I once heard it said that moving is one of the most stressful times in a person's life, right after losing a job and losing a loved one. But despite the stress of finding a home and moving, there's something kind of freeing about getting a place of your own, even if it's with roommates, because now you get to set the rules. You get to make the choices on home decor and furnishings or lack thereof. You get to decide what home is to you and how to utilize the space. While a number of young people these days are choosing to live at home with their parents longer, there are still a lot of people under the age of thirty five dipping their toes into the world of living on their own as renters. In fact, younger millennials and gen Zers accounted for nearly thirty five percent of all renters across the US, and that's according to US Census data from twenty twenty one. Renting can be a great way to gain some housing independence at a relatively low investment cost, because, unlike buying a house where you have to put up a large sum of money as a down payment, renting typically only requires a first month's rent and security deposit the ladder of which you should get back when you move out, that is, if you've left the place in decent condition, and occasionally you may also have to pay a broker fee, but we'll get into that more later. The point is, even with all of these upfront payments, renting still feels simpler and more feasible than buying a house for many of us. But renting is not without its nuances or complexities. For starters, it can be incredibly frustrating trying to find the right place and understanding the coded language from apartment listings like conveniently located bathroom just means you can microwave your breakfast burrito from the toilet and the shower is next to the refrigerator. Fear not, We're here to take all of the guest work out of finding a home, and hopefully, in the process we'll finally figure out the difference between rent controlled and rent stabilized. So start taking because this is.

I once heard it said that moving is one of the most stressful times in a person's life, right after losing a job and losing a loved one. But despite the stress of finding a home and moving, there's something kind of freeing about getting a place of your own, even if it's with roommates, because now you get to set the rules. You get to make the choices on home decor and furnishings or lack thereof. You get to decide what home is to you and how to utilize the space. While a number of young people these days are choosing to live at home with their parents longer, there are still a lot of people under the age of thirty five dipping their toes into the world of living on their own as renters. In fact, younger millennials and gen Zers accounted for nearly thirty five percent of all renters across the US, and that's according to US Census data from twenty twenty one. Renting can be a great way to gain some housing independence at a relatively low investment cost, because, unlike buying a house where you have to put up a large sum of money as a down payment, renting typically only requires a first month's rent and security deposit the ladder of which you should get back when you move out, that is, if you've left the place in decent condition, and occasionally you may also have to pay a broker fee, but we'll get into that more later. The point is, even with all of these upfront payments, renting still feels simpler and more feasible than buying a house for many of us. But renting is not without its nuances or complexities. For starters, it can be incredibly frustrating trying to find the right place and understanding the coded language from apartment listings like conveniently located bathroom just means you can microwave your breakfast burrito from the toilet and the shower is next to the refrigerator. Fear not, We're here to take all of the guest work out of finding a home, and hopefully, in the process we'll finally figure out the difference between rent controlled and rent stabilized. So start taking because this is.

Stuff.

Stuff.

Hello to one and all seeking guidance in the world of grown up stuff. You have come to the right place. As always, Matt and I are here to tackle all of the adult things that no one really tells you about like finding and leasing an apartment, which is our mission for today's episode. Matt you and I have both rented apartments in big cities like New York, and I think we should start this episode off by sharing our own personal renting pros and cons.

Hello to one and all seeking guidance in the world of grown up stuff. You have come to the right place. As always, Matt and I are here to tackle all of the adult things that no one really tells you about like finding and leasing an apartment, which is our mission for today's episode. Matt you and I have both rented apartments in big cities like New York, and I think we should start this episode off by sharing our own personal renting pros and cons.

Yeah, to get into the pros and cons, let me tell you about a situation that I am in. So I currently live in the same apartment that I have lived in since graduating from college in New York. So I've been here for eleven years, a long time. It's funny because my parents were just visiting me and they're like, Matthew, I never would have imagined when we moved you into this apartment that you now live there with your wife. And so, really the pros and cons that I'm trying to get out here is that when you graduate colleg you never really know whether or not you're going to stay in the city that you maybe graduated in or stay in the first city that your first job is in. Right, You're not sure, and so renting can be wonderful because it provides you, like a year or a two year lease to get comfortable with the city you're in and see whether or not you like it, and if you don't, you can kind of pick up and move on after that without investing a whole lot of money.

Yeah, to get into the pros and cons, let me tell you about a situation that I am in. So I currently live in the same apartment that I have lived in since graduating from college in New York. So I've been here for eleven years, a long time. It's funny because my parents were just visiting me and they're like, Matthew, I never would have imagined when we moved you into this apartment that you now live there with your wife. And so, really the pros and cons that I'm trying to get out here is that when you graduate colleg you never really know whether or not you're going to stay in the city that you maybe graduated in or stay in the first city that your first job is in. Right, You're not sure, and so renting can be wonderful because it provides you, like a year or a two year lease to get comfortable with the city you're in and see whether or not you like it, and if you don't, you can kind of pick up and move on after that without investing a whole lot of money.

Yeah, what I really love about renting is I'm not responsible for a dang thing. If it breaks nothing. If something breaks zilch, I just call up the landlord. I call up the management company and I'm like, hey, this isn't working anymore. You know, then they're responsible for replacing. Now, the con on my end is it's not one hundred percent your own space. You might not even be able to do things like paint your room a different color or you know, mount your TV because those are going to put holes in the wall. So to help us understand what we need to know about finding and renting an apartment, we've invited Mark Metzker, a licensed real estate agent in New York City with the Corcoran Group. Now this group might sound familiar because it is the real estate agency that Shark Tanks owned Barbara Corkran founded.

Yeah, what I really love about renting is I'm not responsible for a dang thing. If it breaks nothing. If something breaks zilch, I just call up the landlord. I call up the management company and I'm like, hey, this isn't working anymore. You know, then they're responsible for replacing. Now, the con on my end is it's not one hundred percent your own space. You might not even be able to do things like paint your room a different color or you know, mount your TV because those are going to put holes in the wall. So to help us understand what we need to know about finding and renting an apartment, we've invited Mark Metzker, a licensed real estate agent in New York City with the Corcoran Group. Now this group might sound familiar because it is the real estate agency that Shark Tanks owned Barbara Corkran founded.

Mark has helped more than one hundred New Yorkers find their homes. And one important thing we want to note is that a lot of what we will be discussing may be more unique to New York.

Mark has helped more than one hundred New Yorkers find their homes. And one important thing we want to note is that a lot of what we will be discussing may be more unique to New York.

