How to list an apartment for rent in NYC

A good listing does two jobs: it gets the right renters to ask, and it keeps the wrong ones from wasting your time. In New York City it also has to follow a few rules that listings elsewhere don't. This checklist covers both.

This guide is a summary for landlords, not legal advice. Follow the links to the city's own guidance, and check with your attorney if you're unsure.

1. Get the basics exactly right

Renters filter by these, so a wrong value hides your listing from the people you want:

• The full address and unit number.
• Monthly rent, the lease term, and the date it's available.
• Bedrooms and bathrooms, and the size if you know it.
• What's included: heat and hot water, other utilities, laundry, outdoor space, and your pet policy.

2. Fees: what the FARE Act changed

Since June 11, 2025, New York City's FARE Act stops a landlord's agent from charging the tenant a broker fee. That includes a listing agent who posts the apartment with your permission, and the landlord is liable if they do. Two more rules apply to every listing:

• Any fee a tenant has to pay to rent the apartment must be shown clearly and conspicuously in the listing.
• Before the lease is signed, give the tenant an itemized written list of every fee owed to you or anyone acting for you, and have them sign it. Keep the signed copy for three years.

Separately, New York caps what you can charge a rental applicant for a background and credit check: $20 or the actual cost, whichever is less. Read the city's FARE Act FAQ from the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection.

3. Fair housing and source of income

New York City's Human Rights Law makes it illegal to refuse renters because of how they pay their rent. That covers housing vouchers and other assistance such as Section 8, CityFHEPS, HASA and SSI, and it applies to most rentals in the city whatever the building's size.

• Don't write "no vouchers", "no programs" or "working Section 8 only", or anything that signals a preference for renters without assistance.
• Don't refuse a voucher holder, or decline to fill in their program's paperwork.
• Don't mention race, religion, national origin, disability, family status ("no kids") or any other protected characteristic.
• Apply the same requirements to every applicant, and write them down before you list.

The NYC Commission on Human Rights explains the rules and the few exceptions on its source of income page.

4. Photos

• Shoot every room in daylight, with lights on and blinds open.
• Include the building entrance, the lobby and any shared spaces: renters are choosing the building as well as the unit.
• Say what each photo shows. A labelled photo of the kitchen beats three unlabelled ones.
• Add a floor plan or a video tour if you have one.

On Openigloo a listing needs at least 4 photos, and every photo gets a label.

5. Write a description that answers questions

Lead with what makes the apartment worth seeing: the layout, the light, the quiet, the commute. Then answer what renters always ask: which utilities are included, laundry, pets, and how to see it. Keep it factual: a description that oversells gets visits that don't convert.

On Openigloo, descriptions can't include an email address, phone number, link or a broker fee request. Renters contact you through the listing, so you get every lead in one place. See Openigloo's listings quality policy.

6. Set showing hours and reply fast

Decide when you can show the apartment before you list, and stick to it. Renters who are actively searching move quickly, so answer inquiries the same day if you can. On Openigloo you set your own showing hours, and every inquiry arrives with the renter's income, credit range and move-in date, so you can see who qualifies before you reply.

7. Screen consistently

Use the same written criteria for every applicant, in the order they apply, and keep notes of why an application was approved or declined. It's fairer, it's faster, and it's what protects you if a decision is ever questioned.

Listing on Openigloo

Openigloo is where New York renters read reviews of the buildings they're considering, and where they look for apartments. You can list there yourself through IglooIQ: create the listing, our team checks it before renters see it, and you get qualified leads. Plans start at $10 a month per listing; see pricing and the landlord FAQ.