Mail Call: How Much Should Your Rent Be Increased Yearly?

August 9, 2010 | By Alissa AuthorMy First Apartment

You heard it here first — we’re going to the mailbox! Benjamin from Allentown, PA wants to know how much his rent should be increased per year. Ah, don’t we all. I’m actually about a month away from my landlord sending me my renewal papers and I’m already anxious as to whether he’s going to…

Introducing Kate, Our New Guest Blogger

August 6, 2010 | By MFA Editors AuthorMy First Apartment

A recent graduate of a small liberal arts school in upstate New York, Kate is hunting for an apartment in Boston, where her appetite for fun — and Mexican food– can be sated. Leaving the Nest I admit it. I like living at home with my parents. I mean, who can complain about home-cooked meals,…

Introducing Elyse, Our New Guest Blogger

July 27, 2010 | By MFA Editors AuthorMy First Apartment

Elyse is an NYU student who just recently managed to free herself from the college dormitory system. With her two roommates she is now rubbing elbows with the hipsters in the Lower East Side. First Apartment Living: The Infant Stages I’ve been living in my new apartment for about one and a half months. If my apartment life were a…

Fireworks and Renter’s Insurance

July 7, 2010 | By Alissa AuthorMy First Apartment

Happy post-July 4th malaise! Hopefully, you’re taking some time off to see your fam and friends — maybe there’s even a lawn chair and some ice tea with your name on it. I’m back home and, I tell ya, it’s great — but there’s no better reality check than parents having the opportunity to grill…

Can You BBQ Legally In/Around Your Apt?

April 4, 2010 | By Alissa AuthorMy First Apartment

Such nice weather this weekend! Makes me nostalgic for my summer dinners with my family, which often involved, my dad’s prized Weber Grill. I don’t have a balcony, but I do have one nifty fire escape. Which got me thinking, can I buy a grill? Check out the exact the laws of the NYC land…

Stay Warm …and Frugal!

February 4, 2010 | By Alissa AuthorMy First Apartment

Brrr Honey, it’s cold outside! And inside! Not to worry, there are ways to avoid the deep freeze in your apartment. The first consideration of course is $$. Heat is sometimes included in rent by law and sometimes not. What’s the deal with that? Well, it has to do with the way the heat is…

Keep Your No-Takeout New Year’s Resolution!

January 6, 2010 | By Alissa AuthorMy First Apartment

With the end of the holiday season comes the end of free, well-prepared food. No more well-balanced, homemade meals or three-course dinners that you pretty much just have to show up to. Nope, we’ll just have to make it be our New Year’s resolution to treat ourselves better and eat more healthily. We’ll actually have…

How to Cozy Up your Apartment for the Holidays. . without going home

November 19, 2009 | By Alissa AuthorMy First Apartment

The holidays are coming! The holidays are coming! A lot of folks I know aren’t going home this year because of $$ issues so I thought I’d write a few post about how to make your apartment really embody that home away from home feeling. The first thing I notice about my parents’ house is…

Emergencies Happen. You Need a Great Landlord

October 28, 2009 | By Alissa AuthorMy First Apartment

Living on one’s own, things don’t always go as planned. Might as well just plan on that, actually. But, there are smart ways to plan — like making sure that your landlord is the kind that takes care of business. When I first met my landlord, I took note of how on-the-ball he was and…

Lowdown on Your Tenant Rights in NYC!

October 22, 2009 | By Alissa AuthorMy First Apartment

Signing a lease gives you legal rights. It also gives you legal responsibilities. Do you know what they are? Thanks to New York State Senator Liz Krueger’s 2009 Housing Update — there’s one easy place where you can find out everything you need to know and more. Here’s a thumbnail version. Tenants Are Entitled To:*A…