Renter's Guide

We all have deal breakers in just about every facet of our lives—from dating to jobs, and of course, to our homes, there are some things we just can’t deal with. And those deal breakers are different for everyone—for one person, a roommate leaving dishes in the sink overnight could feel like the end of the world, while for another person, cleanliness (or lack thereof) is a non-issue compared to whether or not they get along with their roommate on a personal level.

In our search for the ideal abode, our realtor asked a seemingly simple yet perplexing question: "Are you interested in a hard loft or a soft loft?"

No matter where you live, everyone dreams of scoring an affordable apartment with awesome amenities. Whether it’s a proper doorman or a shared laundry room, for many of us, the communal comforts offered in an apartment building is what makes or breaks the decision on whether or not we’ll live there. But how much are we really paying for these perks?

There’s a lot about the roommate experience that can be tricky. Like chores, chores and, uh… chores. But even after you’ve mastered homekeeping, there are still some things about sharing a home that may come as a surprise. For example, your roommate’s renter’s insurance policy might not cover your stuff.

You already know that the wage gap is alive and well (but if you don’t or you want to learn more about it, head on over to the National Women’s Law Center for a detailed breakdown of what it’s like and how it affects women—and women of color, in particular), but have you thought specifically about how it affects housing issues? Real estate resource RENTCafé decided to find out in a recent study—and the results are, unfortunately, unsurprising.

If you’re a renter, what do you look for in a home? Do you look for a room in a shared space or a single family home? Do you care more about the size of a potential rental, or the neighborhood it’s in? A recent report from Zillow did a deep dive into what renters want in a home—and what they actually wind up with. Almost half of renters (48 percent) are willing to consider single-family homes, but less than a third actually end up in standalone homes.

Daydreaming is usually reserved for the impossible—such as musing about what it would be like to live in a giant penthouse in New York City when even a tiny studio is out of your budget, or to quit your job and travel the world without having to worry about a thing. But sometimes the things we don’t often think about as daydreams can become our biggest fantasies.

As a renter, you know what your price range is and what you’re looking for in an apartment, but do you know your rights? Last year when I was apartment hunting in Brooklyn, I was shocked to learn that it was possible that a potential new landlord might ask for 6 months’ rent up front for my security deposit (luckily that didn’t end up being the case, but still!).

Much like finding out your new boyfriend is actually the heir to the throne of a small European country, living a life without rent is something that most of us will only dream about. But there are actual, real, human people living that life—who eat, sleep and work in the five boroughs without spending their hard-earned cash on their apartment. How do they do it? They’ve managed to co-opt the conventional “hard-earned cash” equation and cut out the middle man.

And their more charming aliases: “garden-level apartments.”

Nationwide, home renters are on the rise. So much in fact that according to a recent study by ABODO based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau, 36.4% of the American population is renting their household—the largest percentage the nation has seen since the 1960s. And as the number of renters continues to grow (there were 1.4 million new renter households in 2015 alone) so do renter-dominated cities. As of 2015, renting has the become the majority in 21 cities across the United States.

As if renting an apartment wasn’t stressful enough: Between the cutthroat competition, massive upfront expense, and daunting paperwork, now renters in more than 1,000 cities can add the panic-inducing thrill of online bidding wars to the process. Rentberry is an online rental marketplace that allows prospective tenants to bid for available apartments.

California is one of those places people (at least the ones who didn’t grow up there) dream about moving to some day. Between the glamour of Hollywood, the laid back vibes and the beautiful beaches, it’s definitely a desirable destination. But have you ever wondered what living on the California coast really looks like? We combed through rental listings to find apartments, condos and houses in cities up and down the coastline, so you can see for yourself.

Ever wonder what it’s really like to live in the most expensive neighborhoods in New York, or if it’s even possible to afford it (let alone live on your own there)? To satisfy your curiosity, we looked for the most affordable studio apartments on the market right now in the 5 most expensive neighborhoods. These 5 neighborhoods are based on RentHop’s 2016 Q4 rental trends, and were chosen because they have the highest median rent for studios in Manhattan.

There are plenty of legitimate benefits to home ownership (like tax credits and one day—in 30 years—getting to own a home outright). And of course there are obvious differences between renting and buying in terms of what you can and can’t do, but there are also a lot of myths—and unnecessary moral implications—surrounding home ownership and renting that you absolutely don’t need to buy into.

Looking to move to New York, but don’t know where to actually look for your new home? NYC is full of amazing neighborhoods and each one has something special to offer, but if you’re looking for a less expensive start, these neighborhoods in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens can boast more affordable rent, tons of parks, amazing food and plenty of culture—not to mention an easier commute.

If you’ve ever searched for an apartment in New York City, you’ve probably heard the term “pre-war” before, but are you familiar with what it means? Pre-war apartments refer to buildings that were constructed before 1939 (AKA those that were built before World War II began). Pre-war style came about during a population boom in the city in the 1880s, according to Street Easy.

With Valentine’s Day on the brain, love is all flowers and candy. But the truth is that relationships are hard work. The most trying point for many of them is the moment you decide to move in together. We tapped relationship expert Dr.

