We live in strange times – the word “unprecedented” crops up annoyingly enough, what with the pandemic, vaccinations, wearing masks. Of course, this comes on top of figuring out what working from home looks like, realizing the value of essential workers, social distancing, and for many New Yorkers, wondering if they must stay within the city and fork over cash for their expensive apartment or move. Should You Move Within NYC During the Pandemic? We are here to give you some pros on why you should consider moving apartments during the pandemic.
First, the most obvious pro is that with so many folks moving out of their apartments you can get a better deal on a new apartment for less cash, more space, or a neighborhood that might usually be out of your price range. Many folks during this tumultuous time have chosen to quarantine long-term with their families and have broken their leases early, leaving landlords with a lot of unfilled apartments and less rental revenue than expected. This gives New York City renters a significant advantage, allowing much leeway in lease negotiation.
As a renter, you can ask for longer or shorter leases, money off rent, an adjusted pet policy, and other perks such as free garage space for your car if the building has a garage. There might even be some leeway or income restrictions, and instead of the usual “income being 40 times the rent,” landlords might be laxer about how much renters need to make and overlook poor credit to fill their rental condos.
Also, in normal circumstances, New York apartments in every borough go fast, and within a matter of hours – the pandemic has increased supply, with much less demand than usual, which takes the pressure of renters to bring money orders and checkbooks whenever they come to viewings. Now, the added advantage is that you can get the apartment of your dreams, browse the ones that interest you to your heart’s content, and pay to move in in a more leisurely fashion, with sometimes a smaller deposit than average.
Speaking of viewings, one other pro we would like to mention is that leasing agents and property managers now offer virtual tours of potential apartments – gone are the days where we slogged up five flights of stairs to be disappointed by a matchbox of an apartment with no visible light, out of breath. Within a click of a button, we can easily view an entire apartment and even virtually place our belongings to see how they would fit in the space.
Next, it is also cheaper to use movers at this time, as they are more likely to give you discounts, given the current state of the situation. You can get premium-quality movers who use masks, socially distance, and pack up your stuff to move you into your new place for a much less expensive rate than you would usually get, including your tip to them.
We are sure there are more pros to moving during this Covid-19 pandemic that we have not covered – let us know how you have adapted during your move at this time!
And if you plan to move, take a look at our suggestions at: New York City Moving: 5 Best Tips“.
