Apartment Living Tips, Part 2

Last week I wrote about several apartment living tips that I felt you might find useful. The internet is constantly divulging good advice and thoughtful tips through its never-ending supply of smart, savvy experts and the people who ask them questions. Here then, is part 2 of my recent roundup of apartment living tips that may help you, my fellow NYC renter.

Brick Underground had a couple of interesting apartment living tips last week of interest to residents of NYC apartments. In their latest Tips From a Doorman column, a series of interviews with the men (and, occasionally, women) who stand all day so that we may receive our packages and not have to open our own doors, doorman Milton offers some advice.

Milton has spent more than three years working at a building containing Greenwich Village rental apartments, reveals the single most important thing that makes someone a good tenant in the eyes of a doorman: “Greet us – that’s all we ask. Sometimes the tenant will walk by and not even say hi or good morning. That’s not polite – at least that’s not how I was brought up.”

Ok, that sounds pretty easy. What about tips at Christmas? “Anything is ok with us,” says Milton, “but anything extra is a beautiful thing.”

Agreed. Also at Brick Underground, the in-house “Rent Coach” fields a question about a tenant’s liability if they want to change their mind about a NYC rental apartment in which they’ve lived as little as a couple of weeks. The bad news for the capricious: basically, you’re always liable for all unpaid rent for the entire length of the lease.

And even if the landlord finds a new tenant, you have to pay all re-letting expenses (broker and legal fees, as well as any marketing costs). The best thing to do, if you really can’t bear to live in your home, is to alert your landlord immediately, and, working with their knowledge and agreement, find a new tenant on your own. Not ideal… which is why, as best you can, it’s good to be SURE of your new NYC rental apartment before you sign your lease.

One other apartment living tip: The Real Deal had an article about how fewer and fewer prospective tenants of NYC rental apartments are finding their homes through brokers. Of course, all the listings here at Urban Edge are from owners, property managers and leasing managers, so we are partially responsible for this movement.

In fact, Urban Edge co-founder Don Tallerman is quoted in the piece, saying “there is a larger trend where people are doing their own research and going direct,” which is only a good thing as far as I’m concerned.

It seems that, increasingly, only the most affluent customers are willing to use brokers. Are rental brokers performing an niche, luxury service, like a personal shopper or bespoke tailor? Stay tuned!

As previously mentioned in this space (many times! and why not!) the Urban Edge Renters Guide offers both residents and seekers of NYC rental apartments an exhaustive look at everything you need to know before, during, and after you find a place, sign a lease, move in your stuff, live happily after.

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