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HousingStep-by-step

Finding a home in New York City

How the New York City rental market works for newcomers: what rents and vacancy look like, which fees are legal under the FARE Act and state law, what landlords ask for, rent-stabilized and affordable housing lotteries, and how to avoid rental scams.

Checked 8 Oct 2026
Applies to
Everyone looking for a rental apartment in the five boroughs. Most of the fee and deposit rules come from New York State law; the broker fee rule (FARE Act) is specific to New York City.
Effort
High effort
Time needed
Often several weeks; plan temporary accommodation for your first month
Cost
First month's rent plus a security deposit of at most one month's rent; a background and credit check fee of at most $20. A broker hired by the landlord may not charge you a fee (since 11 June 2025).
When
Start looking about 30 to 60 days before your move-in date
Where
New York City, United States
On this page
  1. Overview
  2. Before you start
  3. Documents you need
  4. Step by step
  5. Affordable housing lotteries – NYC Housing Connect
  6. Checking whether an apartment is rent-stabilized
  7. Watch out
  8. Common mistakes
  9. Tips
  10. Frequently asked questions
  11. Official links
  12. In your plan
  13. Sources
  14. Related guides

New York City is a renters' city: two out of every three households rented their home in 2023. The market is tight. The city's 2023 Housing and Vacancy Survey found a net rental vacancy rate of 1.41%, one of the lowest on record, and apartments renting for less than $2,400 a month had vacancy rates below 1%.

About 996,600 apartments (41% of rental units) were rent-stabilized in 2023. Their rent increases are set each year by the Rent Guidelines Board, and tenants have strong renewal rights. Most other apartments are market-rate.

Before you start

  • Proof of income, such as a job offer letter or recent pay statements
  • A photo ID

Documents you need

  • Photo ID (passport or IDNYC)

    required

  • Job offer or employment verification letter

    optional

  • Signed lease (once you have found a home)

    optional

Step by step

  1. Step 1: Set a realistic budget and area

    Rents differ widely between boroughs. The NYU Furman Center's 2024 figures for the median rent paid by recent movers (in 2025 dollars) were about $3,290 in Manhattan, $2,650 in Brooklyn, $2,360 in Queens, $1,940 on Staten Island and $1,780 in the Bronx. These are medians across all apartment sizes; asking rents for new listings in popular areas are often higher. Compare commutes on the subway map before you choose. See the HomiStart New York City neighborhood pages.

  2. Step 2: Search listings and view in person

    Use several listing sites, building management companies and personal networks. Visit the apartment, or have someone you trust visit, before you pay anything. Check heat, hot water, windows, locks, signs of pests and leaks, and ask who handles repairs.

  3. Step 3: Know which fees are legal

    • Broker fees: under the City's FARE Act (in force since 11 June 2025), a broker who represents the landlord, including a listing agent, may not charge you a fee. You can still choose to hire your own broker and pay them.
    • Fee disclosure: the landlord or its agent must give you an itemized written list of all fees before you sign the lease; you sign it, and they must give you a copy.
    • Application fee: a landlord may charge at most $20 for a background and credit check, and must give you a copy of the report and the invoice.
    • Security deposit: at most one month's rent, and the landlord may not also collect last month's rent in advance.

  4. Step 4: Prepare your application

    Landlords usually ask for photo ID, proof of income (a job offer letter or pay statements) and permission to run a credit and background check. If you have no US credit history yet, explain your situation and offer proof of income or savings. It is illegal in New York City for most landlords to refuse you because of your lawful source of income, including rental subsidies, or because of your immigration status.

  5. Step 5: Read the lease before you sign

    Check the rent, the term, the deposit amount, who pays for heat, hot water and other utilities, and the rules on renewal. A lease clause that waives your right to a livable, safe and sanitary home is void. Rent-stabilized tenants must receive a fully signed copy of the lease with a rent stabilization rider within 30 days. Keep the signed fee disclosure with your lease.

  6. Step 6: Move in and document the condition

    Take dated photos of every room on move-in day and send them to the landlord. Pay rent by a traceable method and keep receipts. Report your new address to USCIS within 10 days if you are not a US citizen.