As a renter, no doubt you’ve experienced the annoyance of paying rental application fee after rental application fee while searching for a new place. $20, $30, sometimes even $50 a pop—these fees can add up quickly. What’s more, if you live in a particularly competitive rental market, like Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Seattle, or Portland, you’re likely to lay out $100+ on fees before finally beating out the throngs of other applicants and landing a new rental.

Your phone can do it all these days, thanks to a never-ending supply of apps.

Moving in with strangers can be a nerve-wracking experience, but sometimes a necessary one; you need people to split the rent with, after all, and you might not know anyone in town or have local friends who are also looking for a new place to live. You need to know, then, that the key to turning strangers-you-live-with into close friends (or at least amicable roommates) is simple communication.

If you’re new to the apartment hunt, the idea of using a broker might be a very confusing concept—especially so if you’re moving from a lower-demand rental market to a bustling (and crowded) one like those in NYC or San Francisco.

Two thousand square feet is massive in almost anyone’s book, so you can expect that apartments in this tier are going to fetch top dollar in any region. But “top dollar,” it turns out, is quite different depending on where you happen to be apartment hunting. Although SLC and NYC don’t seem all that different when you abbreviate them, living in a rental in the former would be about $6,000 cheaper than the latter.

I don’t know about you, but I’m a big fan of money. Scratch that—I do know about you, because let’s be real, we’re all big fans of money. Alas, cash isn’t the easiest of things to hold onto, especially when the cost of housing seems to increase exponentially each year. All hope is not lost, however. If you can work up the nerve, you can negotiate your rent.

Whether you’re considering a move soon, or you’re just curious about how the rest of the country lives, this should prove to be a fun adventure: Take a quick tour of the country—five apartments at a time—to discover how rent can fluctuate from city to city and coast to coast. First up, a sampler of 500-square-foot units.

I move a lot. Like, a lot. I even wrote an article about the benefits of being a serial mover like myself. And in moving so much, I’ve gotten really good at finding great apartments, the newest one always better than the last. (Ask my friends, they’ll back me up!) I’m currently in my seventh Seattle apartment with a view of the Space Needle from my living room. So I promise, I know a thing or two!

You’ve just landed an amazing job in another city, but as soon as the excitement subsides, you realize that means you have to move. Apartment hunting is never easy, but searching for your dream home across state lines can feel more like a nightmare. Moving to another city definitely won’t be a piece of cake, but it doesn’t have to be a disaster.

Maybe you found the perfect apartment after weeks of fruitless searching, but the rent is just a wee bit out of your budget. Or maybe you just received the renewal notice for your current apartment from your landlord, and your rent is getting bumped up a lot more than you’d like for next year. Your first step, in either case, is to negotiate a lower rate. But what do you do when the landlord won’t budge?

Do you like your apartment, or do you like like it? When you’re living in modest digs with modest means, you’re likely always going to think about whether the grass would be greener or the carpet would be cleaner if you moved to a new place. But deciding whether to renew or re-locate shouldn’t be a daydream decision. There are real, solid strategies you can start to think about as you near the end of your lease.

While buying a home often seems like the mark of adulthood and stability, there are plenty of reasons home ownership is not all it’s cracked up to be. So whether you aren’t in a position to buy a home at this point or you just aren’t sure about taking the plunge, here are some reasons to celebrate your non-homeowner freedom. If you buy a home, get ready to take on the management and expense of every single thing that goes wrong.

Because you won't be buying a whole house full of furniture in one fell swoop — and really, where's the fun in that anyway?

Picture this: You’re facing yet another problem in your brand new apartment but—lucky duck—you have roughly 11 months left on your lease. Don’t you wish you could go back in time and save yourself tons of time, money, and headaches by identifying these potential problems before you sign? We’re here to help you do just that. So many people are too intimidated (or simply forget) to open kitchen cabinets during their initial tour.

The UK, my adopted home for the past eight years, has what I would call a “home ownership fixation.” When I first moved here, I was perplexed when getting on the property ladder came up in conversation nearly as often as, say, tea or the weather. I’d also wager a guess that there are more reality television shows geared toward buying and renovating houses here than in any other country.

You’ve tried so hard to spice up your rental but it’s just not quite doing the trick. Is it time to consider the horrible-of-all-horrible four letter words? Is it time to move? Answer these six questions to know for sure. There are lots of ways to change the aesthetics of your place, but some things just can’t be fixed.

When you’re looking for a new apartment you no doubt have a laundry list of what you’re looking for and what you’re not looking for. Some criteria you may be uncompromising about (like the maximum price) but there are always secondary criteria that are more flexible. Which floor the apartment is on likely falls into this category and there are pros and cons for each floor. I live in Brownstone Brooklyn where most apartment buildings are 4 story walkups.

It's all here.

Everyone has moving horror stories, but there are just some things you don’t think to check until you’ve already signed a lease. Here’s 10 things that should be on everyone’s “must-check” list. 1. Hallway/Doorway Size: Sometimes it’s easy to get carried away with great architecture lines of square footage, but sometimes (Even if you buy small furniture) things simply don’t fit in awkward hallways.

They often call getting married and moving in together as “taking the plunge,” but if you ask us, moving in with someone you know and love is a lot less scary than moving in with a stranger. Don’t go into the roommate interview unprepared; we’ve got the questions to consider before you both sign the lease.