Say, that three times fast, Unique York, Unique York.

Say, that three times fast, Unique York, Unique York.

Try to trip me up, but I just blew right through it. But we're going to keep things as broad as possible today and stick around for our takeaways as will provide a few renting resources for other cities across the country that may be helpful to you.

Try to trip me up, but I just blew right through it. But we're going to keep things as broad as possible today and stick around for our takeaways as will provide a few renting resources for other cities across the country that may be helpful to you.

Mark, Thank you so much for joining us in your opinion. What are some of the most reliable websites we can be going to just get it started to even start looking.

Mark, Thank you so much for joining us in your opinion. What are some of the most reliable websites we can be going to just get it started to even start looking.

I think the best place to start is a website called street Easy, which is run by a organization called Zillo, which the rest of the country will likely use Zillo for this same service, but here in New York City we have a specific one called street Easy. What's really great about street Easy is that you are only allowed to have one listing per apartment, so you're not going to have many different brokers or companies trying to list the same exact unit. It's transparent, it's clear, and pretty much anything that's on the market will be listed on this website. And there's a really great interface for it, and it'll let you put in what you're looking for, like the different neighborhoods you might be interested in the budget that you're looking at certain amenities that you might want in your apartment, like if you want laundry in your unit, whether that's a requirement or just a preference, if you need an elevator, all kinds of things like that, A lot of results will pop up for you. I know a lot of people also like Redfinn as a very similar resource, but I would say my bias is definitely towards solo and street easy awesome.

I think the best place to start is a website called street Easy, which is run by a organization called Zillo, which the rest of the country will likely use Zillo for this same service, but here in New York City we have a specific one called street Easy. What's really great about street Easy is that you are only allowed to have one listing per apartment, so you're not going to have many different brokers or companies trying to list the same exact unit. It's transparent, it's clear, and pretty much anything that's on the market will be listed on this website. And there's a really great interface for it, and it'll let you put in what you're looking for, like the different neighborhoods you might be interested in the budget that you're looking at certain amenities that you might want in your apartment, like if you want laundry in your unit, whether that's a requirement or just a preference, if you need an elevator, all kinds of things like that, A lot of results will pop up for you. I know a lot of people also like Redfinn as a very similar resource, but I would say my bias is definitely towards solo and street easy awesome.

So I'm curious to you because you're a broker. Can you just walk into any real estate business and say, Hey, I need an apartment. Can I have a broker to help me find that?

So I'm curious to you because you're a broker. Can you just walk into any real estate business and say, Hey, I need an apartment. Can I have a broker to help me find that?

Yeah, you can actually definitely do what you just said. And if you're really just wanting to meet someone, you can walk to an office, like you can walk to my Corcoran office and you can knock on the door and say hello, I would really like to work with an agent on finding an apartment, and there'll probably be fifty people who will flock at you to grab your hand and help you out. Another way is to go on our websites, like you could go to corcorand dot com and you could search for different agents, you can read people's bios and profiles and look at what people have rented before to see if that person is someone that you want to work with, or on the flip side, if you're really just looking for a specific apartment that you want to rent, you can just go to the listings that are posted on the website, whether that's street easy or a place like corcorand dot com or apartments dot com. All of these listings are going to be linked directly to an agent, and from there you can then start a conversation about the ways in which they can help you, because typically agents won't only be working on one specific apartment. They can take you to lots of other different places that also fit your needs. So just starting up a conversation through a listing is a great way to just get the ball rolling.

Yeah, you can actually definitely do what you just said. And if you're really just wanting to meet someone, you can walk to an office, like you can walk to my Corcoran office and you can knock on the door and say hello, I would really like to work with an agent on finding an apartment, and there'll probably be fifty people who will flock at you to grab your hand and help you out. Another way is to go on our websites, like you could go to corcorand dot com and you could search for different agents, you can read people's bios and profiles and look at what people have rented before to see if that person is someone that you want to work with, or on the flip side, if you're really just looking for a specific apartment that you want to rent, you can just go to the listings that are posted on the website, whether that's street easy or a place like corcorand dot com or apartments dot com. All of these listings are going to be linked directly to an agent, and from there you can then start a conversation about the ways in which they can help you, because typically agents won't only be working on one specific apartment. They can take you to lots of other different places that also fit your needs. So just starting up a conversation through a listing is a great way to just get the ball rolling.

What are the things that we need to be telling these agents and brokers that we're working with to make sure that we're getting and finding the right listings that are within our budget that check all of our boxes.

What are the things that we need to be telling these agents and brokers that we're working with to make sure that we're getting and finding the right listings that are within our budget that check all of our boxes.

So the things I think one should really be clear with a broker about is first, when they're moving, if there's a specific date, that's very helpful. If it's flexible that works too, but usually one can only rent an apartment within a certain amount of time, like here in New York, typically thirty days. If you're moving further out than thirty days, like say it's April first today and you're moving in July, that's probably not going to happen, and the search is to want to start later, or there's just going to be a small number of apartments that are on the market already. The second thing you want to be really clear about is your budget. As you mentioned with the budget, you want to be clear with the agent how much you are really willing to spend, and you should give the agent, I think what your desired amount is and what your maximum amount is, and that'll allow the agent to really understand what the wiggle room is and the different places that they can show you. Here in New York City, there's often a broker fee that's associated with finding an apartment, so you should also be clear with the agent about if you're able to pay the broker fee or not. How much you are able to pay. Typically the amount is one month's rent to fifteen percent of the annual rent of an apartment is the broker fee, So you should just understand what you're willing to do on that front regarding paying their fees, because they do need to be paid at the end of the day, and having a clear understanding of that from the beginning is really helpful. There are apartments in New York City that have no broker fee. These are really wonderful apartments. This is when the management company pays our fee instead of the tenant, So if you really want that to be the situation, you should be clear with the agent. But it also limits the possibilities of what apartments you'll have access to, So there's two sides to that coin.

