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EDDIE LANDSBERG
  • FRONT PAGE
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  • BROKER LINK
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    • Apartment Hunting On A Budget
    • Filling Out A Rental Application
    • How Guarantors Work
    • Proving Income if you are Self Employed >
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    • Can international students rent apartments in NYC?
    • Can the landlord raise my rent?
    • Can foreign nationals rent apartments in New York City?
    • QUESTIONS ABOUT RENTING APARTMENTS IN NYC
  • SELLING/BUYING
    • Super Deals! (under $300k)
    • Condos & Co-ops / under 700k
    • Condos & Co-ops / Over $700k
    • Houses / Multi-family / Townhouses
    • All Properties (over 1.5M)
    • Eddie on City Snap
    • What's my house worth?
  • Featured Listings
    • RentHop
    • StreetEasy
  • LANDLORDS
  • 日本語
    • ニューヨーク市の賃貸物件
    • プロフィール
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    • 0-1 BEDS by PRICE
    • 0-1 BEDS by RECENCY
    • 2 BEDS by PRICE
    • 2 BEDS by RECENCY
    • 3 BEDS by PRICE
    • 3 BEDS by RECENCY
    • 4 or more BEDS by PRICE
    • 4 or more BEDS by RECENCY
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    • Search by Amenities
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    • Laundry in Unit / Dishwasher
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      • Roommate and Room Share Friendly
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    • Moving to New York City
    • MAP VIEW
    • DRAWING TOOL
    • Search by Neighborhood & Zip (Manhattan)
    • Popular Neighborhoods in NYC >
      • Long Island City (QUEENS)
      • Unbeatable Deals: Blocks from Central Park
      • Affordable Deals in the Financial District
      • Upper East Side Bargains and Deals
      • Latest on Market in Bushwick
      • Midtown Manhattan Rentals
      • Specials in Soho
      • CHELSEA awaits you
      • Astoria is Hot and Cooking!
      • Best of the Village
      • Washington / Inwood: The Very Best of Upper Manhattan
      • Upper West Side Living
      • Best Deals in Harlem
  • Search by Budget
  • Resources / Documents
    • 3D Viewings and Virtual Tours
    • How to DocuSign
    • Rent Calculators >
      • Gross Rent Calculator
      • Rent Pre-Qualification Calculator
      • Money Due at Lease Signing Estimator
      • Rent Increase Calculator
      • Rent Burden Calculator
      • Cheaper to Buy or Rent?
    • Lease Assignment
    • Monthly Budget Sheet
    • NYC Real Estate Market Reports
    • Tenant Rights and Disputes
  • FAIR HOUSING NOTICE

Why are some Facebook and Craigslist Apartment Listings so cheap?

First, let me dispel a myth: 

Generally speaking, a landlord doesn't pay to rent their apartment through a broker.  The landlord gives the broker permission to promote the listing, and in turn, the broker collects a fee from the tenant.  There are some exceptions, but if you're thinking advertising on FB or Craigslist might be appealing to landlords because it's cheaper than using an agent... think again.

Then why is it possible to find a gigantic 1 bedroom apartment for barely $1400 listed on Craigslist or FB marketplace?     

Here are some possible reasons (aside from the owner being a really, really, really nice guy...) 
  • Actually, it's a room, not an apartment.   (This is common!)
  • It is an illegal basement rental.   That means it can't be rented on market.
  • It is an illegal conversion, meaning the owner may have partitioned an apartment and didn't care to get work permit or Certificate of Occupancy.
  • It's an illegal sublet.   A great deal, just don't get caught!
  • It's located places like Coney Island, Canarsie or Far Rockaway (great places, but pretty far out!)
  • It's a scam in the form of a hijacked listing. 
  • Bait and switch via a blind ad.

Finally, you may have an owner who isn't a big fan of fair housing law.  The person may have previously used an agent, but was asking the agent to do things that could result in fines or suspension of his or her license.  As a result, the agent backed out of the agreement, and the owner decided to rent the place out on his or her own. 

