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July 9, 2008
Apt search in Brooklyn
I live in California and I would like to get an apt in Brooklyn NY.
However, i need help with understanding how to contact the owners of buildings or the Landlords. Since, i live in California, it looks as though, contacting or locating owners is almost impossible. No name listings of Landlords on the internet.
I walked around Park Slop last year but the buildings i saw did not have a point of contact.
Is there anyone that can point me in the right path.
Comments
Most landlords would rather have a broker do the running. As a park slope landlord it was a pain in the butt for me to show the apartments. I would get a huge amount of responses and would have to take time out of my schedual to show the place.
Posted by: guest at July 9, 2008 6:26 AM
It is not easy to get an apartment in Brooklyn. Especially from afar. You need to be here, and it will take weeks even then. Plan on that.
Posted by: guest at July 9, 2008 8:01 AM
Check the listings in the NYtimes and Craigslist, and learn the term "No-Fee". If the contact is not the landlord, it will be a broker, in which case you'll have to pay a finders fee (somewhere between 1 month rent and 15% of annual rent). I have seen no-fee rental websites as well but I haven't used them. That was one thing I was a bit surprised by upon moving to New York, having to use a middle man for everything - finding an apartment, finding a job, etc.
Good luck!
Posted by: guest at July 9, 2008 9:04 AM
I managed to find apartments and jobs in the city without any middlemen. There are lots of scams around for apartment listings, beware. You really have to be here, keep your eyes on craigslist, and be able to go look at places. If you don't know anyone you can stay with before you move, I would suggest finding a temporary place on craigslist (a week or whatever) near the areas you are interested in and committing yourself to getting a place in that time. I got my last apt. through craigslist and it was lovely; and I have used it twice for apartments for visitors to the city; both times without any drama or rip-off (though a very very very dirty bathroom was included in one!).
Posted by: guest at July 9, 2008 10:30 AM
Info on what you're looking for would help-how many rooms, what price range, when you're aiming to move, etc. For a 101 (of sorts) on Brooklyn and Brooklyn apartment hunting, read: Brownstoner Forum, July 8, 2008-I Have a Problem Finding an Apartment... MY DOGS!
Posted by: guest at July 9, 2008 11:57 AM
Craigslist has lots of apartments that are for rent by owner. Same for the New York Times and the Village Voice.
Honestly, though, if I get an email that is totally inconsistent about capitalization and spell checking and the story sounds off somehow, my first thought is that my next email from you is going to be about how you're going to wire me the money site unseen and I just have to [insert scam here]. If I got ten other responses, yours will be at the bottom of my list.
Do yourself a favor and use whole words. There isn't a landlord out there who is going to say "sheesh, they weren't cool enough to abbreviate?" but there are plenty who will ask themselves "If you don't have time to finish typing 'apartment' are you going to find time to sort your recycling so I don't get fined?" If you can't find all ten errors in your posting above, enlist a friend to help you with proofreading.
This isn't meant as a personal attack, I'm just saying that you want to put your best face forward.
Then read the classifieds and follow up with people directly with a clear email asking anything that wasn't clear in the listing. Figure out a time when you can come out here to look at places and set up some appointments.
Posted by: amanda at July 9, 2008 6:28 PM
I think that was OP's best face.
Posted by: guest at July 9, 2008 6:37 PM
Find a short-term sublet on craigs list and look in person.
You don't want any of the apartments you can find from afar...
--UCSD
Posted by: guest at July 10, 2008 3:53 PM
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