rent news stories on Newser

New York's Priciest Rental: $165K a Month

Matt Cantor — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 17:26:34 CST

New York's most expensive rental is now available, and it's a steal at $165,000—some $15,000 more than the runner-up. The 5,087-square-foot Astor Suite at the Plaza boasts three bedrooms, five bathrooms, and a library, not to mention a separate apartment for guests. The suite just underwent...

How One New Yorker Lives in 90 Square Feet

John Johnson — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 13:05:05 CDT

Felice Cohen's Manhattan studio is all of 90 square feet, and she seems to have plenty of room for all the necessities. “I think a lot of people have a lot of space that they’re not using," she explains in a video from faircompanies . It also helps to "organize up"...

Obama Streaker Won't Score $1M, Will Go Rent-Free

Matt Cantor — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 11:32:32 CDT

The man who stripped to his sneakers and charged through a Philadelphia Obama rally won’t be getting the $1 million he expected—but he won’t have to worry about rent for 6 months, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer . The billionaire who commissioned the public nudity says streaker Juan Rodriguez didn’t quite...

Cost of Nancy Pelosi's New Office? $18K. Per Month.

Guvner — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 08:58:01 CDT

Speaker Nancy Pelosi has moved her district offices to a new building in San Francisco, to which she now pays $18,736 in monthly rent. The space is nearly a third larger, at quadruple the cost of the old office. The next highest monthly office rent for a member of...

Troubled Homeowners Try New Policy: Just Don't Pay

Nick McMaster — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 15:25:00 CDT

Some homeowners in foreclosure are done with trying to wrangle loan modification from the banks. They've adopted a different policy: evict me if you dare. With more than 1.7 million households in foreclosure, it can take a long time for the courts to actually eject homeowners. Last year, the...

After 5 Quarters of Decline, Rent Just Went Up

Polly Davis Doig — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 09:31:09 CDT

Rents crept up nationally in the first quarter, notching a 0.3% increase that ended five straight quarters of decline in a sector that's been particularly battered by the recession. The vacancy rate—closely linked to unemployment—held steady at 8%, while 60 of the 79 markets surveyed reported higher...

DC Office Prices About to Pass NY

Kevin Spak — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 08:09:39 CST

Washington, DC, is on the verge of passing New York as the priciest place to rent an office in the country. Rents were down pretty much across the board in the latest figures from Reis, a New York-based research firm, but DC saw only a mild 3% decline, to an...

Housing Market Woes Hit Home for Geithner

Matt Cantor — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 09:57:00 CDT

Housing market troubles are getting personal for Tim Geithner, the AP reports. The Treasury secretary bought his five-bedroom suburban New York Tudor for $1.6 million in 2004; after moving to Washington, he tried to sell it for $1.635 million. The price later dropped to $1.575 million, but...

Starbucks Looks to Cut Back on Rent

Wesley Oliver — Fri, 29 May 2009 14:42:02 CDT

Starbucks is asking some of its landlords for a venti favor: lower lease rates by as much as 25%, Bloomberg reports. With the real-estate market in decline, a rep says, “We’re taking advantage of the opportunity,” adding that most landlords foresee a “mutually beneficial situation.” Indeed, one analyst says many...