NYC Apartment Checklist for International Students & Remote Movers
No guarantor / No US credit — what to know, what to prepare, what to watch out for
NYC landlords move fast — good apartments go in under 24 hours. If you are coming from abroad, on a visa, or relocating from out of state without US credit history, the standard application process was designed without you in mind. This guide covers the real requirements, the real options, and the scams to avoid before you sign anything.
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The guarantor problem
Most NYC landlords require a US-based guarantor — someone who co-signs your lease and agrees to cover your rent if you default. This is separate from the income rule (see Section 2). Even if your income technically meets the threshold, landlords often still require a guarantor when you have no US credit history, are on a student or work visa, or are a recent arrival without a US rental track record.
The reason is practical: if a dispute arises, the landlord wants someone physically in the US who can be served legal notice. A parent or relative based in another country typically does not satisfy this requirement for most NYC buildings, regardless of their financial standing.
If you don't have a US-based guarantor
Two institutional guarantor services are widely used in NYC and are accepted by many (though not all) buildings:
Accepts international students, visa holders, and renters with no US credit history. Typically charges a one-time fee paid at lease signing — rates vary by applicant profile (higher for international applicants than for US residents). Accepted at many NYC residential buildings. Verify their current fee structure and whether your specific building accepts them before applying.
Offers a surety bond product and traditional guarantor coverage. Accepted at a wide range of NYC properties. Like Insurent, fees depend on your applicant profile. Verify acceptance with your specific building and check their current pricing directly.
These services are named here as factual information, not endorsements. Fees, approval criteria, and building acceptance vary. Always verify directly with the provider and confirm acceptance with your specific landlord or management company before paying anything. Some buildings have preferred or exclusive guarantor arrangements.
The 40× income rule
Most NYC landlords require your annual gross income to be at least 40 times the monthly rent. This is the standard most buildings and brokers apply, though the exact multiple can vary — some require 45×, some accept 36×, and luxury buildings may set their own thresholds.
Formula: monthly rent × 40 = minimum required annual gross income.
If you don't meet the income threshold
- Use a guarantor. The guarantor typically needs to show income of 80–100× the monthly rent. An institutional guarantor (Insurent, TheGuarantors) can substitute for a personal co-signer.
- Pay additional months upfront.Some landlords will accept several months of rent prepaid — typically 3–6 months — as a substitute for an income gap. This is at the landlord's discretion and not a universal option.
- Combine income with roommates. In a shared apartment, many landlords allow the combined income of all co-applicants to be counted toward the 40× threshold.
- Demonstrate liquid assets. Significant funds on hand in a bank account can sometimes satisfy a landlord where income alone falls short. This depends entirely on the landlord.
Documents to prepare
NYC rental applications move fast. Brokers and landlords routinely move to the next applicant within hours of a unit coming available. Having a complete, organized packet before you begin searching is not optional — it is the difference between getting an apartment and losing it.
International students and visa holders need everything a domestic renter provides, plus additional immigration and institutional documentation.
International-specific documents
Standard documents (required of all renters)
The FARE Act — who pays the broker fee?
Historically, renters in NYC often paid the broker's fee — sometimes one full month's rent or more — even when the broker was hired by and worked for the landlord. This was a significant upfront cost stacked on top of the security deposit.
NYC's Fairness in Apartment Rental Expenses (FARE) Act changed this. The law, which took effect in 2025, generally requires that the party who hires the broker pays the broker's fee. In practice, this means that when a landlord or management company hired the listing broker, the broker fee typically should not fall on the renter.
- If the landlord or building hired the broker to list the unit, the broker fee is generally the landlord's responsibility — not yours.
- If you hire a broker yourself to represent you in your search (a tenant's broker), you would typically be responsible for that broker's fee.
- Not every broker or landlord has adjusted their practices consistently. Some may still attempt to pass fees to tenants in other ways.
- Always ask upfront: “Who hired you, and am I responsible for any broker fee?” Get the answer in writing before submitting an application.
Important:This is a general summary for informational purposes only. The FARE Act's application to specific situations can vary, and enforcement is evolving. Verify current requirements with the NYC Commission on Human Rights or a tenant's rights organization for your specific situation. This is not legal advice.
Red flags and scams to avoid
NYC rental scams disproportionately target international students and out-of-state movers who cannot tour in person before committing. These are the patterns to recognize immediately:
Any request to send money — via wire transfer, Zelle, Venmo, PayPal, or anything else — before you have physically toured the unit and signed a lease is a scam. Legitimate landlords do not ask for deposits before a lease is signed.
A common script: "I'm a missionary / military officer / professor abroad and I need to rent remotely — just send the deposit and I'll mail the keys." There is no apartment. This fraud pattern is extremely common targeting international applicants.
A 1-bedroom in Midtown for $1,400/mo is not a deal — it is bait. Cross-reference asking rents against comparable active listings on StreetEasy or Streeteasy.com for the same neighborhood and unit size. If it seems impossible, it is.
"Another applicant is ready to sign today — if you send a deposit now I can hold it for you." Legitimate transactions work the other direction: you sign a lease first, then pay. Urgency pressure is designed to short-circuit your judgment.
NYC security deposits are paid by certified check, money order, or traceable bank transfer to an established management company or attorney escrow. Gift cards and cryptocurrency transfers are irreversible — a defining feature of fraud.
Every legitimate NYC rental has a written lease with the landlord's name, the property address, the rent amount, and the lease term. If someone says "we don't need a formal lease" or presents a one-page informal agreement, stop and consult a tenant's rights organization before proceeding.
Your prep checklist
Complete these before you start actively searching. The more of this you have ready in advance, the faster you can respond when a listing you want becomes available.
LeaseReady helps active NYC movers turn this checklist into a reviewed renter file, a qualification plan, and clear next actions for the apartments they choose. Apply for the free pilot →
Questions? contact@gettruvo.com