gonyosoma

Dear All,

I apologise if this is a dumb question - but I did have a look round the forum first to see if there was a FAQ or similar, but couldn't find one.

I'm looking to rent a house around New York, probably Westechester/Rye sort of area.

How do you go about this - is there a USA equivalent of rightmove for rented properties? Do I hire an agent?

All help gratefully received!
C

rpjs

Probably your best bet is to Google 'rentals' with the name of the area you're interested in. Also I think the big real estate sites like Zillow do rentals too. If you're not in the USA yet you may find it difficult to get realtors to deal with you especially if you don't have a US credit history. If you're interested in the Hudson River side of Westchester I can give you the numbers of a couple of realtors here in Tarrytown / Sleepy Hollow who have dealt with letting to ex-pats with no credit history before.

AilsWallace

I trawled around zillow for a while and then contacted a couple of realtors who had places I liked the look of and explained my situation. A couple of them were prepared to take me on even though, at the time, we were not sure when we were moving over. In the end two of them kept in touch and one of them was the one who helped us find the place we have. She was a coldwellbanker realtor If that helps. Contact people and be politely cheeky but have an idea of what you want and your budget before you contact them

Pulaski

There are several major web sites specializing in rentals, including rent.com, and also broader-based classifed add web sites that also advertise rentals, such as craigslist.com and backpage.com

notonuksoil

we are in Westchester and up until 3 weeks ago had been renting for 8 yrs.

What specifically are you looking for, eg do you have kids so need good schools, close to train, commute to NYC or close to main road routes north and south, number of bedrooms etc

I've always used and recommended randrealty.com and searched rentals using the advanced search feature looking for specific areas.

We have just bought a house in the particular area we have rented in for the past 8 yrs, houses to buy or rent are in very short supply due to the schools being relatively good - supply and demand means rentals are now a lot more expensive as there are so few around.

My advice would be do your research online, find the area that suits your needs then find houses that are available and go directly to the listing agent. We have always done this to avoid having to pay a brokers finders fee which can be a months rent, don't let the broker make you sign an exclusive agreement with them as this could mean if you do find a property you like with another agent you are still obligated to pay the initial agent a % of the fee. We know of two expat couples that this has happened too around here.

gonyosoma

Thanks All...

Zillow looks useful - we're looking for somewhere with good schools (kids 7 and 9), close to the station for a commute into Grand Central. Rye has been mentioned, as has Harrison.

I'm not quite clear how the rental system works - do people list independently on gumtree or zillow? Do people choose to let their property through a particular agent...and do you deal with them direct? Or through a third party? Sorry to be a bit dense!

C

Bob

padmapper, craigslist, the various apartment rental type apps....or use a realtor.

Rental, works any which way it works.

Some people list it privately via craigslist or whatever and you deal with them, some use a realtor to list and you deal through them and once you get the place either through landlord or a management company.

If you use a realtor, depending on market, but down my way, the fee can be anything from 1/2 month to 3 months worth of rent as fee, but it's usually a month, that you pay.

Expect to put down any fee, first/last + deposit of anything from 1-3 months worth of rent on signing, especially if you've got pets.

Having no credit history will be a hindrance, so be prepared to offer a larger deposit. Private rentals tend to be more flexible on the credit front than corporate/condo type rentals.

AilsWallace

Zillow can be a unreliable with its facts so if you see anything in there then see if you can double check it on another site or with a realtor.

We paid out a month in fees and a deposit which was a month and a half and then our first month. If that helps you out with figures. Our realtor was an absolute star but from what I have heard I think she was the exception rather than the rule.