Agency Fees, Rebate, New York, What??

ToniTuddle

Searching through accomodation lists on various websites for few weeks now.

Some mention agency fees which are pretty darn big :eek:

• What are they and why do we have to pay them if we are taking the accomodation...? Is there secret agency fees on most places?

Also if anyone could explain what all this rebate thing is about.

• In some sections it says "Rebate: None" in others is does have it?

• And why on earth in some of the listings of rooms to rent, does is only allow you to do "light cooking" in the house- what does that even mean!!...Bit of rice and a tin of spaghetti hoops? Plus alot of them say no drink, no "sleepovers"...??? Bloody hell.

It's going to be tougher than I thought.:(
If anyone knows any good websites where I could find some half decent roomates please tell me.

NOT craigslist.

Thanks!

[Jackass]

I'd say the cooking thing is for smells....you can't be lashing up mad currys and stuff...ever go into an apartment building and smell all the mank cooking smells? ugh...

The rebate is most likely a refundable deposit you have to pay while staying there. For example a $200 rebate when moving in, and then when you move out they check for any damages and the likes, and any repairs needed come out of your deposit / rebate.

Agency fees are paid by the landlord, I've never heard of a tennant paying agency fees, but if that is the case then I would go somewhere else...but it would be no harm to ask them yourself, just so you know the craic and incase you're avoiding places with agency fees when in reality you don't have to pay them or something.

No sleepovers is ridiculos, if it's shared accomodation, that's basically the roommates saying "Don't be banging your girlfriend until 4 in the morning, as the walls are paper thin", but I wouldn't pay much heed to that...if you're paying the rent, you can have whoever you want sleep in your bed. Try and discuss it with housemates to avoid conflict first, but if they're being dicks about it, I'd just ignore the request and find myself a real screamer.

As for the websites, can't help you there buddy, but google is your friend, don't be shy, try New York rentals, or New York shared accomodation or whatever, and you should find heaps and heaps of them..

Best of luck.

FouxDaFaFa

I'm in pretty much the same boat as yourself ToniTuddle. Looking for accom for next summer in NY and have mostly been looking at Craigslist but it would wreck your head sifting through all the crap. I would reccomend the village voice. It's the online edition of a New York paper and has a good few rentals up to look at.

Good luck!

ToniTuddle

[Jackass] wrote: »

The rebate is most likely a refundable deposit you have to pay while staying there. For example a $200 rebate when moving in, and then when you move out they check for any damages and the likes, and any repairs needed come out of your deposit / rebate.

Agency fees are paid by the landlord, I've never heard of a tennant paying agency fees, but if that is the case then I would go somewhere else...but it would be no harm to ask them yourself, just so you know the craic and incase you're avoiding places with agency fees when in reality you don't have to pay them or something.

No sleepovers is ridiculos, if it's shared accomodation, that's basically the roommates saying "Don't be banging your girlfriend until 4 in the morning, as the walls are paper thin", but I wouldn't pay much heed to that...if you're paying the rent, you can have whoever you want sleep in your bed. Try and discuss it with housemates to avoid conflict first, but if they're being dicks about it, I'd just ignore the request and find myself a real screamer.

As for the websites, can't help you there buddy, but google is your friend, don't be shy, try New York rentals, or New York shared accomodation or whatever, and you should find heaps and heaps of them..

Best of luck.

Ahh cheers for that.
Was thinking all this rebate/agency stuff would be all hidden costs :eek:

No sleepovers is insane! I mean if I'm paying for the room and bills then why the hell wouldn't I be allowed to bring a hot date/mate round to stay!
Ha! I'm a lady though. None of that carry on

Yeah....Google it is.
Thanks!

ToniTuddle

FouxDaFaFa wrote: »

I'm in pretty much the same boat as yourself ToniTuddle. Looking for accom for next summer in NY and have mostly been looking at Craigslist but it would wreck your head sifting through all the crap. I would reccomend the village voice. It's the online edition of a New York paper and has a good few rentals up to look at.

Good luck!

I've no idea why the hell they don't clean up that website a bit.
It's beyond head wrecking going through alot of it.
Plus it's the same people throwing up the same rooms with few different words moved about.

I know New York is expensive...but I AM going to find a decent room for alright price. I've no idea what work I'm even going to get yet, so need to watch the pennies!

Cheers for the link I shall definitely have a look through that.
If you find any where decent through that link or some other...let me know!

sajama

Hiya.,

I'm also in the same boat as you - I'm heading over for the summer.

I find www.sublet.com much clearer to browse through than craigslist.

Doesn't look like I'll find somewhere for the summer til nearer the time though...

ToniTuddle

sajama wrote: »

I find www.sublet.com much clearer to browse through than craigslist.

Doesn't look like I'll find somewhere for the summer til nearer the time though...

Yeah www.sublet.com is alot clearer.

It's heaven compared to looking through craigslist!
Plus they give descriptions of the area etc.

I've been told to find work first and then accomodation but...what if I managed to get work and the whole area around it has seriously high rent!

Think there is the option of looking for summer rentals(not the vacation ones as they are hell of alot more expensive).

I PMed a girl who found an apartment to stay in with 2 NewYorkers for...a month or some amount of time I'm not sure how long.
She hasn't been online since 21stDec though so I shall just have to wait until she logs in again til I get to hear about her experience!

lil_lisa

Well thats the thing about New York, it has one of the best public transport systems in the world so you don't have to look right by work for accomodation. I stayed in a vacation rental for two weeks, it was in East Harlem, dodgy kinda place but really cheap spacious place too, the biggest thing to worry about up there are rats.