So the things I think one should really be clear with a broker about is first, when they're moving, if there's a specific date, that's very helpful. If it's flexible that works too, but usually one can only rent an apartment within a certain amount of time, like here in New York, typically thirty days. If you're moving further out than thirty days, like say it's April first today and you're moving in July, that's probably not going to happen, and the search is to want to start later, or there's just going to be a small number of apartments that are on the market already. The second thing you want to be really clear about is your budget. As you mentioned with the budget, you want to be clear with the agent how much you are really willing to spend, and you should give the agent, I think what your desired amount is and what your maximum amount is, and that'll allow the agent to really understand what the wiggle room is and the different places that they can show you. Here in New York City, there's often a broker fee that's associated with finding an apartment, so you should also be clear with the agent about if you're able to pay the broker fee or not. How much you are able to pay. Typically the amount is one month's rent to fifteen percent of the annual rent of an apartment is the broker fee, So you should just understand what you're willing to do on that front regarding paying their fees, because they do need to be paid at the end of the day, and having a clear understanding of that from the beginning is really helpful. There are apartments in New York City that have no broker fee. These are really wonderful apartments. This is when the management company pays our fee instead of the tenant, So if you really want that to be the situation, you should be clear with the agent. But it also limits the possibilities of what apartments you'll have access to, So there's two sides to that coin.

And finding the right broker too, What are some things that you would recommend for ways to make sure that you know even the broker who's showing us these apartments is the right fit and really understands what we're wanting and what we need. Sure.

And finding the right broker too, What are some things that you would recommend for ways to make sure that you know even the broker who's showing us these apartments is the right fit and really understands what we're wanting and what we need. Sure.

I think that's all about the relationship, and I think the best way to understand that is to really start conversations. This could be via email, this could be over a phone call. This could be meeting someone in person for the first time, but just getting a sense of whether you gel with them and if you feel that they understand you and what your needs are, and if you get along with them. All those kinds of things can play in to having a really great relationship with a broker, And if it doesn't seem like the right fit, you don't have to work with them. You can always go and find a different broker. That's not a big deal, but I do think there's a lot of benefit actually to sticking with the same broker instead of just jumping from apartment listing to apartment listing. Like if you're on street easy and you find five apartments that you want to look at that are all with five different brokers, that becomes a big headache and it becomes a big logistical confusion, and you don't necessarily have someone who is looking out for you in the same way as if you were only working with one agent. And also one agent will likely be able to find apartment options for you that aren't necessarily listed online, So there's a plothora of options through internal connections or private listings that managements will send out to brokers that'll open up a world of possibilities of additional apartments that aren't listed online.

I think that's all about the relationship, and I think the best way to understand that is to really start conversations. This could be via email, this could be over a phone call. This could be meeting someone in person for the first time, but just getting a sense of whether you gel with them and if you feel that they understand you and what your needs are, and if you get along with them. All those kinds of things can play in to having a really great relationship with a broker, And if it doesn't seem like the right fit, you don't have to work with them. You can always go and find a different broker. That's not a big deal, but I do think there's a lot of benefit actually to sticking with the same broker instead of just jumping from apartment listing to apartment listing. Like if you're on street easy and you find five apartments that you want to look at that are all with five different brokers, that becomes a big headache and it becomes a big logistical confusion, and you don't necessarily have someone who is looking out for you in the same way as if you were only working with one agent. And also one agent will likely be able to find apartment options for you that aren't necessarily listed online, So there's a plothora of options through internal connections or private listings that managements will send out to brokers that'll open up a world of possibilities of additional apartments that aren't listed online.

Mark is right, there are definitely advantages to working with one broker. However, if you're organized, you can't keep track of it all yourself. It does take a bit of juggling, and you may even want to create a separate email account just for your apartment search. But that, along with a really well organized spreadsheet of appointments and aged contact info, can be a great way of keeping track of what you've seen and who you've seen it with. It may help you see a larger number of apartments because you're seeing places that have been listed with a number of different agencies. So I want to talk a little bit about guaranteurs. Can you explain a little bit what it means when you see an apartment and there's a guaranteur accepted situation.

Mark is right, there are definitely advantages to working with one broker. However, if you're organized, you can't keep track of it all yourself. It does take a bit of juggling, and you may even want to create a separate email account just for your apartment search. But that, along with a really well organized spreadsheet of appointments and aged contact info, can be a great way of keeping track of what you've seen and who you've seen it with. It may help you see a larger number of apartments because you're seeing places that have been listed with a number of different agencies. So I want to talk a little bit about guaranteurs. Can you explain a little bit what it means when you see an apartment and there's a guaranteur accepted situation.

Absolutely, having a guaranteur is a very beneficial thing. What this means is when one is applying for an apartment, they need to qualify in the landlord's eyes in order to be approved for it. Here in New York, what that typical means is that your annual income has to be forty times the rent, like the monthly rent, So say the apartment is two thousand dollars a month, that means your income has to be eighty thousand dollars. In addition to that, you need a good credit score, and usually a good credit score means somewhere above six 't eighty. If you don't meet those qualifications, which so many people do not meet those, especially when they're very young, income is a guaranteur. A guaranteur is typically someone who is like a parent or a friend, someone who is well established in their finances, who can basically stand up for you in the apartment search in terms of qualifications. And what I mean by that is the management company when they're looking at who is going to be responsible for the rent or any kind of payment on the apartment, they're not looking at you, They're looking at the guaranteur. So a guaranteur typically needs, at least in New York, they need to make eighty times the rent, and they also need to have a good credit score. But there's lots of other considerations that go into that.

Absolutely, having a guaranteur is a very beneficial thing. What this means is when one is applying for an apartment, they need to qualify in the landlord's eyes in order to be approved for it. Here in New York, what that typical means is that your annual income has to be forty times the rent, like the monthly rent, So say the apartment is two thousand dollars a month, that means your income has to be eighty thousand dollars. In addition to that, you need a good credit score, and usually a good credit score means somewhere above six 't eighty. If you don't meet those qualifications, which so many people do not meet those, especially when they're very young, income is a guaranteur. A guaranteur is typically someone who is like a parent or a friend, someone who is well established in their finances, who can basically stand up for you in the apartment search in terms of qualifications. And what I mean by that is the management company when they're looking at who is going to be responsible for the rent or any kind of payment on the apartment, they're not looking at you, They're looking at the guaranteur. So a guaranteur typically needs, at least in New York, they need to make eighty times the rent, and they also need to have a good credit score. But there's lots of other considerations that go into that.

So what happens if we don't meet that forty times the income requirement and we don't have a guaranteur option? Either are we just doomed or are there other options we can still explore to get the apartment we want.

So what happens if we don't meet that forty times the income requirement and we don't have a guaranteur option? Either are we just doomed or are there other options we can still explore to get the apartment we want.

