Renters · Guide

Moving to NYC? The first-apartment checklist nobody gives you.

Income, documents, fee caps, the broker rule, heat season, the building's record, insurance and utilities. Everything to check before and after you sign your first New York lease.

Gabe Einhorn, co-founder of NessooPublished Oct 17, 2026

3 min read

The short answerNessoo Report · nessoo.com

Before your first NYC lease, know your budget (most landlords want yearly income of 40x the monthly rent), have your documents ready, know the caps (deposit up to 1 month's rent, application fee up to $20), and look up the building's violations on HPD Online.

→You only pay a broker you choose to hire, under the FARE Act.
→Heat season runs October 1 to May 31.
→Set up utilities and renter's insurance before move-in day.

Everyone moving to New York gets the same advice.

“Good luck.”

That’s it. Nobody hands you the list. So here it is, the one I would give any friend renting their first apartment in this city.

Before you search

Know your number. Most landlords want your yearly income to be at least 40x the monthly rent. It is common practice, not law. At the NYC median asking rent of $4,150, that is $4,150 x 40 = $166,000 a year. Here is the full math.
Line up a guarantor if you need one. Under the number? Many landlords accept a guarantor who earns 80x the rent. Ask them now, not the night before you apply. Here is how the 80x rule works.
Save for move-in. Plan on first month plus a security deposit, which New York caps at 1 month’s rent. Here is every line item.

Your documents

Good apartments go fast. The renter with a ready folder wins.

Most landlords ask for some version of this:

Photo ID.
Recent pay stubs.
An employment or offer letter. Especially if you are moving for a new job.
Tax returns.
Bank statements.
The same set for your guarantor, if you have one.

Save them as PDFs in one folder before your first tour.

On Nessoo, you verify your income and identity once, upfront, instead of sending the same folder to every landlord.

The fees you can and can’t be charged

This is where new renters get taken advantage of. They don’t know the rules.

Security deposit: no more than 1 month’s rent.
Application and background check fee: no more than $20.
Broker fee: under the FARE Act, a landlord’s agent cannot charge you their fee. You only pay a broker you hire yourself. Here is the full explainer.
Every other fee: it has to be in the listing and itemized in writing before you sign.

There are no broker fees on Nessoo.

See it before you pay

Never send money for an apartment you haven’t seen in person.

Federal fraud reports show adults 18 to 29 are 3x more likely than other adults to report losing money to a rental scam. The median loss was $1,000. Here is why younger renters get targeted.

Check the building

Don’t skip this one.

Look up the address on HPD Online, the city’s free tool for housing complaints and violations. A long list of open hazardous violations is a reason to keep looking. Here is how to check a building, tool by tool.

Read the lease

Read every page. Check the rent, the term, the fees and who handles repairs. Here is what to look for, clause by clause.

Also find out if the apartment is rent stabilized. Here is how to tell.

Heat season

If you are moving from somewhere warm, learn this one.

Heat season runs October 1 to May 31. During it:

Daytime (6am to 10pm): when it is below 55 degrees outside, your apartment must be at least 68 degrees.
Overnight (10pm to 6am): at least 62 degrees, no matter the outside temperature.
Hot water: at least 120 degrees, every day of the year.

No heat? Tell your landlord first. If nothing happens, file a complaint with 311.

It is October 17. Heat season has already started.

Renter’s insurance

Check your lease. Some landlords require renter’s insurance before you get the keys.

Even if yours doesn’t, get quotes before you move in, and read what each policy actually covers.

Utilities

Ask the landlord, in writing, which utilities are included in the rent and which are on you.

Con Edison provides electric, gas and steam service in New York City, but ask which company serves your building before you set up an account. Schedule service, internet included, so it starts on move-in day. Book it as soon as you have a signed lease.

Move-in day

Photograph everything. Every wall, floor and appliance, with the date.
Keep your paperwork. The lease, the fee list and every receipt.
Know how your deposit comes back. After you move out, the landlord has 14 days to send an itemized statement and return the rest.

New York is hard to rent in the first time.

It gets a lot easier when someone hands you the list.

“Nobody is born knowing how to rent in New York.”
Gabe Einhorn, co-founder of Nessoo

Frequently asked questions

How much do I need to make to rent an apartment in NYC?

Most landlords want your yearly income to be at least 40 times the monthly rent. That is common practice, not law. At the NYC median asking rent of $4,150, that is $166,000 a year. If you don't meet it, many landlords accept a guarantor who earns 80x.

What documents do I need to rent an apartment in NYC?

Most landlords ask for a photo ID and proof of income, like recent pay stubs, an employment or offer letter, tax returns and bank statements. Have them ready as PDFs before you start touring.

How much is a security deposit in NYC?

No more than 1 month's rent. New York State law caps it there. After you move out, the landlord has 14 days to give you an itemized statement and return the rest.

When does heat season start in NYC?

October 1. From then until May 31, landlords must keep apartments at least 68 degrees from 6am to 10pm when it is below 55 outside, and at least 62 degrees overnight. Hot water must be at least 120 degrees all year.

Cite this

Einhorn, Gabe. “Moving to NYC? The first-apartment checklist nobody gives you.” Nessoo Report, Nessoo (nessoo.com), Oct 17, 2026.

About Gabe Einhorn

Co-founder of Nessoo, the verify-first rental marketplace in New York. He writes every Nessoo Report. nessoo.com

Sources