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Seventy Years of Rent Control in NYC

Rent Control Limits in NYC

People will do crazy things to get their hands on a rent controlled apartment, from pretending to be someone’s relative to pretending their dead relative that owned the home is in fact, still alive and kicking. A book by Robert Fogelson entitled The Great Rent Wars: New York 1917-1929, explains the tumultuous story of the many attempts to fix a terrible housing situation before rent control. Enacted 70 years ago, the story of rent regulations started with a government that could care less about the issues happening with housing.

Looking for a Roomie in NYC?

Moving in and out might be an exciting experience but it’s also tiresome, and when it is in New York City, that experience can turn into a real brainteaser. As the average rent in the city keeps rocketing, so does the number of people living with roommates. 

Reports Suggest Tight Rental Market Ahead for Manhattan

Reports Suggest Tight Rental Market Ahead for Manhattan

Well, this bit of news will come as no surprise to those of you who have been following this blog: rents for apartments in Manhattan have risen again, and this trend is expected to continue as summer comes to New York City. The latest rental market report from Douglas Elliman put the median rent of a Manhattan apartment to be at $3,195 per month, which is an increase of 6.5 percent from its value a year ago in April.

In New York City, Even the Politicians Rent

Anthony Weiner is one of many New York politicians who rent in the city

For a city that’s known for its sheer number of renters, it’s good to know that some of New York City’s most powerful citizens are living in the city as tenants as well. From mayoral hopefuls to sitting Congressmen, there are a number of politicians in New York who are choosing to rent an apartment, instead of buying one. Some of these apartments are rent-stabilized, and others are condominium residences—our politicians seem to be very particular on where they rent in the city.

Manhattan Renting 101: A Lesson Courtesy Arianna Huffington

Arianna Huffington Sued for Trashing Chelsea Loft Apartment

If a recently filed lawsuit’s allegations are to be believed, it seems that Arianna Huffington, president of The Huffington Post, could benefit with a blog post or two about renting apartments in New York City.

According to the new lawsuit, Huffington caused $275,000 worth of damages to a Chelsea apartment she had leased from documentary filmmaker Eric Steel from May 2011 to January 2013. The apartment, which is located at 227 West 17th Street, is a 4,400 square foot, seven-story loft, and the lawsuit alleges that Huffington left the apartment looking much worse than the way it looked when she entered it.

Compared to Sales, the Rent in Manhattan Ain’t Bad

Manhattan Luxury Rentals SkylineWhen compared to the cost of buying an apartment in Manhattan, rental prices in the borough aren’t actually that bad. A study released on Friday by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York says that apartment prices in New York City have risen considerably faster than rents have in recent years. This split has raised some serious questions about the outlook for housing prices in the city as well as the sustainability of current prices. “Manhattan price-rent ratios, although off their 2008 highs, are still up dramatically over the past two decades, suggesting less financial ‘value’ today in an apartment purchase there,” said New York Fed economist Jason Bram, writing in the bank’s Current Issues in Economics and Finance.

Rentals Too Hot to Handle: Increase in Supply and Demand

Luxury rentals in Manhattan are this fall’s hot commodity. They are flying off the proverbial shelf faster than Apple’s iPhone 5. Major New York real estate periodicals are saturated with daily listings of new apartments vying for the attention of potential tenants. Those looking to rent an apartment in Manhattan better act quickly, for a home’s lifespan on the market is brief. With such a burgeoning industry, renters may be inclined to take their time in choosing the perfect place. However low interest rates and other economic factors have dwindled the waiting period, contributing to this renting frenzy.

New York by Frank Gehry Energizes Civic Center

New York by Gehry has changed the way people think about the Civic Center.If you build it, they will come. New York, by Frank Gehry, has proved that an exceptional building will be successful regardless of its location. Developers have recognized the success of Gehry’s building, which is now an iconic part of Manhattan’s skyline, and are looking into not only the Civic Center micro-neighborhood but other underrated neighborhoods for new apartment buildings. Location and status have traditionally been the defining features of Manhattan real estate, but Frank Gehry’s 76-story residential building at 8 Spruce Street presents a challenge to the convention that you have to rent an apartment in a trendy neighborhood.

Walk-up Buildings Return to the Spotlight

In a city with apartment buildings known for their dizzying heights and grandeur, walk-up apartment buildings in New York City have long had a lower, less glamorous profile. Walk-ups are buildings that have just five or six stories of apartments in them, and, as their name suggests, they do not have an elevator. Walk-up buildings reflect a style of construction of the early 20th century, and the flights of stairs to climb every day have been a deterrent for New Yorkers looking for an apartment to rent in the city. But that was in the past. With the trend of increasing rents sweeping through rental buildings in Manhattan, the apartments in these small walk-ups represent a gold mine for the landlords of such buildings. 

July: Manhattan Rental Market Follows June Trends

After all the cheering for the good news coming out of the Manhattan real estate sector in June, the good spell for the housing market has continued through to July as well. The latest report by real estate firm Citi Habitats reveals that the vacancy rates for apartments in Manhattan have risen to 1.2 per cent, an increase that bodes well for those hunting homes in the city. The highest vacancy rates were seen in the East Village with 1.65 percent, followed closely by the Upper West Side with 1.56 percent and Murray Hill with 1.52 percent. Once again, people looking for homes in the city are at an advantage, and should make use of this time wisely to find their dream homes.