Renting an apartment in New York: what to know before you pay

In New York State, a security deposit can be no more than one month’s rent, and the most a landlord can charge for a credit and background check is $20. In New York City, a broker who represents the landlord can no longer charge the tenant a broker fee. The FTC’s advice is to pay only after seeing the apartment in person and getting a copy of the lease.

This guide covers New York State and New York City. The city housing agency’s Tenant Bill of Rights page is offered in several languages, including Russian and Spanish, but not in Georgian. So we gathered the main rules here in Georgian. A landlord or broker will say many of these words in English. Because of this, the page gives the English word in the text, and a short list of terms is at the end.

In this guide:

What a landlord can charge
Documents landlords often ask for
Looking for an apartment, and signs of a scam
What differs from apartment to apartment
Electricity, gas, water, internet: who is who
Moving to a new apartment
Heat and hot water in winter
Your rights
Who is who
Key terms

What a landlord can charge

Security deposit. This is a state rule: a security deposit can be no more than one month’s rent. According to the New York Attorney General’s guide, for an ordinary apartment the landlord must return it within 14 days of the tenant moving out. For rent-regulated apartments, the landlord must return the deposit at the end of the lease or within a reasonable time after.

Credit and background check. In this check, the landlord looks at how you have paid debts and rent, and whether you have an eviction record or other legal records. The most a landlord can charge for this check is $20. This is a state law, and it applies everywhere, including New York City. A landlord cannot get around this limit.

Broker fee. Since June 11, 2025, a new law has been in effect in New York City: the FARE Act. It is a city law and does not apply outside the city. Under the law, a broker who represents the landlord can no longer charge the tenant a fee. The landlord or the landlord’s agent must give the tenant a written, itemized list of all fees, and the tenant signs that list before signing the lease. No one can require a tenant to hire a broker, and refusing to rent for that reason is illegal. A tenant may still choose to hire their own broker; the law does not forbid it, and in that case the tenant pays that broker. The city’s Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) takes broker-fee complaints online.

Documents landlords often ask for

This is not a list of official requirements. Landlords in New York often ask for these documents, and real estate companies’ guides give a similar list. Documents that show income (pay stubs, an employment letter, a tax return) are called proof of income. Each landlord decides which documents to ask for and what to accept instead.

Photo ID: a passport and, if you have one, a driver’s license. About a Georgian driver’s license: Georgian driver’s license in the US.
The last two pay stubs.
An employment letter that states your position, salary and how long you have worked there.
The first two pages of the last two years’ tax returns, if you have them.
The last two months of bank statements.
A reference letter from a previous landlord, if you have one.
A Social Security number (SSN), if you have one.
The money for the security deposit and the first month’s rent.

Looking for an apartment, and signs of a scam

From our experience: Georgians look for apartments in online listings, in Georgian groups, in Russian-language newspapers and websites, and through relatives and friends. The scam signs the FTC lists apply to all of these sources.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) names these signs of a rental scam:

The rent is far lower than for similar apartments in the same area.
Someone pressures you to decide quickly.
The apartment is actually for sale, not for rent.
The landlord will not meet you or show you the apartment.
Someone asks for payment only by wire transfer, gift card or cryptocurrency.
Someone asks for personal information and a Social Security number (SSN) before you have seen the apartment in person or started the official application process. Giving an SSN during an official application is normal.

The FTC names these steps for protection:

Searching the name of the owner or company with the words “complaint,” “review” and “scam.”
Seeing the apartment in person or, if that is not possible, through an official virtual tour.
Checking city or county tax records to see who owns the property.
Getting a copy of the contract before paying any money.

These rules also apply to renting a room, including when you find the listing in a Georgian group or a private message.

The FTC names four places to report a rental scam: its own site ReportFraud.ftc.gov, local police, the website where the listing was posted, and the state attorney general.

What differs from apartment to apartment

The points below have no single rule: the answer differs from apartment to apartment. Where a rule exists, it is given next to the point.

Questions for the broker:

Who does the broker represent, the landlord or the renter?
What fees are charged? Under the FARE Act, the landlord or the landlord’s agent must give the tenant a written list of all fees.

Questions for the landlord or broker:

What is included in the rent: heat, hot water, cold water, gas, electricity, internet? From our experience: in some apartments water is included in the rent, in others it is not.
Does the tenant open the electric and gas accounts in their own name?
Which companies serve the building for electricity, gas and internet?
How much is the security deposit, and when does the landlord return it? Under state law, a security deposit can be no more than one month’s rent.
How long is the lease, and how is it renewed? According to the New York Attorney General’s guide, the landlord must give written notice before raising the rent (by 5% or more) or not renewing the lease. The notice comes 30 days ahead if the tenant has lived in the apartment less than one year. It comes 60 days ahead if one to two years. It comes 90 days ahead if two years or more, or if the tenant has a two-year lease. Without this notice, the tenant has the right to stay at the old rent until the notice period runs out.
Who does the tenant call about repairs or an emergency? According to the city housing agency (HPD), for heat and hot water the tenant first tells the landlord and, if there is no response, calls 311. For other problems in the apartment, the Tenant Helpline is at 311.
Is there mold, a water leak or garbage in the apartment? According to the city’s page, an apartment must be free of all of these.

