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May 8, 2009
How did you find your Apt?
Are there alternatives to craigslist for renting an Apt? I tried the NYT, VillageVoice classified but not much listing.
I'm looking for a studio/1BR around Prospect Park (Park Slope, Windsor terr) area.
RANT: And what's up with Brokers charging 1 months rent for showing 1-2 places? =(
Is there a listing of building mgmt offices to avoid Brokers?
Just wondering how you got your Apt?
Comments
craigslist is the way to go.
also, even tho they arnt the greatest people in the world Berman Realty on 7th and president has alot of no fee stuff because they own the buildings. They own ALOT of buildings.
they normally have small studios for around 1400-1500 bucks.
Posted by: Santa at May 8, 2009 12:23 PM
I've always used Craigslist, but you should go down to the area you like and walk around. A lot of people post ads near the subway and on telephone poles when they don't want to deal with listing with brokers.
Posted by: bunkerlabs at May 8, 2009 12:28 PM
The guys at the Berman Realty office are really unpleasant. They were real jerks to me when I asked them about rentals a few years ago. Pushy, unpleasant jerks. The kind of guys who would push in front of you while you are trying to get on the subway.
I rented through Corcoran. It was probably when the rental market was the tightest it has ever been (September 2007) so I basically had no choice. Expensive fee, but amortized over two years it's not so bad.
There are a lot of owners with rental units who read this board. Why not post something in the forum (unless of course it is against B'stoner policy, which I vaguely remember it might be).
Posted by: lechacal at May 8, 2009 12:43 PM
Craigslist.
I don't see too many apt. for rent ads on trees and such in park slope.
Posted by: northsloperenter at May 8, 2009 12:48 PM
"(unless of course it is against B'stoner policy, which I vaguely remember it might be)"
If is against policy, Brownstoner needs a classifieds section...
Posted by: northsloperenter at May 8, 2009 12:50 PM
A classifieds section would be an awesome addition. FSBOs and rentals by owner. Mr B, have you considered this? Hell, charge a small fee for putting up an ad. With your focused readership I'm sure it would be worth it.
Posted by: lechacal at May 8, 2009 12:56 PM
Berman has a couple of buildings on my block & we all feel sorry for the tenants.
I agree w/ the idea of a Classified section here - except so many people seem not to look in the archives - same questions asked day after day, sometimes even on the same day. Would people look at ads? Maybe if there were a dedicated tab?
Posted by: Arkady at May 8, 2009 1:09 PM
I cast a third vote for a classified section. What a great idea!
Posted by: alsawo at May 8, 2009 1:10 PM
YES! to the Classifieds
great idea!
you can charge a small fee and maybe just keep it to owners and not branch out to realtors
Posted by: gemini10 at May 8, 2009 1:20 PM
Oh, and pls. get the classifieds running by end of summer. I will need a new apt. in the fall :).
P.S. Will sign waiver not to badmouth landlord on Brownstoner unless he is a total weasel.
Posted by: northsloperenter at May 8, 2009 1:20 PM
classified tab is a great idea. would love to post open apt here.
Posted by: bkny at May 8, 2009 1:30 PM
i found mine after browsing /nfa/ on craigslist obsessively. we ended seeing a great place in cobble hill and rented it directly from the owner -- no fees involved.
Posted by: duckumu at May 8, 2009 1:32 PM
If you are willing to consider Ft Greene, my sister is looking to rent out her studio. She advertised on craigslist. I agree though that craigslist is really hard to search through because there are so many realtors that abuse it.
Posted by: theklahy at May 8, 2009 1:37 PM
As annoying as Craiglist is, it's really the best resource out there.
You should also, of course, send one of those obnoxious mass e-mails out to everyone you know. Annoying, yes, but they always produce some leads.
Plus, does your college have an alumni group in NYC? If so, bulletin boards often list rentals.
Posted by: alsawo at May 8, 2009 2:12 PM
Classifieds tab is a great idea. If it becomes too big to manage then start charging. I'd use it. I got some doors to sell/give away.
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at May 8, 2009 2:39 PM
Also... 1 months rent?! (8.3%) You're getting a deal! Most agents charge more like 10-15%
Posted by: tybur6 at May 8, 2009 3:36 PM
Thanks. This is good food for thought.
Posted by: brownstoner at May 8, 2009 3:43 PM
I don't know how many door men apartments there are in Park Slope, but one of my friends found an apartment on the Upper East Side by going from building to building and asking the doormen.
Posted by: Frudo at May 8, 2009 4:20 PM
asking the supers in buildings is an alternative to asking the doormen. i think if a classifieds tab is added it should be strictly for apartments, not stuff... next thing you know people will be trying to sell their booties on here!
*rob*
Posted by: PitbullNYC at May 8, 2009 5:19 PM
I went the no fee craigslist route when looking for all the rental apartments I've ever had. I have found that the quality of places is typically better if you use a small, local broker. They have access, and have relationships with landlords who I have found to be a little more realistic with the rents they charge. I know it is painful to give someone thousands of dollars to just turn a key - but I feel as though one cannot put a price on finding a great, comfortable place to live with a great landlord.
