This week our readers were intrigued by the nitty-gritty details of renting and selling apartments in New York City, with stories on illegally deregulated apartments, the deposit-free rental trend, and how to end your relationship with your broker all landing in the five most-read stories of the week.

Here, in full, are the top five:

1) Ask Sam: I checked my apartment's rent history and I think it was illegally de-stabilized. What do I do? (sponsored)

2) Trend toward deposit-free renting allows NYC renters to say goodbye to security deposits (sponsored)

3) The 25 best books about New York City history

4) It's still possible to buy a three-bedroom apartment in Manhattan for under $1 million

5) How to break up with your NYC real estate broker like a grownup