What renters must pay upfront, lease renewals for pandemic newcomers, & more

This week readers visited Brick Underground to brush up on what New York City landlords can ask renters to pay upfront: Gone are the days of "first, last, and security" thanks to the 2019 rent reforms. Landlords can only request first month's rent and a security deposit that cannot exceed the equivalent of one month's rent.

Also of interest: Brick checked in with five newcomers who moved to NYC during the pandemic to take advantage of steep rent discounts to see what happened at lease renewal time.

Here are this week's top five posts: 

1) Can a landlord ask for first and last month’s rent plus a security deposit?

2) One year later: Checking in with the NYC newcomers who had steep rent discounts

3) NY State budget has $25 billion for housing—here's where it will be spent

4) Why we moved from Milan to Roosevelt Island: To live near Manhattan and enjoy a close-knit community

5) New money and suburban-style living: A look at what's fueling the fever for NYC luxury penthouses