lankyFool's Profile
- Paul
- 1998
- Brooklyn
- Williamsburg
Author's Posts
May 21, 2008
Agent wants fees, security, first month etc. BEFORE I receive lease?
Today I received a call from my agent/broker to say that I'd been accepted to rent an apartment I applied for a few weeks ago. To give you the backstory the apartment is apparently owned by three owners (described by the broker as "three little old" ladies) and I had to provide a lot of references etc. in order to have them accept me.
That was all cool but now they want me to go to sign the lease tomorrow and bring certified checks for one months rent plus two months security, plus the remainder of the broker's 15% fee (I've already paid some of this when applying for the apt. on the condition that it would be refunded if I was not accepted for the apartment but not if I refused the apt. after being accepted.
The thing about the signing tomorrow is that once I sign the lease it will then be sent off to the three "little old ladies" to countersign and once the lease is returned to the broker I can move in, supposedly on June 1st.
However, I have to pay everything tomorrow by certified check! Is this typical in New York? I haven't rented an apartment here in a long time but it just seems outrageous to me that I have to put all this money down by certified check tomorrow and don't even walk out of there with a signed lease in my hand.
I would really like to take this apartment but I'm dropping almost 9K on this place and don't want to be made a fool of. Having said that the agency seems reputable, they have nice offices etc. and seem to have been around for a while.
What do you guys think? Any advice would be much appreciated.