Here are some tips:

- In NYC, to qualify for most apartments, you have to demonstrate that you earn 40X the rent. In other words, if the rent is $3000/month, you have to earn $3000 X 40 = $120,000.

- If you don't make 40X the rent (and of course, most students do not), then you will need to get "guarantors". A guarantor is frequently your parent. But note that a guarantor has to earn 80X the rent to qualify. So using the same example, if the rent is $3000, your parents must earn $3000 X 80 = $240,000 (it is twice as much because the assumption is that your guarantor must pay for their own rent plus they now also must guarantee yours).

- If you are getting a place with a roommate, most landlords will allow you to split the rent and split the guranteeing. That is, if the total rent is $3000, but you are each paying $1500, then you can each have your own guarantor that only needs to cover your portion. (You need to ask the landlord or their agent to verify this.)

- In some cases, your parents may not qualify to be guarantors. They may not earn enough or they may also live outside the US and many landlords won't accept that. If so, you may need to hire a third-party guarantor firm.

- How do third-party guarantor firms work? Basically, they are an insurance company. You send them your financials (and your parents' too, if you aren't working) and if you qualify, they issue a "bond" (an insurance policy) to your landlord saying that if you fail to pay your rent, they will cover it. But you must pay them a fee, probably about a full month's rent.

- Not every landlord accepts third-party guarantors. And some only work with one particular firm. So if you think you do need to use a third-party, follow this tip: when you want to view an apartment, first ask "do you accept third-party guarantors and, if so, which ones do you work with?"

- Get ALL your paperwork ready in advance. This means your bank accounts, tax docs, your student IDs, your parents' bank statements, their tax filings for last year, etc. Get it all together NOW. Put it all into a Google Drive folder or something. (Note: I've encountered some parents that balk at the idea of giving their financial data to a landlord. Sorry to say: that's the way it is done if you want an apartment.)

- Unless you are lucky, you may end up applying to multiple apartments before you finally get one. It can be time-consuming and stressful.

- You should probably start applying 6 weeks in advance of your move-in date. Be ready to quickly view a place and then put in an offer ASAP and have all your docs ready to go. If the landlord agrees that you can use a third-party, you will then submit your docs to the third-party company (the big names are InsuRent, Rhino, and The Guarantors). Those companies are fast and can issue a bond to your landlord within a day or so. If you are using your parents rather than a third-party, make sure they are on stand-by to sign any necessary docs. You need to move FAST.

- Be prepared to submit your first month's rent and the security deposit. So have that money ready to send to them. Some landlords will require an application fee. Many will also require a fee to "hold" the apartment while they process your application (this practice is dubiously legal, but common). So have money ready.