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How do you rent an apartment in New York City with no so perfect credit?

I make over 80K a year but my credit is bad due to this terrible economy. I had great credit up until 2008 when I lost my job and in turn I had a financial down slide. I had a rocky time getting back up on my feet but now, I make great money and I am back stable but no one will give me a chance. They all put so much emphasis on credit but with this economy, why are they not being understanding? I don't have any evictions and I've paid my rent on time but they are only looking at my credit score and not caring about anything else. I'm sure there are people living in apartments in NY that don't have stellar credit but I don't know how they are getting them. I have checked craigslist and have had no luck. I live in Harlem with a roommate but I want our own apartment and I want to stay close to my son's school. Does anyone know of a realtor or personal landlord who is lenient in NYC? Not trying to make anyone feel sorry for me at all. I created the bills and I am paying them now. But when I got laid off and that was not my fault and I could not pay my bills. I hope that you never hit hard times ever in your life but if you do, Lord help you.

Public Comments

1. Hey folks, another one claiming IT'S NOT MY FAULT!!! Don't ya all feel sorry for her, it's not her fault, it was the economy. The fact that she can't handle money had nothing to do with it, it's not her fault! Lets ALL FEEL SORRY FOR HER, k?
2. Consider yourself fortunate to land a high paying job during the "terrible economy" that still affects the majority. If you can get a cosigner (last I checked they would need to have an annual income of 80x the monthly rent and good credit to qualify) then that would work. You can always try to sublet on a month to month basis.
3. Many small landlords won't check your credit. Look for an apartment in an owner occupied brownstone for example. You are obviously a smart Business person, your credit problems will go away in a few years.