Can anyone help? I am going to New York with 2 lady friends and would like to rent a 2 bedroom apartment with 3 beds (one can be a sofa bed). I will be there in May and would like to be reasonably close to the tourist sites. Maximum spend is $350 us per night.

Can anyone recommend anywhere?

Thanks,
Jean

Short term (less than 30 days) rentals are illegal in NY. If you do a search on here you'll find more info about this, as there was a similar question just a couple of days ago.

"as there was a similar question just a couple of days ago." . . . and the week before that, and the week before that, etc etc etc

Always the same info- the VAST majority (like almost all) NYC vacation rentals are illegal.

Here's the thread:

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...y-via-vrbo.cfm

We stayed at The Beacon Hotel in May 2011. We had a one bedroom apartment that was perfect. They did also have 2 bedrooms available - I am not sure of costs. It is located in the Upper West Side, very close to Central Park and only 1 block from the closest Subway station. I would think it would be a great choice for a girls weekend.

Have a look at all suite hotels like Radio City Apartments (actually a hotel) or those in the Affinia group. Agree that finding a legal apartment rental in Manhattan is almost impossible (You find to find a an owner of a private house - very rare in Manhattan - interested in renting out a floor or rooms.)

Whatever you do , do not look at Craig;s list - many of the listings are scams.

If you want such a cheap apartment-like suite, you need to book immediately. It may already be too late since these kinds of lodgings at that price are few and far between in Manhattan.

2 bedroom suites are not plentiful so quite pricey. Best Western Hospitality has some with 1bathroom as does the budget Radiocityapartments.com. The Beacon and the Salisbury also have a few 2bedroom2bathroom suites, but you generally have to email or phone for those. Eastgate Towers also has some huge 2/2 suites. The Marmara is an apt building with some hotel suites too. But you should be able to find a 1bedroom suite with 2 beds in the bedroom and a sofabed in the livingroom so each has her own bed. That will likely be closer to your budget at that time of year. (May is pricey). In addition to the places already mentioned which should all have that setup, the Kimberly, the San Carlos, the Blakely, Doubletree Guest Suites Times Square and most of the Affinia.com hotels will also have 1bedroom suites with 2 beds plus sofabed. Pricing on these can vary by website so check hotels' own vs kayak.com, quikbook.com, hotels.com to compare.

Last June, my girlfriends and I spent three nights in the 2 bdrm/2 bath suite at The Beacon, and were very pleased with it. We had two double beds in one room, one king bed in the other, and a queen pullout sofa. Two baths, a small kitchen, an eating area for four, and a little living room.

It was $575/night, which is a great price, but not your budget.

You have to call the hotel for info on the two bedroom.

They have one-bedroom suites on-line.

It is a GREAT location: wonderful full market across the street, Starbucks on the corner, subway station a block away, John Lennon memorial in Central Park a block or two away.

I was curious, so checked the Beacon's prices for May 11- May 13, for three adults:

http://beaconhotel.com/
WEB SPECIAL
A One-Bedroom Suite Two Double beds features two double beds in the bedroom, a separate living room with a pull-out sofa bed, a luxurious marble bathroom, and fully-equipped kitchenette. Maximum occupancy is 4 people.
USD 395.00


Not all their one-bdrm suites have double beds, so you'd want to get one now, if you are interested. They have a 24-hour cancellation policy, unless the Web Special price means otherwise.

Thank you very much everyone....Had no idea rental apartments were illegal! Will look into the hotels. Regards Jean

Not all short-term rentals are illegal. There are legal rentals in apartments that are not multi-family residences. These would be single family townhouses that are allowed to rent legally, as far as I know.




http://www.nyc.gov/html/dob/download...hapter_225.pdf

Lawyers and other real estate experts are still explaining the new housing laws in NYC; it is too much to expect the casual visitor to slog through the same.

Easy to understand: Short term apartment rentals are largely illegal to rent for under 30 days and the possibility of inadvertently renting an illegal apartment is likely. If a tourist were prevented access to an illegal rental they had paid for it would be unfortunate, costly, inconvenient, and completely unnecessary.

Doug is right: better get going on this soon! PeaceOut's Beacon rate for the one bedroom suite is really great. Call the Beacon directly to be sure you get what you want if you decide you're interested. I am guessing that rate doesn't include taxes and fees but I could be wrong.

Enjoy your trip!

Jean: Can you tell us your dates?

Agree for May you need to book now to have the chance at best rates. As you get closer hotels will book up (Radio City Apt and Beacon are often full) and prices will only go up. Be aware that on top of the price quote there is tax of about 18 %.

I know of a legal 3 bedroom 3 bathroom for rent in central Harlem. It is under your price range and one block from the subway. About 15 minutes to Times Square.


If that area is of interest, I will post details.

I'm interested, ekscrunchy!

OK!

These are friends of mine who own a brownstone in Harlem and rent out 2 renovated apartments--a 1 bedroom and a 3-bedroom-- with a minimum of 4 nights. They live in the building.

Most of their guests are European but I thought I'd mention it here:



http://www.flipkey.com/manhattan-vac...ntals/p216183/

http://www.flipkey.com/new-york-city...ntals/p333843/

Ek, I'm just curious why that's legal?

It's legal because it is zoned as a single family residence - and the sublet laws apply only to multi-family residences (which is about 95% of residences in Manhattan). (It's not many people that own multi-million dollar houses that want to sublet part of them to vacationers.)