Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I'll be moving to NYC in a few months from San Francisco and will need to search for a new job, get a new place to live, etc. I would be trying to set up interviews before I get there and continuing to look when I get there, but at this point I have no idea when I will get a job.
I would try and look for a studio in Brooklyn or Queens, the prices look about the same as in SF (where I have a studio), but a lot of landlords seem to want proof of employment and I may not have that right away. So I decided ok, I'll try and sublet a room with someone else until I get a job and save up some money etc etc, but I'm seeing a lot of sublet ads where the subletters posting the ad want you to be employed. I've never seen this need for proof of employment when looking for apartments in Chicago or San Francisco, so I have no idea whether this is typical in NYC or if it's a product of the current recession, which is understandable.
So anyone have an idea of how tough it would be to get a place without having a job yet? Has anyone else done this or have any tips? I'd probably be staying in a hotel or youth hostel until I get an apartment, but living in a youth hostel is really not great for preparing for job interviews (though I did it in San Francisco and had a job within a week of looking).
Also I'm kind of curious how tough it is in general to get an apartment or sublet in NYC right now. A couple years ago when I was looking for my current place it was very tough in San Francisco and I barely got any replies despite emailing hundreds of people on craigslist. Fortunately I ended up with a nice studio but I really wonder how tough it will be just to get a meeting with subletters or for a landlord to consider me for an apartment even if I have a great job....
Lots of people move to NYC every year so I'm sure there's something they do...is there some sort of SRO in the boroughs that anyone has used temporarily? I see ads on craigslist for places that look like cheap hotels that you can live in as a temporary apartment but I bet they are sketchy.
I suppose one thing I could do is try for places where someone is subletting a room for only like 3 to 6 months, I see those frequently.
Last edited by mayorhaggar; 05-20-2010 at 10:06 AM..
Getting a regular apt would be very hard unless you have savings to prepay a year.
A sublet should be easier, if she can show you have enough money to cover it. I assume you are bringing enough cash to cover rent/living expenses for several months as getting a job may take some time
I think you'll be able to find a sublet room without a job, provided you can show that you're good for the rent and expenses at least for the sublet term (say 3 months or something). I have seen some roommate ads where they want an employed roommate because they do not want the person to be home all the time. This is usually in cases where the primary tenant works from home or has a flexible schedule.
There are so many people in the city doing so many different things (many students, many part-timers, freelance, etc.) it just seems like you will find a room somewhere if you are an upstanding person in general with funds to pay the rent.
It is hard, though, to find a roommate situation if you are not in town to meet the potential roommates, so you may have to stay in a hotel for a few days while you set up interviews to look at rooms. Also, if you look in the less hip areas, you may find that people who are looking for roommates are more lenient with their requirements because they have fewer potentials to choose from.
Alright thanks hopefully it will work out. I do have a bit over 5 figures saved up which would last me a few months at least, but the sooner I can get a job the better.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pureistheword
Getting a regular apt would be very hard unless you have savings to prepay a year.
Do you mean only if I was unemployed? Eventually I would like to get my own studio in Queens or Brooklyn and many ads I see ask for first and last month's rent and a security deposit, is that pretty normal in the outer boroughs? I know in Manhattan it's typical to pay something ridiculous like $30,000 in key money and fees just to move in to an apartment but I certainly can't do that, let alone afford Manhattan.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