Affordable housing lotteries – NYC Housing Connect

New affordable rentals and homes are offered through NYC Housing Connect, where you can check whether your household income qualifies and apply for lotteries. Non-profit Housing Ambassadors help people apply, and the City's Ready to Rent program offers free one-on-one financial counseling to prepare an application.

Checking whether an apartment is rent-stabilized

Stabilized apartments are most often in buildings with six or more units built before 1974. The lease may say so, and a rent that is not a round number can be a sign. To be sure, request the apartment's rent history from New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) online through the Ask HCR portal or by phone at 833-499-0343; it is mailed to the apartment address only if the unit is stabilized. See Renters' rights in New York City.

Watch out

Do not send money for an apartment you have not seen, and be wary of landlords who say they are abroad and ask for payment by wire, gift card or payment app.

A broker working for the landlord who asks you for a fee is breaking the FARE Act; you can file a complaint with the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection.

Do not sign a lease with blank spaces or fees that were not on the written disclosure.

Common mistakes

  • Paying a security deposit larger than one month's rent, or a deposit plus "last month's rent".
  • Paying several application fees above $20.
  • Signing a lease without checking who pays for heat and electricity.

Tips

  • Keep digital copies of your ID, offer letter and bank statements ready, because good apartments are often rented within days.
  • Ask your employer about corporate housing or relocation help for the first weeks.
  • Use the IDNYC card as photo ID and to open a local bank account if you need one quickly.

Frequently asked questions

Editorial answers written by our team, based on the sources below.

Do I have to pay a broker fee in New York City?

Not if the broker works for the landlord. Since 11 June 2025 the FARE Act prohibits landlord-side brokers and listing agents from charging tenants. You only pay a broker you hire yourself.

How much deposit can a landlord ask for?

At most one month's rent. The landlord must return it within 14 days after you move out, minus itemized deductions for damage beyond normal wear and tear, for apartments that are not rent-regulated.

In your plan

  • Find a long-term home and sign a lease
  • Estimate your New York City budget, including move-in costs
  • Book somewhere to stay for your first weeks
  • Shortlist the New York City neighborhoods that suit you

Sources

Written and checked by HomiStart editorial against the official sources below. Next scheduled check: 5 Feb 2027.

  1. NYC Department of Housing Preservation and DevelopmentOfficial source
    2023 New York City Housing and Vacancy Survey – Selected Initial Findings (Opens {{site}} in a new tab)
    Accessed 8 Oct 2026

    Net rental vacancy 1.41% (2023); 996,600 rent-stabilized units, 41% of rental units; two of three households rented.

  2. NYC Department of Housing Preservation and DevelopmentOfficial source
    New York City's Vacancy Rate Reaches Historic Low of 1.4 Percent (Opens {{site}} in a new tab)
    Accessed 8 Oct 2026
  3. NYU Furman Center
    Neighborhood profiles – Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, Staten Island (Opens {{site}} in a new tab)
    Accessed 8 Oct 2026

    Median rent of recent movers, 2024, in 2025 dollars; borough pages at furmancenter.org/neighborhoods/view/{brooklyn,queens,bronx,staten-island}.

  4. NYC Department of Consumer and Worker ProtectionOfficial source
    Fairness in Apartment Rental Expenses (FARE) Act FAQ (Opens {{site}} in a new tab)
    Accessed 8 Oct 2026
  5. New York State Office of the Attorney GeneralOfficial source
    Residential Tenants' Rights Guide (Opens {{site}} in a new tab)
    Accessed 8 Oct 2026
  6. NYC Department of Housing Preservation and DevelopmentOfficial source
    New York City Tenant Bill of Rights (Opens {{site}} in a new tab)
    Accessed 8 Oct 2026
  7. NYC Department of Housing Preservation and DevelopmentOfficial source
    Find Affordable Housing (Opens {{site}} in a new tab)
    Accessed 8 Oct 2026
  8. NYC Mayor's Public Engagement UnitOfficial source
    Rent Stabilization (Opens {{site}} in a new tab)
    Accessed 8 Oct 2026
  9. Federal Trade CommissionOfficial source
    Free credit reports (Opens {{site}} in a new tab)
    Accessed 8 Oct 2026
  10. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration ServicesOfficial source
    How to Change Your Address (Opens {{site}} in a new tab)
    Accessed 8 Oct 2026

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