<p>I can speak a little bit as to apartment start-up costs. If you are signing a lease, most places want first and last month’s rent plus a security deposit (equal to one month’s rent) up front at the lease signing. Regarding broker’s fees, the best way to find a no broker’s fee place is to take over a lease directly from a friend or an acquaintance or something like that. There are also some companies that do no fee apartments (myspacenyc is one that works in Brooklyn, I found my place through them). Broker’s fees range from 1 month’s rent to 12-15% of a year’s rent which can really make the up-front costs prohibitive with first, last, and security required as well. If you do choose to go through a broker, the process may be faster and easier, so it’s really a matter of whether you’d prefer to spend time or money. Brokers can usually be found through any real estate company. Additionally, all places in the city require that lessees make 40-50 times the monthly rent. If they do not, they need a guarantor who makes 80-100 times the monthly rent. You can usually have more than one guarantor as long as the total income of all guarantors meets the 80-100x requirement.</p>
<p>I would also recommend being open to different areas while apartment searching. Everyone would love to live in Manhattan or Williamsburg, but it really isn’t financially feasible for most people. Looking in central Brooklyn or the Bronx and Queens can help reduce costs tremendously.</p>
<p>If any of you have more specific questions about apartment hunting in the city, let me know (I just finished the process myself, so I’m super familiar with the ins and outs)</p>