You'll see the names Rhino or the guaranteurs or insurant. These are what we call third party guaranteur companies. These companies, for a fee, will become your guaranteur, and these can be a really great way to go about securing an apartment. They're typically low cost. What you do is you go onto their website, you put in your information, you put in the apartment information, and they'll get back to you with a quote about how much it'll cost to use their service. So it's a one time fee, others it's a monthly fee, and typically using a guaranteur service also replaces the security deposit, which means you pay less money upfront to the management company. So when you bring in one of these services, they become your guaranteur for the duration of the lease and you can get into the apartment no problem. A management company will accept you pretty much no matter what. The little asterisk on this is that not all management companies work with all third party guaranteur companies. So one thing that your broker can certainly help with in advance is telling you which apartments except which companies, if any, and so they can really help narrow your search based off of what companies you may want to use. If that's the direction you want to go.

You'll see the names Rhino or the guaranteurs or insurant. These are what we call third party guaranteur companies. These companies, for a fee, will become your guaranteur, and these can be a really great way to go about securing an apartment. They're typically low cost. What you do is you go onto their website, you put in your information, you put in the apartment information, and they'll get back to you with a quote about how much it'll cost to use their service. So it's a one time fee, others it's a monthly fee, and typically using a guaranteur service also replaces the security deposit, which means you pay less money upfront to the management company. So when you bring in one of these services, they become your guaranteur for the duration of the lease and you can get into the apartment no problem. A management company will accept you pretty much no matter what. The little asterisk on this is that not all management companies work with all third party guaranteur companies. So one thing that your broker can certainly help with in advance is telling you which apartments except which companies, if any, and so they can really help narrow your search based off of what companies you may want to use. If that's the direction you want to go.

So when someone agrees to be your guaranteur, they're essentially telling your landlord, Hey, if they don't pay the rent, you can come to meet and I will make sure it's paid. And here's the proof that I have the money to pay it. But not everyone has someone who can do this for them and pro that you make forty times the monthly rent is a lot harder than it sounds sometimes, so as Mark mentioned, there are these third party guarant tour companies that you can hire. They won't need to see that you make forty times the rent. But these companies don't do this for free, and they often have a fee of somewhere between sixty five to one hundred and ten percent of one month's rent. Aside from costs, what are the questions we should be asking a broker upfront before we even see an apartment that we might not think about.

So when someone agrees to be your guaranteur, they're essentially telling your landlord, Hey, if they don't pay the rent, you can come to meet and I will make sure it's paid. And here's the proof that I have the money to pay it. But not everyone has someone who can do this for them and pro that you make forty times the monthly rent is a lot harder than it sounds sometimes, so as Mark mentioned, there are these third party guarant tour companies that you can hire. They won't need to see that you make forty times the rent. But these companies don't do this for free, and they often have a fee of somewhere between sixty five to one hundred and ten percent of one month's rent. Aside from costs, what are the questions we should be asking a broker upfront before we even see an apartment that we might not think about.

Yeah, in terms of costs, I would ask about utilities. Confirm what utilities are provided and which ones aren't. Here in New York heat and water they have to be included legally, and additionally, on top of that, usually the tenant is responsible for electricity, cooking, gas, if there is cooking gas, and then also the internet bill would be the three things that the tenant would be responsible for. Often, large, more modern luxury buildings will have things called an amenity fee. So if there's like a nice gym in the building, or a roof deck or dorman, or you know, any kind of service or amenity that's provided to the tenants, sometimes the building will require a monthly amenity fee for the tenant to pay for those services, So you'll want to check about that. Maybe you'll want to ask about specific amenities, like if there's a gym in the building, is there a cost for that? Is there storage somewhere? Is there a cost for the storage? You can maybe ask what the neighborhood is like, or what kinds of like bars and restaurants are in the area. If you care about that kind of thing, they can help guide you on that front for sure.

Yeah, in terms of costs, I would ask about utilities. Confirm what utilities are provided and which ones aren't. Here in New York heat and water they have to be included legally, and additionally, on top of that, usually the tenant is responsible for electricity, cooking, gas, if there is cooking gas, and then also the internet bill would be the three things that the tenant would be responsible for. Often, large, more modern luxury buildings will have things called an amenity fee. So if there's like a nice gym in the building, or a roof deck or dorman, or you know, any kind of service or amenity that's provided to the tenants, sometimes the building will require a monthly amenity fee for the tenant to pay for those services, So you'll want to check about that. Maybe you'll want to ask about specific amenities, like if there's a gym in the building, is there a cost for that? Is there storage somewhere? Is there a cost for the storage? You can maybe ask what the neighborhood is like, or what kinds of like bars and restaurants are in the area. If you care about that kind of thing, they can help guide you on that front for sure.

Yeah, excellent. You know, I think there are a lot of things that we want to look at once we're actually at the apartment. Obviously, we walk around, we see the space, we get a sense of how big it is, but what are some of the other things that we should be double checking.

Yeah, excellent. You know, I think there are a lot of things that we want to look at once we're actually at the apartment. Obviously, we walk around, we see the space, we get a sense of how big it is, but what are some of the other things that we should be double checking.

Advocate for people being as aware of the physical space of the apartment as possible, which means like looking at the walls, looking at the ceiling, taking note of any like cracks or damages that may or may not be there. Checking the water pressure is always a fun one, and always seeing how long it takes for hot water to start is a good one. In terms of water pressure, you can always change out the faucet head to get a different water pressure, but you know, that's a great thing to check. I mean, you can check cabinets and like see if any like hinges are off. But in theory, the building should be able to fix any smaller issue like that, and you really want to be in a building where they will be able to do something like that. One of the things I think is most important about an apartment search that a lot of people don't think about is not the apartment itself, but the building. I think you really want to be in a good building, and so you want to take note of the condition of the hallways and the entry way. You want to take note if there's any staff, if there's like a doorman, are they friendly, do you get along with them? Do the amenities seem to look like the things that you want. If you have a chance, you can talk to a current resident of the building, then ask them how it is. Take note of anything that might not be working properly, and think about that as the way in which the management may interact with you throughout your time as a tenant in the building. Because if there's paint peeling on the wallpaper in the hallway, maybe they're not going to come in and fix the cabinet in your apartment that has come loose. So I really think that's very critical to think about.

