The Hardest Time To Grab An NYC Apartment Is Almost Here

NEW YORK — New York City's apartment market changes with the seasons — and the competition is hottest at the height of summer, a new analysis says.

The second and third weeks of July are when renters face the most competition for apartments in Manhattan and Brooklyn, as many tenants like to move in the summertime and landlords like to list units when they have the most leverage, according to the StreetEasy report published Thursday.

The real estate website reached that conclusion from its Renter Demand Index, a statistical model based on renter behavior and market data from a three-year period.

The index showed that renter demand peaks in mid- July in most Manhattan and Brooklyn neighborhoods, according to the report. There will also be roughly 11 percent more apartments available next month, as rental inventory also jumps in July, StreetEasy says.

"Demand varies considerably within the month, too," the report reads. "Even two weeks before the mid-July rush, competition for apartments is noticeably weaker, as many New Yorkers leave town to celebrate the Fourth of July."

But competition can vary — demand among renters "spikes" outside of July in 20 percent of Brooklyn and Manhattan neighborhoods, the report says. SoHo, for instance, sees competition peak in May, while the Financial District sees the most demand in late August and Sunset Park's crest comes in mid-September, according to StreetEasy.

Read the full report here to see when competition peaks in your neighborhood.