How to Get an Apartment in New York City on a Budget

Use your friends and word of mouth. There is no better way to find out about a great deal on a cheap apartment than from your peer community. Make use of coworkers and friends who want to help you look. There's always someone in New York, it seems, who is saying, "Do you know anyone who's looking for an apartment right now?" These people are a great place to start. If there is a corkboard where you work, put up a notice with your contact information. This will get the ball rolling with your acquaintances to be on the lookout for a cheap place for you to move into.

Widen your neighborhood options. Everyone wants to live in the Village and Soho, so the apartments there are incredibly expensive. If you start thinking outside of the box, location-wise, you will find more value for your money. Instead of the Upper West Side, consider Inwood or Washington Heights. Instead of Gramercy Park, consider Turtle Bay. Instead of Park Slope, consider Cobble Hill. Instead of Astoria, consider Long Island City. These are all compromises that will bring your price down thousands of dollars each year.

Hit the pavement. Instead of hiring a broker to do your looking for you, hit the streets yourself. There are dozens of apartments that advertise right on the buildings they are renting from in every neighborhood. Many of these numbers are for companies that own several buildings, and most of these companies don't use brokers. If you start dealing with those companies, you may be able to look at apartments in the building you originally looked at, and several others in the surrounding vicinity. Cutting out the middleman will save you thousands of dollars in closing costs.

Window-shop online. Many community bulletin board sites have a rental section, and most are ultra specific in New York City. You will be able to browse through pictures and take a virtual tour of dozens of apartments in your desired neighborhood before you even step foot outside of your front door. You can make initial inquiries this way without wasting your time traveling to neighborhoods to see apartments that you won't end up liking.