Rent Map — The Damage Done

When tenants complain about astronomical rents in New York City, a common landlord theme is that apartments are only expensive in Manhattan. Sure, they say, landlords in “core Manhattan” might be getting $1,850 a month for a studio too small to fit a double bed, but out in the boroughs rents are so low owners are practically starving!

With that in mind, we decided to take a look at the classified ads in the Daily News, Newsday, and the Voice, and see what apartments were going for this month. (The Sunday Times has only a handful of ads for apartments outside “core Manhattan.”) While this is obviously not a totally scientific survey, it does represent what’s likely to be actually available for someone looking to move.

Keep in mind that most rent-stabilized tenants’ take-home pay is less than $500 a week.

These rents reflect the damage done by the 20% vacancy increases allowed by the 1997 rent laws and the Rent Guidelines Board’s annual increases. From Nelson Rockefeller’s vacancy decontrol to George Pataki’s new DHCR regulations, the biggest loopholes in rent controls have been designed to affect vacant apartments.

BRONX
South Bronx: 1 BR $600; 2 BR $750
Soundview: 2 BR $995
Parkchester: 1 BR $700-800

QUEENS
Astoria: Studio $850; 2 BR $900-1,800
Sunnyside/Woodside: Studio $600-750; 1 BR $795-895
Woodhaven: 4 BR $949

UPPER MANHATTAN
Harlem: 1 BR $550-900; 2 BR $895-1,500
East Harlem: Studio $750-1,075
Washington Heights: Studio $900; 1 BR $1,200-1,250

BROOKLYN
Bushwick: 4 rooms $875-900
Crown Heights: Studio $590-775; 2 BR $850-1,000
Sunset Park: 3 BR $1,400