Affordable housing in New York City typically refers to rentals, but what are the options for buyers? One so-called budget route to home ownership is through limited equity housing co-ops—essentially co-ops for people who earn lower incomes. In NYC, at least 1,100 buildings are limited-equity co-ops set up as Housing Development Fund Corporations. They have […]

Each month, rents for new leases in New York City are setting new annual records, or coming close to new records, reflecting a highly competitive rental market. In Manhattan, median rent rose to a new high for the fifth time in six months, according to the latest edition of the Elliman Report for the Manhattan, Brooklyn, and […]

A fight on social media between New York City mayoral candidates, former Governor Andrew Cuomo and Assembly member Zohran Mamdani, highlights persistent misconceptions about affordable housing. Mamdani is leading runner up Cuomo by 19 points according to a new poll and Cuomo’s social media account targeted Mamdani’s own housing situation, seemingly implying that Mamdani doesn’t […]

Flimsy cardboard boxes are no longer the default when packing up your belongings for a move. Instead, more people are turning to rentable plastic bins—which, because they are reusable and recyclable, are indeed a more eco-friendly alternative. “We’ve been renting the bins on a weekly basis for about three years now,” said Dor Klein of […]

Landing a rent-stabilized apartment in New York City can be a lifeline for renters who would otherwise struggle with unpredictable rent increases and the uncertainty of knowing how many years they can remain in place. Unlike market-rate units, annual rent increases for rent-stabilized apartments have a much tighter cap (though NYC’s Good Cause eviction law […]

I cringe when I recall the first few emails I sent to our landlord who lives in California about some problem in our Brooklyn townhouse rental: Messages prefaced by timid, time-wasting phrases like “sorry to bother you” and the long dialogue that followed until we established what the problem was and how it would be fixed. Now, a few […]

It’s not just the younger set that heeds the siren call of New York City. Empty nesters are finding that downsizing and moving to an apartment in the city fits their lifestyle, one that is less tethered to work and responsibilities and more centered on fun and entertainment, especially if you’re retired or semi-retired. Some […]

It doesn’t matter where you live in New York City—whether it’s a small, prewar building or a modern luxury tower—you may still have to deal with mold. Jeffrey Gross, a water damage and mold remediator at First Onsite (formerly Maxons Restorations), said his company encounters mold problems in newer buildings more frequently than in older […]

The New York City rental market has plenty of pitfalls to trip up a rookie renter. There are scams involving fake listings, con artists who impersonate agents online, and landlords that ignore (or don’t know) the laws that protect renters. Your best bet in a hot rental market is to know how to avoid a […]