Student Activities: Finding An Apartment

Checking out an Apartment
After you locate an apartment, you will need to check it out. Renting an apartment sight unseen is a very bad idea in New York City.

Some things to look for when you check out the apartment:

Are the refrigerator, oven, and stove clean? Do they work properly?
Do the windows lock properly? If they are on a fire escape or ground floor, are there security gates? Do the windows open?
Has the apartment been painted recently?
Is there a separate bathroom? Does the plumbing work? Is the water pressure good?
Do all the doors lock? Do they close easily?
Is the hall well-lit and clean? Do the lobby and elevator seem secure? Are there mirrors, cameras, or a doorman?
Where is the trash collected?
Is there evidence of past problems--water stains, loose plaster?
Is there any evidence of bugs or rodents?
Is there a superintendent on the premises? Talk to other tenants to see if the building is well-managed.
Do the other tenants look respectable?
What is the neighborhood like at various times during the day? Are there nightclubs or restaurants that could create noise late at night?

Some questions to ask before you rent the apartment:

How much is the rent? Are there penalties for late payment?
How often and to whom is rent to be paid?
What is included in the rent--electricity, water, air conditioning, cable tv, parking?
How long is the term of the lease?
Can the lease be renewed? How much more would the monthly rent be if the lease is extended beyond the initial period?
How much is the security deposit? Under what conditions will it be returned?
Are pets allowed?
Is subletting allowed?
Is pest control provided?
Is there a laundry facility on the premises?
How is trash collected?

Filling out a Rental Agreement
Before you are given a lease, your landlord could ask you to fill out a rental agreement. Some information you should be prepared to provide:

up to 9 references of friends and employers, with their telephone numbers and addresses
your bank and account manager
your employment history
permission to check your salary with your current employer
questions about how you intend to pay your rent
questions about any potential roommates
the name and address of your current landlord; how long you have lived at that address. If you were a resident in the Student Residence the previous year, landlords often ask permission to contact us to check if you paid your bills on time or caused damages
a security deposit, usually in the form of a certified check or a cashier's cheque. Be sure to get a receipt for this. Check to make sure it is refundable if you do not get the apartment or if you decide not to take the apartment

Checking out your Lease
Your lease is a legal document. If you try to vacate the apartment before the end of the lease, you are legally obligated to pay the rent until the end of the term. Read the lease very carefully before you sign. If anything is unclear, request a written explanation. Make sure all blank spaces in the lease are filled out. You should be given a fully executed (your signature and the landlord's) copy of the lease to keep for your records.

If you are under 18, a guarantor will have to co-sign your lease.

Creating a Roommate Agreement
Creating a roommate agreement is a good idea. Some things to think about in interviewing a roommate:

Are your schedules compatible?
Who will be paying the bills? When will the roommate need to pay over his or her share?
Will you install separate telephone lines or be sharing the phone?
Are pets allowed or no?
Who cleans what and when?
Guest privileges. Are guests allowed, and under what circumstances?
Will you be sharing food and supplies or buying your own?
What constitutes an acceptable level of cleanliness and quietness for each roommate?
How should a roommate notify the other roommate(s) that he or she is moving out?
Will you be sharing any items (tv, dvd, stereo, microwave oven)?

Real Estate Glossary

A/C	Air conditioned
APT	Apartment
AVAIL	Available
BDRM	Bedroom
BRK WALLS	Exposed brick walls
BROWNSTONE	A small 3-5 floor apartment building, usually without an elevator
CO-OP	An apartment building whose apartments are owned, rather than rented, by the building's tenants
CONV TRANS	Convenient to transportation
DR	Dining Room
DRMN	Doorman; a person employed by the landlord and who is stationed at the main entrance to admit visitors, provide security, and assist tenants by accepting deliveries and hailing taxis.
D/W	Dishwasher
EIK	Eat-in-Kitchen. A kitchen large enough to hold a table and chairs.
EFF	Efficiency. A studio apartment.
ELEV	Elevator
EV	East Village, the neighborhood around Cooper Union.
FIX FEE	Fixture fee; the tenant must pay a set fee for the appliances provided in the dwelling (such as a sink, tub, toilet). This fee is usually charged on loft rentals only.
FLR-THRU	Floor through; an apartment that occupies an entire floor of a brownstone building.
FLATIRON	The area to the north of Cooper Union.
FPLC	Fireplace
FULL KITCHEN	A kitchen with a full-sized stove, sink, and refrigerator.
GV	Greenwich Village, the area south of Cooper Union
HI CEILS	An apartment in which the ceilings are at least 10 feet high
IMMED OCCPY	Immediate occupancy, meaning the apartment is available immediately
LES	Lower East Side, are South-East of Cooper Union
LOFT	An industrial space that has been converted to a living space
LUX	Refers to a full-service apartment with a 24-hour doorman, laundry room, elevator, and high rent
NWLY REN	Newly Renovated
OWNER/MGMT	Owner/Management; the owner manages the building rather than designating an agent as intermediary.
OWNER OCC	Owner Occupied; the owner lives in the building. This usually means the building is safe and well-maintained.
PK VU	Park view
PREWAR	An apartment building constructed before World War II; usually indicates large rooms and high ceilings
RIV VU	River View
RR FLAT	Railroad flat; an apartment consisting of a series of rooms in succession. One must pass through one room to get to the next
RS	Rent Stabilized; under the law, the rent can only be increased by a standard amount voted upon every year by the Rent Board.
SEC	Security Deposit
SHARE	An arrangement whereby one rents an apartment with someone who already lives in the apartment
SO EX	Southern Exposure; the apartment faces south, receiving good sunlight
SoHo	South of Houston Street, the area to the South of Cooper Union.
STUDIO	A one-room apartment with a separate bathroom.
SUBLET	A procedure by which the legal tenant of an apartment rents this space to someone else
SUBW	Subway
SUPER	Superintendent
TriBeCa	The neighborhood created by the triangle below Canal St.
WALK-UP	A building of 2 to 6 floors without an elevator