Tips, Tricks and Resources
openigloo was founded in 2020 to help renters find better apartments and to bring transparency to housing. Frustrated by the status quo, we wanted to build a platform where renters could get all the info they needed to make an informed decision about where to live. Since launching openigloo, over 1.5 million New Yorkers have leveraged the platform during their NYC apartment search by reading and sharing landlord reviews, browsing apartment listings and applying to quality and verified apartments.
Below is a guide on how to use openigloo and up your apartment hunting strategy!
1. Browse Available & Future (Rent-Stabilized) Apartment Listings
Go to openigloo to browse current and future apartment listings. We’ve pulled in apartment listings from various sources to give you more insight into what’s available and what’s expected to come available in the future. Normally, renters have to start searching 30 days before their move-in date. But we’ll show you listings that are available NOW and listings that may become available 6 months from now. This gives you an opportunity to get in front of the broker and landlord early and say, “I want to be your first call, if/when this unit becomes available”.
Simply set your filters and your move in date and we’ll notify you when apartments pop up that match your criteria. Additionally, if you are on the hunt for a unit that is specifically rent-stabilized – we’ll help narrow your search to buildings with stabilized units in them. Be sure to tap the rent-stabilized filter when searching for apartments on openigloo.
2. Read & Share Building & Landlord Reviews
Once you’ve found some listings that appeal to you, you want to make sure that the building and landlord has a good reputation. Click on the building profile and read reviews left by current and past tenants. We ask renters to share the pros, the cons, the rents, how much the utilities are and so much more. In order to access building/landlord reviews on openigloo, we ask that all renters contribute a review of their own. REVIEWS ARE COMPLETELY ANONYMOUS.
You can review any address in the United States – so if you’re moving to NYC from Texas, simply review one of your Texas living experiences and the openigloo platform will unlock for you. This is FREE. If you are unable to contribute a review to the platform, we ask renters to make a small payment to help us continue to grow our network and community of renters.
3. Access City Data On Any Address or Landlord
Before making a decision on your NYC apartment search, you’ll want to check the city data associated with that building and landlord. We pull in city data from multiple sources to tell you who the landlord is, how many buildings they own, if they have any open violations, any bedbug history, any pending court cases and more. Access to this info is completely free – simply type in any address into the search bar and we’ll display all the data.
If you’re looking for more detailed analysis on a building and landlord (i.e. historical complaints, construction data, and comparative analyses on how the building compares to others in the area), you can purchase a Rental Report.
4. Ask Other Renters Questions
Sometimes it’s intimidating to ask the tough questions to a landlord or broker. We’ve heard this from renters – they want info, but don’t want to jeopardize getting the apartment. This is why we built the anonymous Q&A feature. You can anonymously ask a question on any building profile. We’ll notify other reviewers to see if they can answer your question!
5. Read Renter Resources
Our team is committed to keeping you up to date on what’s happening in the rental market. Everything from new laws, rent calculators and tips on how to negotiate with your landlord. If you are looking for info or guidance on lease breaks, rent negotiation, rent-stabilization rules, Good Cause Eviction, security deposit rules, broker fees and more, be sure to browse our resources page.
6. Apply To Verified Apartments
One of the major complaints renters have about NYC renting is the application process. It’s invasive, not transparent, and intimidating. No one wants to email dozens of personal documents to a person they’ve never met, especially because rental scams are rampant in NYC. So once you find a verified apartment on openigloo that you’re interested in, you can schedule a tour with the listing agent and apply for the apartment directly on openigloo. In NYC, the law says that landlords can charge a maximum of $20 per application. On openigloo, you can apply to as many apartments as you want within a 30 day period for $20. We’ll walk you through step by step on everything you need so your application is ready and polished during your apartment hunt.
At openigloo, our goal is to make your NYC apartment search easier and more transparent for all tenants. Finding an apartment is not easy and in many cases requires patience and strategy. We hope these tools can help you hold your landlord accountable, enforce your tenants’ rights and strengthen your chances of finding a great apartment! If you have any questions or ideas, never hesitate to reach out to our team at info@openigloo.com!