NYC landlords were caught renting out 'micro rooms' for $600 a month. Here are 7 places in the US where you can legally rent an apartment for that much - or less.
- In August, two Manhattan landlords were caught renting out illegal micro-apartments for $600 a month.
- Zillow provided Business Insider with a list of 36 US cities where you can legally rent an actual apartment for that much (or less).
- Of those 36 cities, Business Insider narrowed it down to a list of the largest seven, in terms of population.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
In August, two Manhattan landlords were caught renting out illegal sub-units with no windows, sprinklers, or fire-safety systems. In one of the illegal apartments, the ceilings were reported to be just 4.5 to 6 feet tall.
Gothamist reports that the tiny spaces were being rented out for $600 a month.
Given that New York City is home to one of America's most expensive rental markets, it's no surprise that even illegal micro-apartments will cost renters a pretty penny. In fact, one year's worth of the average legal rent in Manhattan ($2,980 for a one-bedroom, as of June 2019) is more than three-quarters of the country's average annual salary, which is $47,060.
But not every American city is this outrageously expensive.
With the help of Zillow, Business Insider compiled a list of cities where you can legally rent a real apartment - windows included! - for less than $600 a month. Of the 36 cities Zillow provided, Business Insider has listed the seven largest in terms of population. Population data for each city was collected from Niche, a ranking and review site.
Keep reading for a list of places in the US where the median monthly rent is less than $600, ranked from the most to the least expensive.