Re-rentals listed on HDC website (apartments, credit check, calculation)

[TLCcreep]

Has anyone ever applied to any of the rerentals listed on the HDC website. I recently applied to one in August and I’m looking to get some more insight on how that process different than the lottery process.


https://www.nychdc.com/find

[robinelle]

To add to this, I heard a lot of these re-rentals will ask you to email all your documents, including sensitive materials like SS card, tax documents, etc. Has anyone done this and did you feel like your information was kept safe?

[popartist]

Yes, I did, for an apartment that I moved into this past March - I submitted a preliminary application via postal mail (will vary by building owner/manager) last June to get "on the list" - your place on it goes by order of receipt. First got contacted to submit documents to their affordable housing department that September, and yes it was via email. Then nothing for a bit, and then asked to update in January and I submitted a whole slew of documents, again via email. Both times were to a specific affordable housing specialist there so I felt OK about it. The info/forms requested are exactly the same as through the usual Housing Connect lottery process.

Got called twice to view apartments - first time in January I saw one but was second in line for it and the first in line took it. Then in mid-February I was first in line - saw two available apartments from which I could choose. Accepted one, at which point they submitted all my paperwork to HDC. Approval only took 3-4 days, and I signed the lease at the end of February for a March 15 move in date. So besides bypassing a big lottery with random logs, and usually dealing with the building owner/manager instead of a marketing agency, it is pretty much the same process.

Of note, I did see an apartment in a different building on the HDC list last fall but the initial contact was more like for a regular apartment rental - there was no "list", it was initially through calling them and setting up a viewing of an apartment they had available - if I had liked the apartment then they would have had me fill out all the same paperwork to submit to HPD.

[stormgal]

Originally Posted by robinelle

To add to this, I heard a lot of these re-rentals will ask you to email all your documents, including sensitive materials like SS card, tax documents, etc. Has anyone done this and did you feel like your information was kept safe?

You're right. They have to come up with a better way to have people send in their documents. There have been cases of people's sensitive information being used for malicious purposes.

When the management company at 180 Broome asked me to email my documents, I hesitated and asked them if I could provide paper documents instead, as they are easily destructible. I told them that when one emails drivers licenses and passports (not to mention bank statements) to a gmail address, that the documents are available forever to whoever has access to that account. So they agreed to have me send paper documents, but they never processed them. I think that was wrong on their behalf. They put me on a waitlist without having examined my documents and later saw people on this forum with much higher log numbers getting apartments, when I qualified very well and had a much lower log number.

[TLCcreep]

Originally Posted by popartist

Yes, I did, for an apartment that I moved into this past March - I submitted a preliminary application via postal mail (will vary by building owner/manager) last June to get "on the list" - your place on it goes by order of receipt. First got contacted to submit documents to their affordable housing department that September, and yes it was via email. Then nothing for a bit, and then asked to update in January and I submitted a whole slew of documents, again via email. Both times were to a specific affordable housing specialist there so I felt OK about it. The info/forms requested are exactly the same as through the usual Housing Connect lottery process.

Got called twice to view apartments - first time in January I saw one but was second in line for it and the first in line took it. Then in mid-February I was first in line - saw two available apartments from which I could choose. Accepted one, at which point they submitted all my paperwork to HDC. Approval only took 3-4 days, and I signed the lease at the end of February for a March 15 move in date. So besides bypassing a big lottery with random logs, and usually dealing with the building owner/manager instead of a marketing agency, it is pretty much the same process.

Of note, I did see an apartment in a different building on the HDC list last fall but the initial contact was more like for a regular apartment rental - there was no "list", it was initially through calling them and setting up a viewing of an apartment they had available - if I had liked the apartment then they would have had me fill out all the same paperwork to submit to HPD.

Did they give you a log number by chance? After I emailed them they told me my log number was 0M 9*. I never seen a log number with the letters OM before it.

[popartist]

Yeah, mine was 7D-12x but I am sure the 7D part signified the building so my log was 12x

[BklynGirl06]

Originally Posted by TLCcreep

Has anyone ever applied to any of the rerentals listed on the HDC website. I recently applied to one in August and I’m looking to get some more insight on how that process different than the lottery process.


https://www.nychdc.com/find

Thanks for posting, didn’t even know about this list! Already see one that I qualify for and would actually Want to move into.

[Vanta B]

Thanks for the link! When everything moved to the new housing connect, I had no idea where the re-rentals went.

[zach1234]

You need to update your “Housing Choices” section of your profile to indicate that you’re interested in re-rentals/re-sales.

[TLCcreep]

Just given an update so I was asked 11/16 to submit first rounds of documents.

12/9 I received an email stating “Based on calculations you may be eligible for the studio apartment please let me know if you are interested. If so we would still need these additional documents in order to process and finish eligibility.” I submitted documents the next day.

12/15 I received another email to go view the apartment and to submit a document to allow a credit check and request for my SSC.

12/17 I saw the apartment and submitted the requested documents.

On 12/28 & 01/06 I sent to follow up emails to check on the status of my application and to see if there was a timeline for an approximate move in date if select.

Yesterday 01/10 I received the following email. “We are currently reviewing applicants with lower log numbers. I have all your documents and once I reach your log I will reach back out to you for your next step.there is not a timeframe at the moment; but we are processing applications.”

Is it normal for them to have you go view an apartment but they won’t tell you how many other people are ahead of you for that specific apartment? Do you guys think I’ll have a chance for the apartment. I am starting to worry because my current lease ends on 2/28 and the Specialist isn’t giving me any indication of what my chances are.