While I was looking for a new sublet on Craigslist last night (my current one runs out sept. 29th if anyone wants to pitch me an offer) I saw something that made me feel nervous, confused, irritated, and just generally icky. The listing is for an apartment in Williamsburg, reasonable rent, decent looking interior, good location (if you don’t mind dealing with the L train)…and I would have sprung for it instantly if not for one shady detail. The guy subletting this place wants the entire amount, $2,575, up front, non-refundable, half a month before the move-in date.

So the question is, is this guy crazy? Or am I crazy for thinking he’s crazy? Or is it just a straight up scam? I realize that real estate in New York is shifty business, but that is an awful lot of money to just plop down in this price range, I don’t care how many “leases” he writes. And yet I still feel the urge to call this guy up and see the place!

This is a classic case of how the rental and temporary (because not all of us are in a place where we can get a real lease) market in New York is getting very uncomfortable for renters. I see this deal, know that it makes me uncomfortable, and am still considering ways to make it feasible in my mind. I’ll probably chalk this one up as a lost cause, since I know from experience that past the third or fourth day, if not sooner, all bets are off anyway, but if you have any thoughts about whether this is reasonable or not, I’d love to hear them.

-Tony Floriani