5 Manhattan no-fee one-bedroom rentals with free months

Concessions are returning to the NYC rental market amid seasonal, economic slowdown
Apartment hunters can find one month free and landlord-paid broker fees

By Austin Havens-Bowen | November 23, 2022 - 12:30PM

Do you need to rent an apartment in Manhattan soon? Moving this winter could pay off because landlords are offering concessions again, like one month of free rent.

You may also find other freebies like landlord-paid broker fees, reduced security deposits for qualified tenants, and move-in credits, although some restrictions may apply.

These freebies are not as generous as they were at the height of the pandemic, but listings with concessions rose 11.5 percent in October after a seven-year low in July, according to new StreetEasy data.

If an owner is offering free months, you can only expect one to two months—and you may have to sign a longer lease. Landlords do this to get apartments back into a spring or summer rental cycle, when the market is more competitive.

To help with your apartment search, here are five no-fee one bedrooms offering freebies in East Harlem, Battery Park City, Hell’s Kitchen, Kips Bay, and the Upper West Side.

158 East 126th St., #914, East Harlem

This no-fee one bedroom, one bath is listed for $3,400 with two months free on a 25-month lease. Apartment #914 features floor-to-ceiling windows, high ceilings, exposed concrete ceilings, resin floors, stainless steel appliances, in-unit laundry, and central air. Amenities include a gym, pool, co-working studio, doorman, and garage parking.

375 South End Ave., #22R, Battery Park City

This no-fee one bedroom, one bath is listed for $3,850 with half month free on a 12-month lease. It has a breakfast bar, stainless steel appliances, a dishwasher, hardwood floors, oversized windows, and several closets. The building has a live-in super, valet parking, gym, and pool.

550 West 54th St., #2105, Hell’s Kitchen

This no-fee one bedroom, one bath is listed for $4,250 with one month free on a 12-month lease plus a $1,000 move-in bonus if you apply by the end of November. The apartment features high ceilings, hardwood floors, track lighting, oversized windows, stainless steel appliances, solar shades, and in-unit laundry. The building has a gym, pool, doorman, and bike room.

377 East 33rd St., #3C, Kips Bay

This no-fee one bedroom, one bath is listed for $4,432 with one month free on a 15-month lease. Apartment #3C (virtually staged) has oversized windows, hardwood floors, in-unit laundry, custom solar shades, stainless steel appliances, and quartz countertops. Amenities include a gym, playroom, and landscaped roof deck with grills.

250 West 93rd St., #11C, Upper West Side

This no-fee one bedroom, one bath is listed for $4,785 with one month free on a 13-month lease. It has high ceilings, oversized windows, stainless steel appliances, stone countertops, hardwood floors, and several closets. Amenities include a gym, terrace, doorman, and bike room.

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Austin Havens-Bowen

Staff Writer

Staff writer Austin Havens-Bowen covers the rental market and answers renters' questions in a column called Realty Bites. He previously reported on local news for the Queens Ledger and The Hunts Point Express in the Bronx. He graduated from Hunter College with a BA in media studies. He rents a one-bedroom apartment in Astoria with his boyfriend and their two cats.

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