Advocate for people being as aware of the physical space of the apartment as possible, which means like looking at the walls, looking at the ceiling, taking note of any like cracks or damages that may or may not be there. Checking the water pressure is always a fun one, and always seeing how long it takes for hot water to start is a good one. In terms of water pressure, you can always change out the faucet head to get a different water pressure, but you know, that's a great thing to check. I mean, you can check cabinets and like see if any like hinges are off. But in theory, the building should be able to fix any smaller issue like that, and you really want to be in a building where they will be able to do something like that. One of the things I think is most important about an apartment search that a lot of people don't think about is not the apartment itself, but the building. I think you really want to be in a good building, and so you want to take note of the condition of the hallways and the entry way. You want to take note if there's any staff, if there's like a doorman, are they friendly, do you get along with them? Do the amenities seem to look like the things that you want. If you have a chance, you can talk to a current resident of the building, then ask them how it is. Take note of anything that might not be working properly, and think about that as the way in which the management may interact with you throughout your time as a tenant in the building. Because if there's paint peeling on the wallpaper in the hallway, maybe they're not going to come in and fix the cabinet in your apartment that has come loose. So I really think that's very critical to think about.

We'll be right back with more grown up stuff how to adult after a quick break, and we're back with more grown up stuff how to adult. So once we actually get to look at the lease itself, we'll sometimes see terms like legal rent and preferential rent. Could you explain some of these terms and how they relate to what we're actually paying and are there other things that we should be on the lookout for before we sign sure?

We'll be right back with more grown up stuff how to adult after a quick break, and we're back with more grown up stuff how to adult. So once we actually get to look at the lease itself, we'll sometimes see terms like legal rent and preferential rent. Could you explain some of these terms and how they relate to what we're actually paying and are there other things that we should be on the lookout for before we sign sure?

Absolutely, yeah, Lisa. There's a lot of what I like to call legalies in these giant documents, and so I understand the frustration of not wanting to read through them, but I advocate for anyone to completely read their lease before they sign anything, because you never know what might be in there, the big things that you want to be looking out for. You want to confirm the rent amount, and as you mentioned, sometimes the rent amount here in New York can look different when there's something called a preferential rent. A preferential rent comes into play when the apartment is a certain legal rent. So in a rent stabilized apartment, the city will have actually determined an amount that the rent of the apartment will be. Say you know, you have a one bedroom on the Upper West Side and it's rent stabilized, and the city has said, this is worth twenty nine thirty seven and eighteen cents. That is what we've calculated and determined. And the landlord goes, well, that's higher than what I want to rent it for. And so in order to legally go below that, what they do is they have what's called a preferential rent, which is the amount that they are offering you. So even if the city says the legal amount is that high, the landlord can say, my preferential rent is twenty five hundred. That's what i'll offer to you, and they'll outline the terms. And this always comes in a rider that is attached to the lease. Riders will always overrule anything that is said in the lease, so often what you really want to be paying attention to when reading a lease are the writers that come at the very end, because that's where it'll get specific about how the landlord wants to run the lease.

Absolutely, yeah, Lisa. There's a lot of what I like to call legalies in these giant documents, and so I understand the frustration of not wanting to read through them, but I advocate for anyone to completely read their lease before they sign anything, because you never know what might be in there, the big things that you want to be looking out for. You want to confirm the rent amount, and as you mentioned, sometimes the rent amount here in New York can look different when there's something called a preferential rent. A preferential rent comes into play when the apartment is a certain legal rent. So in a rent stabilized apartment, the city will have actually determined an amount that the rent of the apartment will be. Say you know, you have a one bedroom on the Upper West Side and it's rent stabilized, and the city has said, this is worth twenty nine thirty seven and eighteen cents. That is what we've calculated and determined. And the landlord goes, well, that's higher than what I want to rent it for. And so in order to legally go below that, what they do is they have what's called a preferential rent, which is the amount that they are offering you. So even if the city says the legal amount is that high, the landlord can say, my preferential rent is twenty five hundred. That's what i'll offer to you, and they'll outline the terms. And this always comes in a rider that is attached to the lease. Riders will always overrule anything that is said in the lease, so often what you really want to be paying attention to when reading a lease are the writers that come at the very end, because that's where it'll get specific about how the landlord wants to run the lease.

Another term we may come across when reading a lease is rent stabilized or rent controlled. We hear this term a lot in New York, but these days it seems even harder to find an apartment that actually falls into either of these categories. But New York isn't the only city with rent stabilized or rent control housing. Earlier this year, Boston City Council approved the Home Ral Petition, which is now with the Massachusetts legislature. If it becomes law, the city of Boston will be authorized to implement rent stabilization to units. And in Portland, Maine, residents just voted against changes to a rent control law. This means that the city will maintain its current guidelines, which only allow landlords to raise the rent by five percent when a new tenant moves in. These are terms that are thrown around a lot, rent stabilized versus rent controlled. What are the differences between these two.

Another term we may come across when reading a lease is rent stabilized or rent controlled. We hear this term a lot in New York, but these days it seems even harder to find an apartment that actually falls into either of these categories. But New York isn't the only city with rent stabilized or rent control housing. Earlier this year, Boston City Council approved the Home Ral Petition, which is now with the Massachusetts legislature. If it becomes law, the city of Boston will be authorized to implement rent stabilization to units. And in Portland, Maine, residents just voted against changes to a rent control law. This means that the city will maintain its current guidelines, which only allow landlords to raise the rent by five percent when a new tenant moves in. These are terms that are thrown around a lot, rent stabilized versus rent controlled. What are the differences between these two.

Well, I'll go a little bigger and I'll say here, in New York there are three types of apartments. The most common is what's called a market rate apartment. This means that it's not regulated by the city. The landlord is basically allowed to do whatever terms they want, set whatever prices they want. They can increase the rent however much they want. This is your standard apartment. The next tier of apartments is what's called rent stabilized, which is a certain list of apartments. It's about two million units in the city that New York City has regulations over. They're allowed to control these apartments, and through many crazy determinations, they have decided which ones are rent stabilized and which ones are not, and what the prices are in all of this, but if you find an apartment that says that it's rent stabilized, what that means is that the city is protecting you from the landlord in a lot of ways, and they are regulating the landlord in terms of what they are allowed to do. The biggest benefit is that it caps the amount that a landlord is allowed to increase the rent from least term to the next least term. It's not a set number like in the history. It's not just like it's two percent every single year. What New York City does is that there's a rent regulation Guideline Board. I believe that's the term that convenes, and they determine on a year to year basis what that percentage is going to be. So, for example, during the lockdown of twenty twenty, they determined that it would be zero percent. A landlord would be allowed to raise the rent zero going from one least term to the next. The following year, I believe they determined it. It was a complicated thing. It was like it was somewhere around two point five percent, but it split between the first six months in the last six months. But anyways, rent stabilized means that you have a lot of protections from the city. In addition to the benefit of the rent being able to only increase by a certain small percentage, you're allowed to legally sublet. You have a lot more protections when it comes to what the landlord is allowed to do to the building and how they're allowed to treat you, and if you ever need to go to court, God forbid. You got a lot backing you, which is very very helpful. You brought up the third, which is rent controlled. Rent controlled is a really crazy situation. If an apartment is rent controlled, it means that the same tenant or their descendants in some way have been living in that apartment since before nineteen seventy eight.

