Need furniture on a short-term basis? CORT's got you covered

Moving to New York can be daunting—even if the relocation is only temporary. A diligent apartment search or a really good broker can yield decent short-term digs, but if it comes unfurnished, it usually doesn't make sense to spend the time or money outfitting a place unless you tend to settle down for the long haul.

That's where CORT—the subject of this week’s Real. Est. List Spotlight Series—can help. The furniture rental company specializes in furniture for any impermanent situation, including job relos, students, businesses, home staging, and trade shows.

There are a number of turnkey package deals aimed at making furnishing your living or working space a breeze (for details, skip to the bottom). If the packages aren’t doing it for you, or you simply need less stuff, you can rent by the room or even by the piece. Within 48 hours, you can be living (or working) in a fully furnished space.

CORT has more than 100 locations in the U.S., as well as a slew of retail stores throughout Europe. In June, CORT will host the grand opening of a brand-new 6,000-square-foot showroom in Two Grand Central Tower, just a block from Grand Central Terminal—an easy-to-find locale for even the newest of New York newbies—including students on a tight budget.

“For students coming from across the country or across the world, [we] make it easy,” says Dominique Ferraro, a CORT University Specialist. For as little as $99 a month, students can live like the adults they aspire to be, with a suite of furniture that includes dining tables, sofas, beds, and even table lamps.

And when it's time to move on, there are no Craigslist moving sales to manage. Just call CORT to have your furniture picked up.

“It’s like checking into a hotel and eventually checking out,” says Ferraro. 

How it works

Once you’ve determined that you’d rather rent than buy furnishings (for a home, office or event), log on to the CORT website or visit a showroom to learn what’s on offer.

If you’re spatially-challenged or simply unclear what furniture would work in a given room, a CORT representative can come to the actual site to space-plan with you at no additional cost.

The furniture (whether it’s a single chair or an entire apartment’s worth of stuff) will be delivered within 48 hours. Rent for as short or as long as you need.

Make sure to let CORT know at least 15 days before you’re ready to skip town and your furniture will be picked up. It’s one less thing to deal with when your bags are packed and you’re ready to go.

Note: If you’re in need of advice beyond just what type of couch you ought to be settling into for the duration of your stay, the company also offers relocation services, wherein representatives can help you with everything from obtaining a driver’s license to finding a place to live to helping you locate the best school for your kids.  

Package deals

CORT has several popular package deals. The fees listed below are starting rental prices.

Move-In Ready: Don’t fret if your interior design skills are nonexistent. CORT has a number of turnkey Move-In Ready packages that include furnishings for an entire apartment. Prices for a standard-size one-bedroom (with a living room, dining room and bedroom) range from $232.99 (Easy and Affordable) to $322.99 (Uncompromising Style) to $434.99 (A Higher Standard) a month depending on the level of luxury. Each package includes a sofa, chair, cocktail table, end table and table lamp, a dining table with four chairs, a headboard, mattress set, dresser, mirror, nightstand and table lamp.

Student: If you can produce a valid student ID (whether you’re an undergrad, grad student, medical resident or even faculty), CORT can help you furnish your apartment for as little as $99 a month.

• The Necessities: For $99 a month, this package includes basics for a living room, dining room and bedroom—everything you need to eat, relax and sleep in a one-bedroom apartment.
• The Academic: This package (also $99 a month) offers the same comforts as the Necessities package, but with a study desk, chair and lamp instead of a dining room table and chairs.
• Entertainment: If you have a little more money to burn, this package ($199 a month), which includes bedroom, dining room, living room, study furniture and a 32-inch LCD TV, could work for you.
• Entertainment Plus: This package ($299 a month) has everything that's in the Entertainment Package, but adds a 42-inch TV and other decorative pieces such as accent pillows, three pieces of art, and an extra table lamp and end table to make you feel even more at home.

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