Help with getting an apartment

[LovingSAT]

Oh, sorry. No I just was wondering how someone would find a basement type apartment or one where she lived with the owners. Who knows she may not even be accepted but I am so proactive.

Thanks!

[Green Irish Eyes]

I'd guess that the majority of this kind of apartment would be rented through Craigslist. One caution about basement apartments, though -- many of them are not legal units, which means they may not meet the safety regulations set out by the City (lacking proper egress, etc.)

[LovingSAT]

^^^ That answers that. Thank you so much, we will look at other options.

Thanks again!

[UWS Cowboy]

Some landlords are not as strict as others. My guarantor does not make 90x the monthly rent annually, and does not live in the surrounding states. We got lucky to have such a nice landlord though. Just wanted to add my experience in for anyone else wondering about guarantors.

[Green Irish Eyes]

Originally Posted by LovingSAT

^^^ That answers that. Thank you so much, we will look at other options.

Thanks again!

I don't know what your daughter's budget is going to be, but there are companies such as Educational Housing Services that specialize in housing for interns as well as students.

[TurtleCreek80]

LovingSAT,

Just to level-set you about NYC apartments, I had to fill out more paperwork & present more personal financi documents (last 2 years 1040s, statements for checking, savings, & investment accounts, income verification letter from employer, etc) to lease apartments in NYC from 2002-2006 than I did to buy a condo in Dallas in 2007! It is crazy, esp when you are not familiar with NYC's processes.

To sign a lease, the individual must have a job in the Tri-State area paying 40-50x the monthly rent on an annual basis. So, $1000 rent = $40-50k of income needed. If the individual signing the lease does not meet those requirementd, s/he will need a guarantor making 100-150x the rent on an annual basis (tends to be less if guarantor is in the Tri-State area, more if you're in, say, Texas).

For an internship, I would recommend the following short-term living solutions:
1) Check Craigs List for available rooms (ie, someone's roomate is working abroad short term or a roomate moved out with 4 months still on the lease) or a sublet, where the person is renting out he entire apartment short-term.
2) Rentals with terms less than 1 year are difficult to find...you may have some luck if you offer to pay the whole summer's rent up-front.
3) Not sure if this is still a viable option, but NYU used to release several of it's dorms each summer for rental to college students on internship programs.

Sounds harsh, but it's the plain truth, if your child is serious about pursuing his dreams of living & working in NYC, he needs to realize - at least in the beginning- it may entail sharing 1200sf and 1 bathroom with 3-4 other people. Or living in an 8x10 bedroom with just a twin bed & a rack for hanging clothes. He may be on the 6th floor of a 6 floor walk up (no elevator).

It will NOT be like home or whatever "comforts" he is used to, but it will be the very best decision he can make. He'll either figure out in a summer's time whether he can't bear to live that way, or he will be totally taken by the city & fall madly in love with the pace, culture, & opportunities.

I highly recommend he take whatever apartment he can find in the best area of the city- downtown (East Village, West Village, SoHo, Little Italy, western side of Lower East Side) or Murray Hill or Upper East Side- both have lots of housing and tons of recent college grads. He will be working long hours & going out many nights a week & will not want to have a cab or subway ride back to the boroughs late at night. Don't let this board scare you about you can't live in non-Harlem Manhattan for under $1200 month. It takes roomates, but is 100% doable.