Is renting an apt (for a family of 5) out of the question? Are there any legit agencies for week-long apt rentals? I see them recommended in other cities, and know people who have rented, for example, in Paris and London, but from what I've heard, they are not to be trusted at all in NYC. True?

Thanks for any clarifying input.

News Flash: Short-Term Apt Rentals Now Illegal in NYC

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...gal-in-nyc.cfm

Thank you--that is the information i am familiar with. I guess I am just confused because of all the apartments listed (not just on Craigs List, buy on NYHabiat, etc, and even on Trip Advisor).

Not being from NYC, it is impossible to know what a legal rental situation is--you wouldn't know what bldgs are co-op or condo, or what everyone's lease/contract specified as far as sub-letting rules.

So it is confusing, but I can see it's safest just to spend the $$ on a hotel.

Thanks!

It doesn;t matter what kind of building it is - renting an apartment for less than a month is illegal.

The apartments you see listed are one of 4 things:

In co-ops - illegal and against co-op tenant leases/rules (of every co-op I know and I'm a board member)

In condos - illegal and against condo association rules (ditto)

In rental buildings - illegal and against the landlord' lease with the tenant (standard leases do NOT allow sublets unapproved by the landlord - who typically never give an OK unless it's a VERY expensive building - since they want tenants not residing in the apartment to move out so they can raise the rent)

In a private house - illegal - but the owner wants to do it to help pay the mortgage

In the first 3 it is likely that you will be noticed and possible someone may make a complaint - and you can be summarily evicted.

In the latter it is unlikely you will be noticed.

But the number of families owning their own townhouse in Manhattan is VERY small - since even in marginal neighborhoods they are worth several million dollars.

So if you want to do this you need to confirm that the people you are renting from own their own private house - not their own "home". There may well be a few - but I don;t know how to find them.

Many of the other ads are for illegal rentals - its' just that the law hasn't caught up with them yet.

Also - you need to realize that "short-term" may mean several months - and those rentals may be (or may not be) legal. Corporate apartment rentals - also almost always a month or more are also legal - since those buildings are designed for that purpose. But they are typically at least $3000 per month for even studios - and not available for less than a month.

For 5 people you should look at some of the all suite hotels (try the afinia group site - moderate and well-regarded) or perhaps the Beacon - which has some suites.

If you choose to rent an illegal apartment it MAY not be a scam and if it does exist you MAY not be caught. But are you willing to take that chance. (Recently the city closed down an illegal hostel late and night - putting all of the guests in the street with no notice. They either had to find another hostel or hotel by phone or spend the night in a city shelter and look for a new place to stay in the morning.)

I believe that in a private home (townhouse or brownstone) that is owner occupied, it is legal to rent an apt. but these are generally billed as b & b's in NYC. 1871house.com is one example. They can put together a few rooms to accommodate a family of 5. Jacksbandb.com is another that might work for you. But most of the others like west-eleventh.com, abingdonguesthouse.com are really for couples.

As NYT says, you can get an apartment hotel that's set up like an apt. but serviced like a hotel with daily maid service, etc. In addition to Affinia.com and Beaconhotel.com, there's the Milburnhotel.com, http://book.bestwestern.com/bestwest...ertyCode=33114, http://www.kimberlyhotel.com/

The consensus among New Yorkers who post here is that renting an apartment is not advisable in NYC, despite the fact that thousands of illegal rentals are offered from various companies (many claiming they are "corporate" rentals), Craigslist, VRBO, etc. Virtually every building in NYC has rules that prohibit such rentals, and as of May 2011, they are actually against New York State law, not just NYC ordinances, as they are now.

There are, however, many suite-style hotels in NYC that offer apartment-like settings that include a full kitchen or at least a kitchenette and accommodations for 5 people. There's even an Embassy Suites downtown.

When you rent an illegal apartment in NYC, you are just throwing the dice. Sometimes things will work out, sometimes the apartment will be an outright scam, sometimes there will be a problem, in which case you have absolutely no legal recourse since you are renting illegally.

My advice: It is really foolish to play with your family's finances and comfort to rent such an apartment even though hundreds will tell you they've done it without incident. But ultimately, it's your call.

This used to get good reviews:

http://www.nyhabitat.com/new-york-apartment.html

Has that changed?

Yes - it is now ILLEGAL. If something goes wrong yo have no recourse - even if you pay by credit card - since the transaction is illegal. the credit card can do nothing for you (it's as if you were to charge mariijuana (as herbs or whatever) on a credit card, the seller gave you oregano and you make a complaint to the credit card. they can do nothing, since the basic transaction is illegal and cannot be enforced by law.

The company may not scam you - but if a neighbor complains you can be evicted and have no recourse.