If you’re moving this winter and hoping to find a deal during what is typically a slow season for rentals, think again: Manhattan’s median rent reached $3,392 last month, a record for the month of December, while Brooklyn and Queens also saw rents rising above where they were prior to the pandemic.
That’s on top of a considerable decline in concessions, freebies like a month free or a paid broker fee, which landlords use to entice you to sign a lease. Last month only a quarter of new leases in Manhattan came with some kind of concession, down from just over 50 percent last December.
Still, if you’re willing to brave the cold and do some legwork, there are deals out there. There are currently 573 one bedrooms in Manhattan for less than the borough’s median rent listed on StreetEasy. And you can find some with concessions, but they aren’t as generous as they were during the height of the pandemic, when you could find rentals on the market with multiple months free.
To help with your apartment search, check out these one bedrooms below the median rent and with some sort of freebie in the East Village, Yorkville, East Harlem, Lenox Hill, and Roosevelt Island.
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416 East 13th St., #4E,East Village
This no-fee one bedroom, one bath is listed for $3,150. Apartment #4E has exposed brick walls, moldings, recessed lighting, stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, hardwood floors, and high ceilings.
1709 Second Ave., #3B,Yorkville
This no-fee one bedroom, one bath is listed for $3,267 with one month free on a 12-month lease. It has an in-unit washer and dryer, exposed brick walls, hardwood floors, stainless steel appliances, custom cabinets, and recessed lighting.
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1955 First Ave., #628,East Harlem
This no-fee one bedroom, one bath is listed for $2,900. Apartment #628 has high ceilings, oversized windows, stainless steel appliances, central air, a breakfast bar, and dishwasher. Amenities include a live-in super, concierge, gym, bike room, and garage parking.
322 East 74th St., #3C,Lenox Hill
This one bedroom, one bath is listed for $2,700 with one month free on a 12-month lease. It has hardwood floors, exposed brick walls, recessed lighting, stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, moldings, and several windows. The building has a laundry room.
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546 Main St., #923,Roosevelt Island
This no-fee one bedroom, one bath is listed for $2,690 with one month free on a 14-month lease. The apartment has floor-to-ceiling windows, hardwood floors, wallpaper, stainless steel appliances, recessed lighting, and two closets. Amenities include a live-in super, gym, bike room, and courtyard.