Well, I'll go a little bigger and I'll say here, in New York there are three types of apartments. The most common is what's called a market rate apartment. This means that it's not regulated by the city. The landlord is basically allowed to do whatever terms they want, set whatever prices they want. They can increase the rent however much they want. This is your standard apartment. The next tier of apartments is what's called rent stabilized, which is a certain list of apartments. It's about two million units in the city that New York City has regulations over. They're allowed to control these apartments, and through many crazy determinations, they have decided which ones are rent stabilized and which ones are not, and what the prices are in all of this, but if you find an apartment that says that it's rent stabilized, what that means is that the city is protecting you from the landlord in a lot of ways, and they are regulating the landlord in terms of what they are allowed to do. The biggest benefit is that it caps the amount that a landlord is allowed to increase the rent from least term to the next least term. It's not a set number like in the history. It's not just like it's two percent every single year. What New York City does is that there's a rent regulation Guideline Board. I believe that's the term that convenes, and they determine on a year to year basis what that percentage is going to be. So, for example, during the lockdown of twenty twenty, they determined that it would be zero percent. A landlord would be allowed to raise the rent zero going from one least term to the next. The following year, I believe they determined it. It was a complicated thing. It was like it was somewhere around two point five percent, but it split between the first six months in the last six months. But anyways, rent stabilized means that you have a lot of protections from the city. In addition to the benefit of the rent being able to only increase by a certain small percentage, you're allowed to legally sublet. You have a lot more protections when it comes to what the landlord is allowed to do to the building and how they're allowed to treat you, and if you ever need to go to court, God forbid. You got a lot backing you, which is very very helpful. You brought up the third, which is rent controlled. Rent controlled is a really crazy situation. If an apartment is rent controlled, it means that the same tenant or their descendants in some way have been living in that apartment since before nineteen seventy eight.

Wow.

Wow.

Yeah, so prior to nineteen seventy eight there were different rent guidelines. So for example, I knew someone who had a grandmother who was in a rent control department. She moved into the apartment in the nineteen fifties and when she passed away, the rent was about five hundred dollars and market rate was about fifteen thousand dollars. To give an example of what it really means to be in a rent control department, it's a very extreme difference. Likely one is never going to find a rent control department on the market because the tenants aren't going to move out and not gonna list it. And if the landlord gets a rent control department, they're going to like do the legal changes that they're allowed to do in order to bring it back to market rate. So never expect to find rent controlled. If someone says that they're looking for rent controlled they usually mean they're looking for rent stabilized.

Yeah, so prior to nineteen seventy eight there were different rent guidelines. So for example, I knew someone who had a grandmother who was in a rent control department. She moved into the apartment in the nineteen fifties and when she passed away, the rent was about five hundred dollars and market rate was about fifteen thousand dollars. To give an example of what it really means to be in a rent control department, it's a very extreme difference. Likely one is never going to find a rent control department on the market because the tenants aren't going to move out and not gonna list it. And if the landlord gets a rent control department, they're going to like do the legal changes that they're allowed to do in order to bring it back to market rate. So never expect to find rent controlled. If someone says that they're looking for rent controlled they usually mean they're looking for rent stabilized.

As the cost of living prices increase in a number of cities across the country, there have been a lot of conversations around rent stabilization and rent control, and many residents are fighting for more of those options as a means of keeping housing more affordable. But as Mark points out, these are two different things. According to an article in Forbes written by the CEO of rent Tech, direct rent control means the local government dictates how much an owner can charge and rent. Generally, this rate is locked in at this amount thanks to rent controlled. That's also how Monica and Rachel from Friends afforded such a spacious two bedroom in the West Village. Monica had inherited the least for the rent control department after her grandmother had passed away. Rent stabilized, on the other hand, provides owners more flexibility on rent increases, but as Mark states, a designated committee within the local government determines how much landlords can increase the rent from year to year or lease to lease. But we now know that there's a limited number of both rent controlled and rent stabilized apartments, and there are only a handful of states that actually provide rent control departments, and there are some that outlaw rent control altogether. So if this isn't an option to us, what are some of the other ways we can negotiate the best deal for an apartment.

As the cost of living prices increase in a number of cities across the country, there have been a lot of conversations around rent stabilization and rent control, and many residents are fighting for more of those options as a means of keeping housing more affordable. But as Mark points out, these are two different things. According to an article in Forbes written by the CEO of rent Tech, direct rent control means the local government dictates how much an owner can charge and rent. Generally, this rate is locked in at this amount thanks to rent controlled. That's also how Monica and Rachel from Friends afforded such a spacious two bedroom in the West Village. Monica had inherited the least for the rent control department after her grandmother had passed away. Rent stabilized, on the other hand, provides owners more flexibility on rent increases, but as Mark states, a designated committee within the local government determines how much landlords can increase the rent from year to year or lease to lease. But we now know that there's a limited number of both rent controlled and rent stabilized apartments, and there are only a handful of states that actually provide rent control departments, and there are some that outlaw rent control altogether. So if this isn't an option to us, what are some of the other ways we can negotiate the best deal for an apartment.

