Bidding wars for rentals, from rent stabilized to owning a condo, & more

By Austin Havens-Bowen | July 2, 2021 - 2:30PM

This week readers visited Brick Underground to read up on strategies for winning a bidding war for a rental. That's right—there are bidding wars for New York City rentals now. They are not happening everywhere, but renters with specific must-haves in popular neighborhoods like Tribeca and Park Slope are paying hundreds or even a thousand over the asking rent in order to win a coveted apartment. But offering more cash is not the only thing you can do.

Also of interest: Why one New Yorker gave up her rent-stabilized apartment in Brooklyn Heights to buy an oceanfront condo near her family in Rockaway.

Here are this week's top five posts:

1) Bidding wars for rentals: Returning NYers face intense competition for apartments

2) From Brooklyn Heights to Rockaway: Letting go of a rent-stabilized apartment to buy a condo by the ocean

3) IKEA vs. Home Depot: Which should you choose for a NYC kitchen renovation?

4) A website where tenants can take landlords to court is blocked. Advocates say the decision hurts vulnerable NYers

5) 5 NYC condos for sale in buildings with luxury outdoor amenities

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.

SEE MORE BY Austin Havens-Bowen »

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