Electricity, gas, water, internet: who is who

Besides the rent, an apartment needs electricity, often gas, water and internet. Some of these are included in the rent, and some are paid separately: this differs from apartment to apartment. In Georgian conversation these charges are often called “bills.”

Electricity: Con Edison. Con Edison is the electric company in New York City. According to its page, it supplies electricity to Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Staten Island and Queens. In Queens, the company that serves an apartment depends on the address. Con Edison’s page says a new electric account needs a new address, a move-in date and a valid form of identification (ID). Without an ID, Con Edison asks for a deposit. Con Edison says the move-in date can be no more than 30 days from today. The page does not mention a Social Security number (SSN). Which IDs Con Edison accepts is not listed on its page.

Gas: National Grid and Con Edison. National Grid is a gas company. According to a table from the New York State Department of Public Service, National Grid supplies gas in Brooklyn. According to Con Edison’s page, Con Edison also supplies gas in Manhattan and the Bronx. In Queens and on Staten Island, the company that serves an apartment depends on the address. If the apartment has gas, National Grid’s page asks customers to call at least a week before moving in to start service. It asks for 5-7 days’ notice so that a crew can visit and turn the gas on. The phone number on the page is 1-718-643-4050 (Monday to Friday 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.).

Heat and hot water. The law requires the landlord to provide them. The rules are below.

Water. In New York City, the city sends the water and sewer bill to the owner, and the account stays in the owner’s name. The page of the city’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) says a tenant who gets a water shutoff notice should tell the landlord right away. The owner can ask the city to send a copy of the bill to you as well. Whether cold water is included in the rent differs from apartment to apartment.

Internet: Verizon and other companies. Verizon Fios is Verizon’s fiber-optic network that brings internet, TV and digital phone service to homes. Not every company serves every address. The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) map at BroadbandMap.gov shows which companies serve a given address: it gives a list of companies for the address entered. Each company decides which documents it needs to open an account. The official pages we read do not say whether you can open an account without an SSN.

Moving to a new apartment

Electricity. Con Edison says that when moving within its area, changing the service address is easier than starting new service.
Gas. According to National Grid’s page, customers call the company at least a week ahead to stop, start or transfer gas service to a new address.
Internet. Each internet company sets its own rule for moving an account to a new address.
Driver’s license. According to the DMV, a person who moves to New York State and becomes a resident must get a New York driver’s license within 30 days: Georgian driver’s license in the US.
Security deposit. The deadline for returning the deposit from the previous apartment is given above.

Heat and hot water in winter

According to the city housing agency, the law requires landlords to provide heat and hot water to tenants.

Heat season runs from October 1 to May 31.
During the day (6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.), when it is below 55°F (about 13°C) outside, the apartment must be at least 68°F (20°C).
At night (10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.), the apartment must be at least 62°F (about 17°C), whatever the temperature outside.
Hot water: the landlord must provide it 365 days a year, at a constant minimum of 120°F (about 49°C).

According to HPD, a tenant without heat or hot water first tells the landlord and, if there is no response, calls 311.

Your rights

The apartment must be clean and well kept, free of mold, leaks and garbage, including the common areas. According to HPD, the Tenant Helpline for housing problems is at 311.
A landlord may not refuse to rent to a person because of race, creed, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or HIV or AIDS status. In New York City, the protections also cover other traits, including immigration status.
A landlord may not refuse a tenant because the tenant’s income comes from a lawful source, such as Social Security or a Section 8 voucher.

When a landlord refuses because of children. In New York City, it is illegal to refuse to rent to someone because there are children under 18 in the household. The same protection covers pregnant women and people in the process of getting custody of a child.

The city’s official page gives these examples of illegal practices:

Requiring a family with children to live on the first floor.
Asking whether you plan to have a family.
A lease that says the apartment is for adults only, or an extra charge for couples with children.
Telling you the area is not right for children and suggesting another area.

The exception is housing programs meant for people 55 and older.

From our experience: the law forbids this, but in practice some landlords still refuse families with children, especially those with young children, for example under 5.

If you are refused because of children, you can file a complaint within one year of the last discriminatory act: in the city, through 311 or the Commission on Human Rights Infoline at 718-722-3131; at the state level, with the Division of Human Rights at (844) 697-3471.

