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So I have a friend from Sweden who is interested in moving to New York City for about a year. What’s the best way for him to be able to get an apartment for rent 1 bedroom or studio? Is Craigslist good website? Some prices there seem too good to be true, such as updated nice studio for only $1500 in Midtown. Not sure how it works and what is legal or not legal.
Without a Social Security card & and an American credit record (with a high score), many landlords won't look at your "friend" from Sweden.
Worse the eegits in Albany have taken away asking for more than one months security which was how many with weak or nil credit records scored an apartment.
Unless your friend's company or close friends step up, he or she is likely going to need a guarantor service in order to get a NYC apartment.
CL can be good or bad. There are legit advertisements, but also plenty of scams.
I think it should be pretty easy to tell the "too good to be true" listings from the others. All you need is a little time to go through listings for various neighborhoods. Streeteasy website is a good place to start. Then you see what a one bedroom should cost in, say, Hells Kitchen. If the range is $3000 to $5000 mostly, and you see one single listing for $2000, then that one is a scam.
Maybe your friend should Google "How to rent an apartment in NYC" and read some advice articles/blogs.
Craigslist is a good option to avoid paying fees, and perfectly legal, BUT you have to be cautious to make sure everything is true and real. The $1500 for a midtown studio is possible, but not realistic. A more reasonable minimum would be perhaps $2000 for an ordinary studio, not particularly luxurious. He will have to decide if he wants a furnished or unfurnished place. Also, NYC housing is complicated, with differences between rental and sublet, so he will need to ask a lot of questions.
What your friend needs to think about, though, is that people are cautious about renting to foreigners. He should bring with him reference letters from his previous landlord, reference letters from his employer, and extra money, because he may need to offer a large security deposit.
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