The first thing one should do if they're trying to negotiate is trust their broker. Let their broker do all the negotiating for them, and trust that the broker knows what's an appropriate negotiation and what's not, because I can almost promise you that they have a better relationship connection and understanding of what the landlord will allow and won't allow in terms of bargaining on any game and lease. The second thing one should be aware of is what the current state of the market is. They should know whether it is a buyer's market or a seller's market. And the more that it's a buyer's market, as in there's a lot of availability, prices are low, you have a lot of options. If that's the state of the market, the more likely a landlord is willing to negotiate with you. So, for example, in twenty twenty, when the world was in lockdown and there were you know, the vacancy rate was about twenty percent in New York City, there was a ton of wiggle room for bargaining. I was able to get an extra free month out of my lease through bargaining, just because management companies were so desperate to get people in they'd agree to pretty much anything. But come this past summer, for example, it had flipped completely. It was no longer the buyer's market. It was one hundred percent the seller's market. The management companies they had so little apartments that they had literally lines around the block of people who were trying to rent an apartment. And in a condition like that, they're not going to negotiate on anything because they will just go to the next person who is willing to meet them at whatever their demands are. So that all is to say, the state of the market will determine a lot about how much you'll be able to negotiate. But in terms of generally what's permitted, you could negotiate maybe a reduction in amenity fees, like maybe ask for like a discount for a certain amount of months. You could say something like, I don't know if I'm going to use these amenities, I'd love to try them out. Is there any way I could just get a couple months free. Maybe they'll say yes to that. You could maybe try to negotiate the rent amount on a lease. I would recommend dropping in increments of about twenty five dollars and anything more than one hundred is probably pretty extreme. You can also negotiate the terms. Say the management company wants a twelve month term and you say, well, that's not going to work for me. I'm going to want this to end and you know two months after that, I really want a fourteenth month lease. That's something that you could also negotiate. You can negotiate the move dates, and yeah, I would say those are the big things that one is probably able to have some flexibility around.

The first thing one should do if they're trying to negotiate is trust their broker. Let their broker do all the negotiating for them, and trust that the broker knows what's an appropriate negotiation and what's not, because I can almost promise you that they have a better relationship connection and understanding of what the landlord will allow and won't allow in terms of bargaining on any game and lease. The second thing one should be aware of is what the current state of the market is. They should know whether it is a buyer's market or a seller's market. And the more that it's a buyer's market, as in there's a lot of availability, prices are low, you have a lot of options. If that's the state of the market, the more likely a landlord is willing to negotiate with you. So, for example, in twenty twenty, when the world was in lockdown and there were you know, the vacancy rate was about twenty percent in New York City, there was a ton of wiggle room for bargaining. I was able to get an extra free month out of my lease through bargaining, just because management companies were so desperate to get people in they'd agree to pretty much anything. But come this past summer, for example, it had flipped completely. It was no longer the buyer's market. It was one hundred percent the seller's market. The management companies they had so little apartments that they had literally lines around the block of people who were trying to rent an apartment. And in a condition like that, they're not going to negotiate on anything because they will just go to the next person who is willing to meet them at whatever their demands are. So that all is to say, the state of the market will determine a lot about how much you'll be able to negotiate. But in terms of generally what's permitted, you could negotiate maybe a reduction in amenity fees, like maybe ask for like a discount for a certain amount of months. You could say something like, I don't know if I'm going to use these amenities, I'd love to try them out. Is there any way I could just get a couple months free. Maybe they'll say yes to that. You could maybe try to negotiate the rent amount on a lease. I would recommend dropping in increments of about twenty five dollars and anything more than one hundred is probably pretty extreme. You can also negotiate the terms. Say the management company wants a twelve month term and you say, well, that's not going to work for me. I'm going to want this to end and you know two months after that, I really want a fourteenth month lease. That's something that you could also negotiate. You can negotiate the move dates, and yeah, I would say those are the big things that one is probably able to have some flexibility around.

Is there anything that we can leverage once we're renewing a lease, either to have the increase in rent reduce or anything else of those? You know, is it possible to still get extra months like you had mentioned, when you're already living in a place that's hard.

Is there anything that we can leverage once we're renewing a lease, either to have the increase in rent reduce or anything else of those? You know, is it possible to still get extra months like you had mentioned, when you're already living in a place that's hard.

That's hard to get extra months In terms of what you can leverage for a lease renewal. One thing I really like to leverage is how good of a tenant you've been. You can always come back and say, hey, I haven't had any issues I've always paid my rent on time. Whatever kind of good community service you can pitch to the landlord is a good one because it's always very welcoming. If you go beyond the good stuff and you want to start getting into the more tussle territory, you could keep track of the issues that the landlord had, like if they didn't fix something that legally they were allowed to fix, or if they weren't on time with their lease renewal. Those are things that you could leverage against them in order to get some kind of concession and whatever the concession is. The best way to go about it is usually asking for free things, not necessarily like a reduction in your rent, but asking for one month free. They're much more willing to negotiate on just not charging you for a certain period of time than they are to actually adjust anything on the lease or lower the value of the property, because that hurts them more long term.

That's hard to get extra months In terms of what you can leverage for a lease renewal. One thing I really like to leverage is how good of a tenant you've been. You can always come back and say, hey, I haven't had any issues I've always paid my rent on time. Whatever kind of good community service you can pitch to the landlord is a good one because it's always very welcoming. If you go beyond the good stuff and you want to start getting into the more tussle territory, you could keep track of the issues that the landlord had, like if they didn't fix something that legally they were allowed to fix, or if they weren't on time with their lease renewal. Those are things that you could leverage against them in order to get some kind of concession and whatever the concession is. The best way to go about it is usually asking for free things, not necessarily like a reduction in your rent, but asking for one month free. They're much more willing to negotiate on just not charging you for a certain period of time than they are to actually adjust anything on the lease or lower the value of the property, because that hurts them more long term.

When are they legally supposed to deliver a lease renewal side of curiosity.

When are they legally supposed to deliver a lease renewal side of curiosity.

It gets very specific the amount of time that the landlord needs to give you. On one hand, it depends whether the apartment's rent stabilized or if it's market rate if it's rent stabilized, they need to give you the lease renewal at least thirty days in advance. If you've been in an apartment for less than one year, If you've been in it for one to two years, they need to give it at least sixty days in advance. And if you've been in an apartment for more than two years, they need to give it at least ninety days in advance. With a market rate apartment, legally they only need to give you a lease renewal during those date ranges if they intend to increase the rent by at least five percent. If they intend to increase by at least five percent, they need to follow those same guidelines. Otherwise they do not.

It gets very specific the amount of time that the landlord needs to give you. On one hand, it depends whether the apartment's rent stabilized or if it's market rate if it's rent stabilized, they need to give you the lease renewal at least thirty days in advance. If you've been in an apartment for less than one year, If you've been in it for one to two years, they need to give it at least sixty days in advance. And if you've been in an apartment for more than two years, they need to give it at least ninety days in advance. With a market rate apartment, legally they only need to give you a lease renewal during those date ranges if they intend to increase the rent by at least five percent. If they intend to increase by at least five percent, they need to follow those same guidelines. Otherwise they do not.

Is there any other final parting wisdom that you want to share for folks who are trying to find an apartment to rent for the first time.

