Brick Underground

While cosmetic work does not require permits, most other apartment improvements in NYC require the proper permits.

“In most cases, it would be illegal for you to be sold an apartment where the only windows in the bedrooms were along a lot line,” says Steve Wagner, a real estate attorney, and partner at the Manhattan law firm Wagner Berkow & Brandt. “Developers should not be selling apartments with bedrooms that exclusively have lot line windows because they are not considered legally habitable rooms.”

We also have comprehensive guides to finding a roommate, scoring a short-term rental, landing a no-fee rental, and understanding the differences among co-living companies, all of which have been updated with new information for 2019.

It’s not unusual for adult children to get a helping hand from parents, especially when it comes to finding a place to live. Sometimes that means buying a co-op or condo for a child, but it’s not as simple as it might seem, particularly for parents from out of the city or those not familiar with the New York City real estate landscape. Here’s what you need to know if you’re thinking about purchasing a New York City apartment for your child. 

In Manhattan, the median net effective rent, meaning the rent with concessions factored in, rose the most year over year in 47 straight months. The median rent increased 5.7 percent to $3,595. 

Here's how to find out about a developer’s other projects, and see how they were built, and how they’ve held up over time.