Posted by: dirty_hipster at May 8, 2009 7:24 PM
I have rented two apartments in NYC. The first was on the UWS of Manhattan and I rented it through a broker that worked for the management company, it was a market rate rental and if there was a broker's fee the owner paid it. When it came time to renew the Manhattan market was near its peak (Oct 06) and the rent was going to go up by 17% so I decided to move. I did a bit of looking on the internet and went to some open houses, but nothing yanked my chain. I ended up going to a broker in Astoria, told her what I wanted, she showed me three apartments, two that would not fit my furniture and one that was ideal. If the broker is good, they don't need to show you a lot of apartments, just the ones they think you'll like. The apartment I ended up renting was a huge one bedroom with an eat in kitchen, but plenty of room for my huge dining table and six chairs in the living room. The landlord didn't object to my cats either. I had no objections to paying the broker's fee because I got a nice apartment and did not get dragged around for three weeks. It was a good deal, but now my hubby and I own a condo in Brooklyn.
Bottom line, find a broker in the area you want to live and pony up the fee.
Posted by: bohuma at May 9, 2009 7:27 AM
I always post my apartments in craigslist. I am the landlord so there is no brokers fee. This usually generates a large interest and I have many people showing up to see the place.
however, for every landlord posting there are at least 8 who claim to be landlords with no fee apts and they turn out to be brokers. I had some very very fustrated people show up at my building with all their paper work at hand. some have been looking for over 2 months.
many ads will state park slope but are actually south slope or are at 4th ave and below. Some list a studio apartment in park slope which is actually a chopped up apartment and has less then 300sq feet of living space.
So to sum up: if going through craigslist you have to be very patient. always ask for the exact address and sq footage of the space. if you are willing to pay a 1 month fee to a broker, it might save you lots of footwork and time.
Posted by: landlord at May 9, 2009 8:53 AM
I have a beautifully renovated 2BR apartment on 6th Avenue off of Garfield Place for $2,200.00 rent on the 1st floor. If you are interested in taking a look you can email me at info@acrcontracting.com we can talk about fees through the landlord who is also a Real Estate company.
Posted by: alrosariojr at May 9, 2009 7:53 PM
anyone have a studio or 1 bedroom in the $1100-$1400 range? am posting for my best friend - she's incredibly reliable, has a great job and great credit. she's quiet, she's a nonsmoker and she has a cat. she was my roommate for 8 years and she's never paid anything late in her life. she's definitely a dream tennant.
i feel like this is almost a match.com for apartments.
Posted by: funkymonkey at May 11, 2009 3:19 PM
That's a great comment, funky monkey. Maybe we could start a contest for the best name for Mr. B's new site: Apt-Match.com? BklynHome-Match.com?
Posted by: Park Sloper at May 11, 2009 3:40 PM
I have looked with four brokers in the past, but didn't find an apt I liked through them. (One I liked but it was too small.) I have always rented direct from the landlord.
But yes the above poster is right, there are zillions of (unlicensed) brokers posing as owners on Craiglist and it is very annoying. They're easy to spot on the phone though since they always have more than one apt to rent. They always first say they're the owner and then they say they're the manager.
I also looked for more than a month to find an apt. Had to extend my notice -- it was exhausting.
Posted by: mopar at May 11, 2009 4:42 PM
I set up a search on Craigslist (Brooklyn, 1+ bedrooms, for rent by owner, cat allowed, $1.5k max) and bookmarked it. I checked twice or 3 times a day, and whenever I saw anything interesting, I emailed immediately, writing a little about my family and docile cat and offering to look at the apartment whenever it was convenient.
I found several apartments that would have worked, and we are very happy with the place I rented.
Posted by: rf at May 11, 2009 8:46 PM
i tried to rent on craigslist. but no one called back.
also, berman is absolutely untrustworthy. lied to me once. then again. then no more, because i refuse to use them. also lived on president st, bet 8/park, where he owns many buildings. it should be such a beautiful block, but it's an eyesore, because of his terrible upkeep. you can tell which buildings are his; they are poorly kept, trash everywhere. buildings in disrepair. they've made a ton of money off park slope, and they treat the neighborhood like crap.
Posted by: add2make4 at May 11, 2009 9:10 PM
SIDfresh: I'm not sure if you're expecting a broker to work for free, good agents do more than just turn keys. You can't buy a cup of coffee without avoiding that tip jar but you get to use the services of someone for days that you only have to pay when you sign a lease.
Posted by: Crownlfc at May 12, 2009 2:13 AM
Crownlfc: I agree with you, but this broker at this one building showed me 2 apartments, spent maybe 30min. And now wants a 1.5 month rent. After talking and getting credit checked, she knocked off to 12% on 1 yr rent.
My rant is yes they should be paid but to turn the key and spent 30min and charge 1.5 month rent is a bit excessive in my opinion.
Posted by: SiDFresh at May 12, 2009 12:56 PM
SIDFresh: You should always ask a Broker what their fee is before you go out with them. Broker's fees are usually negotiable, especially in this market but I still think your comment about the broker just turning a key is slightly naive. You ignore the time and effort getting the listing, photographing the listing, marketing the listing, rent,phone etc.,typing leases, taking the train or burning gas to show the other 20 people that didn't take the apt. If you sill think its too much by all means, you're always have the option not to use a broker.
Posted by: Crownlfc at May 13, 2009 7:34 PM
"small studios for around 1400-1500 bucks"
Jesus! Hell's wrong with you people!
***Bid half off peak comps***
Posted by: Brownstones Half Off at May 14, 2009 10:41 AM
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