Requirements for outer borough landlord? (real estate market, apartments, landlords)

[lionelhutz33]

I'll be in the NYC area next week to look at apartments with my partner. Both of us will be students.

Are the requirements of landlords in Brooklyn/Queens less strict than those of Manhattan landlords? For example, are personal checks still a no-no? Are guarantor requirements any different? (Our guarantor won't be present when we go look and so won't be able to actually fill out an application.)

Is anything else different? We're not looking in Manhattan at all, only in Brooklyn/Queens (namely Williamsburg and Astoria). I'm mostly concerned about the guarantor issue - what would you recommend I have from my guarantor for outer borough apartments?

[bmwguydc]

You might want to have a notarized letter from the guarantor or an independent assessment from their CPA with their income, etc. listed on it. That way, you have something that's documented at the interview. If you're dealing with a private landlord and they like you, they can, and will, waive requirements left and right. I know people who have rented to students and one friend's mother always gave them slack, provided they kept her place in good condition, and she was never burned. Management companies might not be as lax, but with a private landlord, be sure to impress them.

[bluedog2]

I don't think the standards are much different in the boroughs than Manhattan.At least not in any reputable buildings.You might even find a lot of the same landlords.A lot of the NY residential real estate market is controlled by families who own 50,60,100 or more buildings scattered throughout the city.And they have management companies that use the same standards everywhere.

[Grenoble_slopes]

The most expensive parts of Brooklyn will probably be the most strict.
A lot of craigslist ads for apartments in Brooklyn will describe their requirements.