Relocating to a new city for work can be an exciting opportunity at any point in your career. Finding a temporary apartment to rent? Not so much. With all the craziness of traveling, packing and planning, finding a new home is the biggest time suck on the to-do list.

Here’s a round-up of some resources Moveline found that make apartment-hunting easier.

Nestio

Based off a recommendation from Kelly, I signed up for a Nestio account. When tackling the beast that is apartment hunting, make Nestio your righthand website. The site lets you store listings that interest you in one easy place, rather than haphazardly bookmarking them on your browser. As you venture through the following sites, keep coming back to Nestio to keep it all together. It’s especially great if you have to search for apartments with roommates or a spouse; you can invite people to your Nestio to add listings they like, and comment on the ones you’ve found to make collaborating on the search much easier.

RentHackr

RentHackr is a real-estate swiss-army knife. It shows you the real cost of apartments in an area, based on info from real people. Want to know the difference between a studio in Manhattan and a studio in Brooklyn? RentHackr has it. The site even shows apartments held by people who plan on moving soon, details about the unit they’re giving up, and when it’ll be available. As you’re browsing, you can also filter responses based on the rooms you need, when you need to move in (the lease ends slider), and if you’re looking for an apartment or a room share.

We recently caught up with the founder of the New York startup, Zeb Dropkin, to hear about the company. He wanted to give renters the opportunity to see the costs of other apartments in their building, block or beyond and compare them, after Dropkin found the experience painful. “I got really frustrated, why can’t I get this information?”

In the future, users will be able to view photos and other aminities offered by buildings. Until then, it’s worth checking out. Bonus: RentHackr is nationwide, and compares rentals in any location in the U.S. depending on where a user currently lives.

Sublet

Sublet is the website where I found my apartment. The UI might not be the most attractive, but this site has everything you need to find a place, on a worldwide scale at that. Searching can be limited any of the five boroughs, ranges of rent, and more depending on your preference. Reviews and information about the landlords is also available, with some that let you contact them for free. The site does have a paid service that opens all sublet options, and it is worth it. I wish I had found this site before I even opened Craigslist.

Airbnb

Once reserved for short-term trips, Airbnb now offers sublets! When you log into the site, select your arrival and departures dates to browse the thousands of places in your area. Some of the prices might be overwhelming, but a few gems can be tucked away. If you’re in a hurry, you can pay for the security deposit right away and are only charged if the landlord responds to you, thus securing your room.

Craigslist

Craigslist is the quick and dirty option for everything; from buying a desk to finding a roommate. It can also be hectic, confusing and slow, not to mention sketchy. I recommend browsing posts for housing, but it can difficult to find what’s right for you. Instead of competing with all the other searchers, try posting your own ad — for yourself. Create a new post under “Housing Wanted” and be personable in describing yourself and what you’re looking for in a housing situation. When I searched for a place, I got more responses to my own ad than I did from emails I’d sent to others.

Our guide to NYC apartment terminology

In New York City, the lexicon of dwelling types is practically infinite. If you’re considering a move to the Big Apple, we’ve got a simple glossary to help you navigate the maze of apartment options. Check out our nyc apartment terminology guide here.

Moving your stuff into your new apartment

Hopefully these resources will help you take a little bit of the stress out of NYC apartment hunting. Once you’re ready to plan how to move your stuff to your new place, consider taking the stress out of moving by using Moveline to get guaranteed quotes from moving companies for your move to NYC.


Check out other pre-move tips or tips to help you plan for your move from Moveline, a radically easier way to move.