Help on renting our first apartment.
By
on
January 14th, 2009
My fiance and I are getting married June 14, 2009.
This will be our first apartment. Both of our parents own homes/ building and have tenants.
We live and are looking for an apartment in Queens, NY.
We are 23 and 24. No (live-in) kids or pets. I am a recent grad & I work part-time. And he works full time as well as 2nd part time job.
Our dream apartment would be a fairly modern 2 bedrooms, living room, bath and eat-in kitchen. With utilities included. And at least a 1 year lease.
What is an average/ fair price for an apartment like that.
Would it be better to pay my utilities or have them included.
What can i expect or need to do in result of having our own apartment.
What is your opinion on renter’s insurance.
Just any advice you have for first time renters would be appreciated.
Thank you.
from checking craigslist and ads, apartments with what we are looking for run from $1000 (if your lucky) to $1700 a month. and only half of the higher priced apartment include utilities, and these are private, not complexes.
* Wow $400. for 2 bedrooms, We need to move to Wisconsin then.
Shannon Leta™ says:
http://www.ehow.com/about_4596232_what-expect-renting-apartment.html
January 14th, 2009 at 2:47 am
Graceful Skull says:
Go to http://www.craigslist.org
find your state. It’s awesome.
All the best =)
January 14th, 2009 at 3:21 am
Mandi says:
Wow, congrats.
I don’t live in or near NY, so I don’t know about prices - from what I hear it’s nothing like our $400 a month 2 bedroom places around here in Wisconsin.
Utilities included is always better - one less bill and it’s usually lower than what you actually use.
Use common sense regarding security.
Get renters insurance. The building could start on fire and you would lose everything - the owner’s insurance isn’t responsible for your pretty new engagement ring, etc.
My advice - have fun - go to cheap stores, thrift shops, etc. and decorate the hell out of it, have people over as much as you can for “grown up” dinners, live it up, I miss my first place.
January 14th, 2009 at 4:08 am
sixpack says:
Well my experience is. check out the storage and space you will have to work with, sometimes it sucks. If you still have to purchase your furniture or the bigger items you may want to hold off until you see what you have to work with. If you plan on buying a home later you can always add to your collection then. (It beats having things in storage).
I pay utilities separate. I like it because it gives me control. Most landlords like that because the tenants don’t keep the windows open when the air is on etc.
Sorry I can’t help you on the pricing since I’m not in that area.
As far as what you will need: look into appliances (are they included.). I ended up going through all the rooms in my parents house, looking around to get ideas of what I used a lot or what I thought I might use.
Also, last of all, I have the insurance and think it’s worth it. Call around to see what kind of deal you can get. In my case it is actually cheaper for me to have car insurance and content insurance. go figure. Plus it gives me peace of mind. Hope this helps.
January 14th, 2009 at 4:49 am
Libraryanna says:
For pricing, check ads in the papers where you want to live, as well as Craig’s list and apartments.com.
I would have utilities included. That way if it’s a really cold winter, you don’t get stuck with a big heating bill.
Get renter’s insurance. It usually doesn’t cost that much and protects your stuff from theft or if there is a fire or a tree falls on the place or something.
Be aware of your rights as a tenant, especially regarding return of deposits when you leave. A lot of landlords try to rip you off there. You should also know your rights as far as the landlord taking care of the place, helping you with noisy neighbors, things like that. The link below has free information for tenants. Just click the one that says housing, then private housing landlord/tenant.
For costs, expect to pay a deposit and first and last months rent, depending on the landlord. They will most likely do a credit check too.
January 14th, 2009 at 5:27 am
cathy says:
Every once in a while, I check out the want ads in the Daily News (I don’t know why.). I can’t believe the prices now. But I used to live all over queens until we bought a house upstate because we couldn’t afford one in queens. Good thing, because right after we moved (15 years ago) the rentals went thru the roof. Expect an amount close to $1200+ for a 2 bedroom in a fairly good neighborhood and $1500 in a better one. With the way gas/electric bills are going now, most good rentals will want you to pay your own. When the apartments do include gas/electric, the rent will be higher or it’s because the apartment is in a bad neighborhood or it’s just a lousy apartment and their trying to entice you with the utilities.
Try getting an idea by looking at Sunday’s Daily News. And don’t get misled by agents/realtors’ ads — they’ll charge you a fee.
If you’re getting married in June, it would be a good idea to rent the apartment starting in May. You can start fixing it up, getting some furniture in there, and loading up the place with your bridal shower gifts. It’ll save a lot of headaches if you don’t wait until June 1st. You’ll be so busy with the wedding.
When you do think you’ve found the right place, check it out carefully.
What happens at night — kids hanging. a neighbor’s dog constantly barking. just plain noisy. you get the idea.
Good luck to you both on marriage and apartment searching.
January 14th, 2009 at 6:19 am
Daijah K says:
Home insurance is actually very flexible. I’m not familiar with all the fine print of my homeowners policy, but my home insurance agent is always helpful. Try calling your agent or a agent in your area. http://www.goodinternetdeals.com/Home-Insurance.html They will be able to assist you.
January 14th, 2009 at 7:17 am
Pete B says:
Congratulations on getting married.
You will not find anything as cheap as there is in Wisconsin. My GF and I live on the Upper West Side and our rent is several thousand dollars a month for a two bedroom. You should be able to find something cheaper out in Queens though. Astoria is a very up and coming area and is supposed to be very reasonable.
I can point you to two articles online that may be helpful. Neither are geared towards NYC, but the information should be helpful anyway.
The first is apartment hunting tips for recent grads: http://lifeninjas.com/apartments/life-after-the-dorm-tips-for-finding-an-apartment
The second gives a run down about renter’s insurance (I would highly suggest you get it): http://lifeninjas.com/apartments/renters-insurance-not-having-it-could-cost-you-thousands
Best of luck.
January 14th, 2009 at 8:04 am