To say that the apartment rental market in New York City is tight is an understatement. If you want to find an apartment in Manhattan at a reasonable rental fee, you will need to give yourself plenty of time and use every means at your disposal. Manhattan is the center of commerce for the city and having an apartment in close proximity to where you work is a luxury that only a few can afford

However, Manhattan is only one of the five different sections within city. The other four are; Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and the Bronx. You can find apartment rentals that are lower than in Manhattan, but be aware that the further away you live from Manhattan does not automatically mean a lower rental fee.

Renting an apartment in New York is a full time activity for many people, there are factors beside money that has to be put into the equation; there are apartment buildings that do not permit pets or who cater to a particular type of renter, i.e., corporate apartments or professional apartments.

There are ways to find an apartment rental without spending money to a middleman, such as a real estate broker or apartment rental service. You can use a variety of these methods together or on their own, the bottom line is getting the apartment you want, for the rent you want to pay, in the area where you want to live.

If money is a prime consideration when you are looking for an apartment, then steer clear of brokers, apartment rental services or any other paid service. Instead, you can go online and visit craigslist.org and find multiple listings for all types of apartments, usually the rental fees for these apartments are well below the apartments that are listed in the classified section of newspapers.

The classified sections of the major newspapers are full of apartment listings, but most of them are advertisements placed by a real estate broker or apartment rental service. Hint: look for the ads that say for rent by owner or no agency calls, which means you will be dealing directly with the landlord.

There are several apartment rental services that do not charge you a fee; they are paid by the apartment owner. Be careful here, there are too many horror stories from apartment seekers being mistreated by unlicensed individuals posing as business agents for non-existent apartments.

Another good way to find an apartment rental is to visit the neighborhood where you want to live and tour the area. This is a great activity for a weekend; you can get a sense of the atmosphere and find the neighborhood newspapers which usually have an apartment for rent section.

If you absolutely must use a real estate broker, choose one that has an office in the area where you want to live. A note of caution is required dealing with brokers, New York City has several laws that apply to housing, make sure to be prepared for your appointment at the brokers office.