hudson
hudson

Adventures in Subletting

This seems to be a common thing in the city - especially when we first get there - desperate for apartments, we get a good deal from a friend who knows a guy who needs to sublet his apartment for a few months.....

And then we get surprises. One friend of mine bounced between 3 apartments in six months, 3 different boros. All sublets. Either the owner wasn't supposed to sublet so she had to leave, or the building held special surprises which meant she HAD to leave.

Anyone have adventures in subletting to share?
The opinions expressed here are those of the individual and not those of StreetAdvisor.
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hudson
hudson 2yrs+
Well, I was trying to be a bit coy about this - hopefully when people come to NYC they are not as ill prepared as I was. But I did see this kind of bouncing around happen a lot when I first came.

I first came to NY for graduate school - a move VERY unsupported by family and friends - so I came really with school tuition, and an agreement with friends that I could move into their apartment. I thought then I could job hunt for something part or flex time to supplement the expenses. Vastly underestimated my own costs, and the demands of grad school - and what happens when you move into an apartment with two people which is really FOR 2 people as a third, is it gets crowded real fast.

So out I bounced, one of the people at school knew a guy who needed to sublet his apartment, and the price was right. Well, the only problem was, he was also subletting. He did not have permission to sublet. So about a month into this, someone figured it out and I had to move. I had no idea about illegal sublets. It was like Who are you? Oh hi, I'm your new neighbor. No you're not, I own the place. Where's the guy I rented to? Oh, you mean John? Who's John? I rented to Greg.

I moved in with a boyfriend, in student housing that was meant for one person. Temporarily. That was cozy.

I did find a legal sublet in upper Manhattan. Fortunately the only surprises were wacky electrical wiring and one rodent behind the radiator. One. Only one. This is how I became an expert at stuffing steel wool into walls and plastering. It was either that or bribe the super. I did not like the super.

Then I did actually find something to rent, on my own lease, as NOW I was a bonafide NYer with a job and enrolled at college etc.

I guess I can take up this conversation in the how to move to NY thread - basically - don't do it like I did. NY is one place where things just don't fall into place right away, you need some serious planning, and backup of cash (and having someone who can co sign a lease when you are a student with little credit history helps)
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petermac
petermac 2yrs+
hello hudson, I have never heard of your situation before (illegal sublet) and I have lived in NY for over 8 years now. Not to say that it does not happen however, I just had to comment and say you must be very unlucky.

I had a situation when i first came here, and lived with a friend. He kicked me out (personal differences), and I had to find something fast, and I ended up in a dump...it was either that or I was out on the street. It was a very scary time in my life. It is all roses now however, and 8 years later, your words of "NY is one place where things just don't fall into place right away" have never rung more true. I wouldn't live anywhere else now though, it really is the greatest city in the world.
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hudson
hudson 2yrs+
So very true on all counts, petermac!
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Uraniumfish
Uraniumfish 2yrs+
I once sublet a place, sight unseen, while I was in Europe and trying to return to New York for a few months. This was about 2001, and I didn't know how to arrange it otherwise than to just pay the first month's rent and hope for the best. I had a photo of the place and it was through an agency. When I got there, the place was unspeakably dirty. I mean, hairy, green mold growing on the kitchen counters kind of dirty. Colors of mold in the bathroom I didn't even know existed. Stank of cat urine so that I had to run back out into the hallway to take a breath. Turned right back around and went to the first hotel I felt I could afford. Never did get my deposit back from that agency and the next few days were a frantic blur of trying to find a place to live on short notice.
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BroadwayBK
BroadwayBK 2yrs+
I've sublet a few apartments for short periods of time in the city, but I've never had a problem. This is probably just luck because I've heard plenty of stories of people losing their deposits to people who put an ad on Craig's for the sole purpose of stealing deposits. More than that, a lot of people move into apartments with strangers and the results are not always pretty. I have definitely been incredibly lucky with the apartments I've found on Craig's list.
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Uraniumfish
Uraniumfish 2yrs+
I've found most sublet experiences sane overall, but now I have a pretty good network of people who circulate vacancies among themselves. It's a good system if you're lucky to be in on it. People who need to settle here and do it for the first time are the easiest targets for scams, and are most likely to end up in desperate situations.
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Uraniumfish
Uraniumfish 2yrs+
From all the stories you hear, seems like New York first has to beat you up pretty good at first, and only if you survive the beating and still stay does it leave you be to enjoy being here.
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hhusted
hhusted 2yrs+
Subletting an apartment in NYC should not be a hassle. If the present tenant had to leave for business purposes, and he or she does not want to lose the apartment, the first thought is about subletting. If the lease allows for it, there should not be a hassle or any legal repercussions. However, if the lease does not allow subletting, the present tenant has two choices: give up the apartment and hope for the best, or postpone moving.
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BroadwayBK
BroadwayBK 2yrs+
I guess part of the pride of being a New Yorker comes from having been beat up by the city.
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hhusted
hhusted 2yrs+
What a way to live, don't you think. Sometimes you have to take a step back to breathe before doing anything else.
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Uraniumfish
Uraniumfish 2yrs+
@ BroadwayBK Yeah, our very own initiation ritual and then we get to be part of the cool club.
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hhusted
hhusted 2yrs+
It's like joining an exclusive club. You have to do something you may not like to prove your worthiness to be part of it.
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hhusted
hhusted 2yrs+
I was told that subletting is allowed but only under certain conditions. You will have to read your lease to determine if it is allowed or not.
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The opinions expressed here are those of the individual and not those of StreetAdvisor.

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