No-fee hunt
How to find an NYC apartment without a broker
Broker fees in NYC can add thousands to a move. A no-fee or low-fee hunt takes more legwork, but it is absolutely possible if you know where landlords and current tenants actually post.
Start where fees are lower
Facebook housing groups and Craigslist carry direct landlord posts, lease takeovers, and roommate replacements. StreetEasy also lists no-fee rentals — filter for them — but group posts often lead the market.
Listings Project and roommate-specific boards are worth bookmarking for sublets and shared situations.
Move fast on good posts
No-fee deals get dozens of messages in the first day. Have your documents ready: pay stubs, employer letter, references, and a short intro you can paste.
Reply with specifics — move date, budget, who is on the lease — not just "still available?"
Use one board to scan everything
Checking five sites manually means you will miss the post that went live at 9 a.m. Stoophunt aggregates sources so you can filter once and open the original post when something matches.
Turn on alerts for your price band and neighborhoods so new no-fee listings hit your inbox instead of your memory.