Free resources

Renting, credit & your rights

Straight answers for renters and landlords in New York. Everything here is free and open — no account needed.

Your NYC renter rights in 2026

Application-fee caps, the FARE Act, the tenant-blacklist ban, and what a landlord can and cannot ask for.

Why your rent usually doesn't count — and the ways to make it start counting toward your score.

What it is, which credit scores actually use it, and how to decide if it's worth it.

The disclosures and riders a New York lease needs — and how to sign one properly.

What New York and California require of landlords who offer rent reporting — and what is still just proposed.

New to the US, young, or credit-invisible? Here's exactly how to rent in New York without a credit score — and how to prove you're reliable instead.

Since June 2025, New York City tenants generally no longer pay the broker fee on landlord-listed apartments. Here's how the FARE Act works.

No guarantor? Here are the real options — from institutional guarantor services to proving your own reliability — and their trade-offs.

A straight comparison of rent reporting options — prices, which bureaus, and the honest truth most reviews won't tell you about credit scores.

A curated set of official, free NYC and NYS resources — housing agencies, legal aid, credit reports, and how to look up who really owns a building.