Things to look for in ads to vet scams from the real deal:
  • Disclosure:  If listed by an agent, the agent's license status and brokerage are provided.  
  • Transparency:  You can confirm who the building owner is and contact him or her directly.
  • Market Value:   hopefully a good deal, but not a too good to be true deal.
  • Photos:  Be wary of no windows, or windows too small for a person to climb out of in the event of flooding.
  • Photos suggesting unorthodox construction work (hanging wires, strange plumbing schemes, temporary walls, etc.)

(This list is partial.)



Additional Resources:

Examples of Illegal Rentals
source:  NYcourts.gov

Note:  I am not a lawyer and do not provide legal advice. 
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Fair Housing Notice
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​Edward Paul Landsberg
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  • FRONT PAGE
    • New York City Listings Page (Rentals)
  • BIO
    • BIO as Real Estate Agent
    • BIO as Musican
    • Let's Search Together!
  • BROKER LINK
  • RENTER EDUCATION
    • Apartment Hunting On A Budget
    • Filling Out A Rental Application
    • How Guarantors Work
    • Proving Income if you are Self Employed >
      • Apartment Hunting for Actors, Artists and Musicians
    • Can international students rent apartments in NYC?
    • Can the landlord raise my rent?
    • Can foreign nationals rent apartments in New York City?
    • QUESTIONS ABOUT RENTING APARTMENTS IN NYC
  • SELLING/BUYING
    • Super Deals! (under $300k)
    • Condos & Co-ops / under 700k
    • Condos & Co-ops / Over $700k
    • Houses / Multi-family / Townhouses
    • All Properties (over 1.5M)
    • Eddie on City Snap
    • What's my house worth?
  • Featured Listings
    • RentHop
    • StreetEasy
  • LANDLORDS
  • 日本語
    • ニューヨーク市の賃貸物件
    • プロフィール
  • RENTALS BY BEDS
    • 0-1 BEDS by PRICE
    • 0-1 BEDS by RECENCY
    • 2 BEDS by PRICE
    • 2 BEDS by RECENCY
    • 3 BEDS by PRICE
    • 3 BEDS by RECENCY
    • 4 or more BEDS by PRICE
    • 4 or more BEDS by RECENCY
  • Pet Friendly Apartments
    • most recent
    • by price
  • Amenities
    • Search by Amenities
    • Elevator Only
    • Laundry In Building
    • Laundry in Unit / Dishwasher
    • Rentals with Swimming Pool
    • FURNISHED APARTMENTS >
      • most recent
      • by price
      • Roommate and Room Share Friendly
  • RENTALS BY NEIGHBORHOOD
    • Moving to New York City
    • MAP VIEW
    • DRAWING TOOL
    • Search by Neighborhood & Zip (Manhattan)
    • Popular Neighborhoods in NYC >
      • Long Island City (QUEENS)
      • Unbeatable Deals: Blocks from Central Park
      • Affordable Deals in the Financial District
      • Upper East Side Bargains and Deals
      • Latest on Market in Bushwick
      • Midtown Manhattan Rentals
      • Specials in Soho
      • CHELSEA awaits you
      • Astoria is Hot and Cooking!
      • Best of the Village
      • Washington / Inwood: The Very Best of Upper Manhattan
      • Upper West Side Living
      • Best Deals in Harlem
  • Search by Budget
  • Resources / Documents
    • 3D Viewings and Virtual Tours
    • How to DocuSign
    • Rent Calculators >
      • Gross Rent Calculator
      • Rent Pre-Qualification Calculator
      • Money Due at Lease Signing Estimator
      • Rent Increase Calculator
      • Rent Burden Calculator
      • Cheaper to Buy or Rent?
    • Lease Assignment
    • Monthly Budget Sheet
    • NYC Real Estate Market Reports
    • Tenant Rights and Disputes
  • FAIR HOUSING NOTICE