Finding a decent apartment for free in New York City, especially in a large Manhattan neighborhood, takes time, work, and luck. This is why many people reluctantly choose to cut 15% of their annual rent to let a broker do the work for them. But with just a little bit of intelligence, you can be sure it can be done.
You can often find Manhattan apartments for free by going directly to New York property management companies. Many buildings allow you to eliminate the middle man by renting directly through their management companies. In short, that means there are no fees or hassles.
Jara
Rockrose manages luxury apartment buildings in Battery Park City, the Financial District, West Village, and Midtown West. The Rockrose website allows you to easily search for available rentals and view photos and floor plans. These are beautiful buildings with many amenities, but they are not cheap. Monthly rentals start at around $ 2,500 for a studio in the Wall Street area. Make sure your credit is excellent as Rockrose has high standards.
Jakobson Properties
Jakobson Properties manages more than 50 Manhattan buildings in neighborhoods including the West Village, Greenwich Village, East Village, Chelsea, Murray Hill, and the Upper West Side. They offer a range of apartments from semi-affordable to high-end. You can browse through the current listings on their website.
Related Rentals
Related Rentals manages about 20 high-end rental buildings throughout Manhattan. You can search for available apartments on their website, but don’t bother if you’re not willing to pay at least $ 2,500 per month for a studio.
Bettina Equities
Bettina Equities manages a large number of rental buildings throughout Manhattan. The buildings range from affordable pre-war walks to luxury skyscrapers. The best deals can be found on the Upper East Side. On their website, you can search for available apartments by neighborhood or rental price range.
– Update by Elissa Garay