How To Move Into a NYC Apartment Like an Expert
I moved into my NYC apartment in July 2021 and this is advice based on my own experience on how to move into an NYC apartment like an expert.
When I first moved into my NYC apartment, there were a few things I made sure to do when the superintendent gave me a tour of the place. It is especially important to catch anything wrong or broken in the place when you are first touring with your landlord or superintendent because they do need to fix those things that you had nothing to do with before moving it. It can get a lot harder to prove that you were not the cause of any broken material in the apartment after you have already moved in.
On the day I arrived to pick up my key, the superintendent and I first walked down to the basement of the building to the laundry machines and I made sure that I asked him to explain to me how I would need to pay for each load of laundry. Though it is very convenient to have the laundry machines in your building, you may need to take the price into account because they will likely charge way more for a load in your building than the laundry mat just a few steps down the street.
When we first entered my apartment, I searched the place for any holes in the walls or signs of leakage. I turned on and off all the lights and water faucets to make sure they all worked. In doing so, I found that the kitchen lightbulb needed to be replaced, so because I had discovered this during the initial tour, the superintendent said he would replace it for me. I know it may feel awkward to go around and thoroughly search the place as I did, but it will be worth it if you find something major that you would have had to pay extra to fix later on.
What to ask about/look for when touring your apartment:
Make sure the place looks like the photos you saw advertised online
Ask how to pay for laundry
Make sure the toilet flushes and does not leak/overflow
Turn on all faucets and make sure they have both hot and cold water
Make sure all the drains work properly
Check under the kitchen sink for any leakage or mildew/mold
Turn on/off all the light switches (they should all work if the electricity has been turned on)
Ask about the recommended wifi in the building and what type of router you should get (sometimes buildings have better service if you use certain services over others)
Make sure you know how to open and close all the windows
Ask when the heating will be turned on (in NYC the heat isn’t turned on until October/November)
Ask to see your mailbox and when it will be in use (sometimes the building superintendent needs to register your mailbox as in-use for mail to be delivered)
Ask about where to have packages set (you may be ordering a lot of stuff online in the beginning)
Ask to see where you need to drop your garbage and recycle (some buildings have trash shoots and recycling bins out front)
Remember that this is not a luxury place, so there WILL be some imperfections
Check out my apartment!
