridge: real estate, apartments, leasing)

[ellhr]

Well, this really needs to be answered I think. I am looking primarily for an apartment through craigslist. Does this make me feel great - NO. I don't want to pay some ridiculous fee for a place. I have limited funds.

Still, it seems when you search in Brooklyn, lets say Bay Ridge for a 2 bedroom, you get some nice choices. I look for at the apts by owner section. Are these really owners? Or are they realty places posing to be no fee or owner rented places and are in fact a company? Anyone have advice on this stuff?

I'm going to be there this week and I have a very short amount of time to rent a place for the end of the month / Jan 1st. I need to be efficient and smart in my time, and I don't have time to mess around with crappy dishonest postings. I need a no-fee apartment, preferably one rented direct from an owner or management company. Any advice of thoughts on any of this?

[mead]

Management companies can be a nightmare to work with in this area. There are good number of them that own properties in NYC, however they are usually not pleasant to work with.

Unless the place is a luxury building (dont' think there are any in Bay Ridge) it won't have a leasing office like in other parts of the country. So as a result you have to deal with the management company over the phone and this can be tedious at best.

You might want to contact a real estate firm as a back up plan, since you are working with such a short period of time.

[ellhr]

Any recommendations? Can I get a no-fee from an agency?

[Henna]

Sometimes it's worth paying the fee, esp. if you can find a nicer apartment for a cheap price. If you divide the fee by 12 (months) or more - like 24 if you are staying for 2 years, and add it to the monthly rent it won't seem so bad as looking at it as one lump sum.

[dullnboring]

You should look under "all no fee apartments" which includes apartments by owners with no brokers fees. Some of these owners may in fact be management companies, but if they're not charging a fee, it's no big deal. It's best to ask straight out though when getting in contact with the owner exactly what will be due at the signing of the lease. I found my place in Astoria on Craig's List advertised as "by owner" but actually owned by a management company and paid no sort of extra fee. The more popular the neighborhood, the harder it is to find no fee apartments. There wasn't that much of a selection in Astoria for example, but there were quite a lot in Bay Ridge. It's definitely doable to find a no fee apartment though.

[ellhr]

Is it more typical to only pay 1st + security? Some of these people want 1st, last and security. In your experience, is this negotiable?

[pureistheword]

all the places I rented in brooklyn were direct through owner, and only was 1st + security. I had better luck looking in local papers(bay news, etc.) with courier classifieds than craigslist

[UpstaterInBklyn]

Is it more typical to only pay 1st + security? Some of these people want 1st, last and security. In your experience, is this negotiable?

The last month requirement is thrown in to avoid a situation where at the end of the lease, the tenant gives his 30-day notice then skips out on the last month's rent because he has nothing to lose.

This may be negotiable if you have excellent credit and good former landlord references.

Generally, you will have more flexibility in dealing with a small property owner rather than a big management company. A small owner is going to cut you more slack if he/she likes you and a good feeling about you as a responsible tenant.

You will find more true "By Owner" and small landlord situations in Bay Ridge than you would in a "hotter" area like Astoria or Williamsburg.

We found our place in Gerritsen Beach on Craigslist and we rent from a small owner. We didn't pay last month's rent.

[dullnboring]

Originally Posted by ellhr

Is it more typical to only pay 1st + security? Some of these people want 1st, last and security. In your experience, is this negotiable?

I paid only first month's rent and a security deposit, and the majority of places I looked at, that is all that they wanted.

As UpstaterinBklyn said, I would think that payment options would be more negotiable with a private owner than a management company. A private owner will often take a personal interest in a case whereas with a management company, you're just one of many anonymous names to them so they have no incentive to bend over backwards, or be even remotely accomodating to you.

[StrawberryOctober]

I just moved and i found that many non-realtor apartments have the super's showing the apartments and they expect a 'fee' for showing the place. I just wanted you to be aware of the expectation. I came across a lot of people who wanted money. I flat out refused to pay someone first, last and security and I think that will be easy enough to avoid. Good luck and let me know if you have any questions.