Tips for Finding an Apartment for Rent in Jersey City

Montauk House at 95 Montgomery St

Looking for a rental apartment in Jersey City's hot real estate market can be daunting!

Like many metro-NYC areas, the best apartments in Jersey City tend to get snapped up quickly.  So it is important to arm yourself with as much information as possible in order to identify and secure the best apartment.

Here are a few apartment hunting few tips and suggestions for navigating the rental market in Jersey City.


Also keep in mind that renting an apartment is a major decision so always do your due diligence!

See the tips after the jump below...

1. Research and Identify Your Target Neighborhood(s) in Jersey City

Unless you're already familiar with Jersey City a good starting point would be to research the neighborhoods you think you might want to live in.  This will include familiarizing yourself with the basic geography, although keep in mind that the boundaries of the neighborhoods (and sub-neighborhoods) are fairly subjective so just use them as a general guide.  Here are a few links to check out:

• Design*Sponge: Updated Jersey City Guide by Kanibal Owner Kristen Scalia
• Destination Jersey City: District Map
• Wikipedia: List of neighborhoods in Jersey City, New Jersey

Visiting and walking around these areas is also important, during the day and at night, and of course if you can, try talking to people who already live there.  If you are too far away to visit there are videos online of Jersey City such as this one by Halstead: Jersey City Neighborhood Video Tour.  Also make use of Google Street View and Bing Street Side to see actual snapshots of the areas you like.

2. Getting a Sense of Rental Prices

This research can mostly be done online. Try to get a sense of what the rents are for a given area, size, features, etc. so you can compare once you're out looking at places.  Craigslist is an obvious source but remember to check both Craigslist NYC and Craigslist North Jersey if you want to see as many listings as possible.

3. Find a Local Real Estate Agent

If you're willing to pay a brokers fee (often but not always required) you will want to work with a trusted, local real estate agent.   If possible, get a referral as this person will be representing you on your search.

4. Rent Directly From Rental Buildings With Many Units

Jersey City has a huge and diverse offering of rental buildings, everything from high and low rises, luxury and budget finishes, spacious and compact sizes.

Many of these buildings such Avalon Cove, Grove Pointe, The Madox, 225 Grand, Cast Iron Lofts, Marbella, etc. have their own website with listings and / or a leasing office you can call or visit in-person and most are no fee.

Apartments may become available and re-rented quickly, sometimes before there's a chance to formally list or post them anywhere, so check often.

5. Rent Directly From Property Managers With Portfolios of Properties

Going to all of the different individual rental buildings can certainly be time-consuming, especially if you haven't targeted a specific one or few yet.  So you might want to also check the websites and leasing offices of the high volume property managers in Jersey City who have a vast inventory of rental apartments.  Most are no fee.

Here are a few, in no particular order:

• Silverman
  Silverman, a prolific developer in downtown Jersey City with several buildings so you can check available rentals across all of them at JCLofts.com.

• Newport
  There are several buildings in the Newport area of Jersey City, developed by LeFrak Organization.  You can see their rentals in one place at www.newportrentalsnj.com.

• Equity Residential
  Equity Residential leases apartments in several downtown Jersey City buildings (70 Greene, The Pier Apartments, Hudson Point, Portside Towers) so you can check their website for available apartments in Jersey City including floor plans, prices and dates.

• Dixon Leasing
  Dixon Advisory & Superannuation Services is the Responsible Entity for US Masters Residential Property Fund, an Australian-listed property trust that buys properties in the NYC metro area, including many in Jersey City.  As such, Dixon Leasing will have many of their available properties for rent on their website. Their properties tend to be single and multi-family rowhouses, offering an alternative to the big, multi-unit rental buildings.

Any other tips?  How did you find your current apartment?