Common mistakes.

Sending money before seeing the apartment. This is one of the main signs of a scam.
Paying by wire transfer, gift card or cryptocurrency. The FTC names this as a sign of a scam.
Paying a security deposit of more than one month’s rent. Under New York State law, the deposit can be no more than that.
Paying a broker fee to the landlord’s broker. The FARE Act no longer allows this in New York City.
Paying without a copy of the lease.
Giving out an SSN before agreeing on the rent.
Not asking what is included in the rent when seeing the apartment: heat, hot and cold water, electricity, gas, internet.
Requesting gas on the last day. National Grid asks for a call at least a week ahead.

Who is who

311: the city’s hotline. It takes calls about housing problems, including heat and hot water.
HPD: the New York City housing agency. Under its rules, the landlord must provide heat and hot water.
DEP: the New York City Department of Environmental Protection. It sends water and sewer bills to the owner.
Con Edison, National Grid, Verizon: the electric, gas and internet companies. More: above.
DMV: the Department of Motor Vehicles, the office for driver’s licenses. More: Georgian driver’s license in the US.
FTC: the Federal Trade Commission. It takes reports of scams.
FCC: the Federal Communications Commission. Its map shows which internet companies serve your address.

Key terms

People often say these words in English. These are plain meanings, not legal definitions. The Georgian word is in brackets.

SSN: Social Security number. Many forms ask for it (სოციალური დაცვის ნომერი, in speech „სოშალი“).
landlord: the owner who rents out the apartment (მესაკუთრე).
tenant: the person who rents and lives in the apartment (მოქირავნე).
lease: the rental agreement (ქირავნობის ხელშეკრულება).
lease renewal: extending or renewing the lease. Under state law, before a renewal or a rent increase, the landlord must give written notice 30, 60 or 90 days ahead, depending on how long the tenant has lived in the apartment (ხელშეკრულების გაგრძელება).
security deposit: money held by the landlord. People often say “one month’s security plus rent.” Under state law, the deposit can be no more than one month’s rent (გირაო, in speech „სექიურითი“).
application: the form a renter fills out to apply for an apartment (განაცხადი).
application fee: the fee for an application. Under state law, the most a landlord can charge for a credit and background check is $20 (განაცხადის საფასური).
background check: the landlord checks records about the applicant: rental payment history, eviction cases, criminal record. This information usually comes from a special company’s report, called a tenant screening report (წარსულის შემოწმება).
credit check: a check of credit history, that is, of how the applicant has paid debts in the US (კრედიტის შემოწმება).
credit score: a number that sums up a person’s history of paying debts (საკრედიტო ქულა).
broker, agent, realtor: a real estate go-between who helps a renter find an apartment or works for the landlord. All three words are in use. A broker is a licensed real estate professional. An agent (salesperson) works for a broker, and the broker supervises the agent. A realtor is a licensed agent who belongs to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). All realtors are agents, but not all agents are realtors. Whatever the word, what matters under the FARE Act is who the go-between works for. The landlord’s broker may not charge the tenant a fee (ბროკერი, in speech often „მაკლერი“, აგენტი, რილტორი).
broker fee: the broker’s commission. Under the FARE Act, the landlord’s broker in New York City may not charge it to the tenant (ბროკერის საკომისიო).
listing agent: the agent who posts the apartment listing for the landlord (ლისტინგ ეიჯენტი).
pay stubs: pay slips (ხელფასის ქვითრები).
proof of income: documents that show income (შემოსავლის დამადასტურებელი დოკუმენტები).
employment letter: a letter from the employer (დამსაქმებლის წერილი).
bank statement: a statement of a bank account (საბანკო ამონაწერი).
reference letter: a letter of recommendation (სარეკომენდაციო წერილი).
guarantor, cosigner: a person who promises the landlord to pay the rent if the tenant cannot (გარანტორი, კოსაინერი).
wire transfer: a bank transfer to the other side’s account. A request to pay only this way is a sign of a scam (საბანკო გადარიცხვა).
gift card: a gift card. Paying rent or a deposit with one is a sign of a scam (სასაჩუქრე ბარათი).
bills: charges for electricity, gas, water and internet (გადასახადები, in speech „ბილები“).
heat: heating (გათბობა).
hot water, cold water: (ცხელი წყალი, ცივი წყალი).
super: the building superintendent, who takes care of repairs and upkeep (შენობის ზედამხედველი).
move-in: moving into the apartment (შესახლება).

All words on one page: glossary (in Georgian).

Official links

Looking for an apartment or a room?

Apartment and room listings from Georgians: Housing. If you rent out an apartment or a room, posting a listing is free.

This is general information and not legal advice. Rules change. The current rules are on the official pages.