For Renters:
Tips for ALL apartment hunters

• Be professionally dressed to meet the owner or manager.
• Observe all aspects of the neighborhood…shopping, playgrounds, bus and subway stops, etc.
• Find out if rent includes utilities and other services.
• Check plumbing, appliances, water pressure, type of heating, air conditioning, and electrical outlets whenever possible.
• Consider the floor plan in regard to your furniture, location of TV hookups, phone jacks, windows, etc.
• If furnished, inspect the furnishings closely and photograph or video for later reference.
• Check closets, cabinets and storage space.
• Inquire about storage rooms for tenants.
• Note locations of windows and exposures.
• Review parking arrangements and cost.
• Check laundry facilities.

Living with one or more roommates may afford you more square footage, more luxurious surroundings and a better chance of living in your preferred neighborhood.

If you are seeking to share an apartment with a roommate, keep the following in mind:

View apartments with all roommates: Beginning your search together will enable you to establish a common point of reference, and will allow you to eliminate and refine your preferences. Avoid viewing the same apartments separately. If you and your roommate see the same apartment with two separate brokers, you may incur two fees. Keep a record of the apartments you have seen and with whom you have seen them.

Temporary dividing walls: If the building allows, you may contract a company to install a pressure wall to subdivide a room, creating another bedroom. While subdividing will decrease the overall size of a large room, it may afford you a better alternative in terms of location or building amenities. The wall looks like a permanent wall, complete with door to provide maximum privacy. Most landlords will require an additional security deposit if you choose to install a temporary wall, and it must be removed at the termination of your lease. We recommend pressure walls, which will avoid structural damage to the apartment.

Financial Qualifications: Occasionally a landlord will accept roommates' combined incomes to determine financial qualifications. Guaranteed income should be 40 to 52 times the monthly rent. It is preferred that one tenant qualifies for the entire rent. If you and your roommate do not have employment or rental history, it is probable that the landlord will require a guarantor or a lease co-signer, a person who will accept financial responsibility in the event of non-payment of rent. A guarantor must own property in the U.S., must live in the New York area, and show guaranteed income of 75 to 100 times the amount of your proposed monthly rent.

Brokerage Fees: If you receive financial compensation for your relocation and brokerage fee, be sure to check your employment policy for payment terms and for discounted fee arrangements with Coldwell Banker Hunt Kennedy. Most employers will only cover your portion of the brokerage fee, based upon the rate your company has negotiated with our firm. Your roommate will be responsible for his or her own portion of the fee, although in the event of non-payment by a roommate, roommates are "jointly and severally" responsible to pay the entire brokerage fee.