A rent-stabilized apartment. It’s a dream for many New Yorkers, a dream they think is totally out of reach. And guess what? It probably is! That being said, just like in a previous thrilling miracle we shared with you in which a 22-year-old owned her own apartment, it is possible to find a rent-stabilized place around here. Brick Underground has the first-person story of someone who did it, but it turns out you have to be ready to work for it, and who wants to do that?
So how exactly does one go about catching the unicorn that is a rent-stabilized building? You start with the Rent Guideline Board’s list of stabilized buildings and and go from there, but as BU’s apartment hunter found, there’s a lot of dead ends and otherwise shitty apartments that you wouldn’t want even if they are rent-stabilized. Sure you can also tell friends and loved ones you’re looking for a rent-stabilized place, but your salvation mostly lies in going through the stabilized list and hoping you find something in working condition, in a somewhat safe place that maybe doesn’t smell too much like boiled cabbage.
Basically think of it as a normal apartment hunt, except instead of praying for death after two weeks, you’re praying for death within a day because you quickly realize the futility of your search. That was our main takeaway from the article, which is worth a read because as we said, this does have a happy ending in which the narrator really did find a rent-stabilized place. So read it for tips, and for strength if you decide to embark on the journey yourself. You’re braver than us if you do.
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