Is there any other final parting wisdom that you want to share for folks who are trying to find an apartment to rent for the first time.

Yeah, In general, don't stress too much and find people to help you out, whether that's a friend or a family member, or using a broker who really understands the market. It can be a lot of work, especially if you're moving into a place that you've never moved before, and the more support you can get, the better and I think it'll just make your experience and the home that you'll ultimately find a much better place. So make sure to reach out through these kinds of connections as much as you can. And like I said, if you're choosing to work with a broker, I have always found that when a person decides to just meet one broker who they like a lot, and they create a really strong relationship, it can lead to a really great apartment search.

Yeah, In general, don't stress too much and find people to help you out, whether that's a friend or a family member, or using a broker who really understands the market. It can be a lot of work, especially if you're moving into a place that you've never moved before, and the more support you can get, the better and I think it'll just make your experience and the home that you'll ultimately find a much better place. So make sure to reach out through these kinds of connections as much as you can. And like I said, if you're choosing to work with a broker, I have always found that when a person decides to just meet one broker who they like a lot, and they create a really strong relationship, it can lead to a really great apartment search.

Yeah, that's great advice. And Mark, what if people want to use you as their broker, as their agent? How can we find you?

Yeah, that's great advice. And Mark, what if people want to use you as their broker, as their agent? How can we find you?

Absolutely if you're looking for an apartment here in New York, I'd love to connect with you. You can look at my social on Instagram. I'm Mark dot r dot Metzger. Or you can go to Corcoran dot com. You can search for Mark Metzger as an agent and you can find my contact information there.

Absolutely if you're looking for an apartment here in New York, I'd love to connect with you. You can look at my social on Instagram. I'm Mark dot r dot Metzger. Or you can go to Corcoran dot com. You can search for Mark Metzger as an agent and you can find my contact information there.

And that's Mark with a K, not a C AN M E t Z G E R, which we will also include in the show notes as well. Mark, thank you so much for your time. This is super helpful and I really appreciate it.

And that's Mark with a K, not a C AN M E t Z G E R, which we will also include in the show notes as well. Mark, thank you so much for your time. This is super helpful and I really appreciate it.

Yeah, it's been a real pleasure, Molly.

Yeah, it's been a real pleasure, Molly.

So because so much of what we have talked about today has been very New York specific. I highly recommend checking out your city's Department of Housing website for details about renter's rights and laws concerning rent increases and lease agreements. You'll also be able to find links there to report your landlord if they've neglected to maintain the property. But here are a few other things I've learned from my conversation with Mark. As you begin your search, websites like Zillo and Redfinn can give you a good sense of the market and how much your ideal apartment might cost. Brokers, especially those who you're vibing with, can be an invaluable resource and often show your apartments that have yet to be listed online. But know that it is possible to find an apartment on your own using online resources. Just make sure you're keeping track of which units you've seen and with whom. Thoroughly inspect apartments, check out that water pressure, make a note of everything that needs repairing before you move in. And while you might be able to afford the rent, ask about additional costs like amenities and utilities, and make sure they're in your budget before signing. Read your lease carefully, especially the writers, because those will often supersede the lease itself. That's all for today's episode. I know I have learned a lot about my rights as a renter and some really helpful tips for the next time I have to search for an apartment, which I hope is a far far time from now, because I hate moving. I'm feeling more grown up with every episode. Honestly, do I look more mature, Matt? Do I see more responsible?

So because so much of what we have talked about today has been very New York specific. I highly recommend checking out your city's Department of Housing website for details about renter's rights and laws concerning rent increases and lease agreements. You'll also be able to find links there to report your landlord if they've neglected to maintain the property. But here are a few other things I've learned from my conversation with Mark. As you begin your search, websites like Zillo and Redfinn can give you a good sense of the market and how much your ideal apartment might cost. Brokers, especially those who you're vibing with, can be an invaluable resource and often show your apartments that have yet to be listed online. But know that it is possible to find an apartment on your own using online resources. Just make sure you're keeping track of which units you've seen and with whom. Thoroughly inspect apartments, check out that water pressure, make a note of everything that needs repairing before you move in. And while you might be able to afford the rent, ask about additional costs like amenities and utilities, and make sure they're in your budget before signing. Read your lease carefully, especially the writers, because those will often supersede the lease itself. That's all for today's episode. I know I have learned a lot about my rights as a renter and some really helpful tips for the next time I have to search for an apartment, which I hope is a far far time from now, because I hate moving. I'm feeling more grown up with every episode. Honestly, do I look more mature, Matt? Do I see more responsible?

Okay, Molly, you look younger than I've ever seen you, but that you seem so much more?

Okay, Molly, you look younger than I've ever seen you, but that you seem so much more?

But sure? Well, what is next on our tour of grown up Stuff?

But sure? Well, what is next on our tour of grown up Stuff?

Next up is buying a car? Leasing versus renting, used versus new? What the heck MSRP means? What are the latest must have features?

Next up is buying a car? Leasing versus renting, used versus new? What the heck MSRP means? What are the latest must have features?

Oh? Yeah, speaking, you must have features. I really hope backup cameras now come standard. Let's just say I've had a few incidences driving in.

Oh? Yeah, speaking, you must have features. I really hope backup cameras now come standard. Let's just say I've had a few incidences driving in.

Reverse for the sake of other drivers on the road, So you're navigating? I hope they are, but we will be sure to find out in two weeks on the next episode of grown up Stuff? How do a don't?

Reverse for the sake of other drivers on the road, So you're navigating? I hope they are, but we will be sure to find out in two weeks on the next episode of grown up Stuff? How do a don't?

And remember you might not be great in life, but it never hurts to do your homework. This is a production from Ruby Studios at iHeartMedia.

And remember you might not be great in life, but it never hurts to do your homework. This is a production from Ruby Studios at iHeartMedia.

Our executive producers are Molly.

Our executive producers are Molly.

Sosha and Matt Stillo. This episode was engineered by Matt.

Sosha and Matt Stillo. This episode was engineered by Matt.

Stillo and written by Molly Soshia. Special thanks to the Ruby team including Eden Fixel, Rachel Swan, Krasnov, Amber Smith, Nikia Swinton, Sierra Kaiser, Sierra Spreen, and Andy Kelly.

Stillo and written by Molly Soshia. Special thanks to the Ruby team including Eden Fixel, Rachel Swan, Krasnov, Amber Smith, Nikia Swinton, Sierra Kaiser, Sierra Spreen, and Andy Kelly.