Rent in Bushwick, get a free TV
It’s not exactly a free Tesla with the purchase of a multi-million dollar condo, but a flatscreen included with your Bushwick rental? We’d take it.
‘Tis the slow season for New York landlords, which means that some are offering sweeteners like free rent and no broker’s fees to tenants. The owner of 871 Hart Street, a three-story walk-up, is getting a little more inventive with an offer of a free TV for renters who sign a lease on a $3,600/month four-bedroom by Thursday.
“I always look for creative ways to market a property; I do some wacky things,” says David Ades of Perfect Properties and Management, a company that gut-renovates rental buildings, mostly in Bushwick and East Williamsburg. “Everyone does things the same way, and I hate that.”
(Among Ades’ other innovative marketing ideas: filling vacant apartments by matching strangers who would otherwise sublet rooms in shared accommodation, often via Craigslist. First, he takes deposits from solo renters, and then when enough are on board to fill each bedroom, they all sign a lease together. The benefit, according to Ades, is that each one moves in as an equal partner, rather than having to accommodate the existing roommates’ lifestyles.)
The idea behind the flatscreen promotion is to persuade tenants to sign deals quickly. "January happens to be a little bit of a slow month, so I’ll do it now,” Ades says. The promotion went live on Thursday and, while he hasn’t found any takers yet, he says that “a lot of people” have come to look at the apartment.
At only 1,000 square feet, it's on the small side for a four-bedroom, and the ad is light on pictures of the bedrooms, so we're guessing they're not exactly spacious. Also, it’s a subway stop or two away from prime Bushwick. That said, the place seems like a pretty good deal, especially for roommates. For $900 a person, you get more bells and whistles than your typical Brooklyn walk-up: new appliances, including a dishwasher; central air; a common area wired for speakers and an iPod dock; and 1.5 bathrooms. The pet-friendly building also comes with rooftop access, laundry and storage, and it’s only a few blocks from the Dekalb L train. Plus, no broker’s fee.
But if you want that television, better get on it.
Related:
How to snag a discount on your rent this winter
Hey renters with funky credit: One landlord apparently feels your pain
