Hi all, hope you’re enjoying the beginning of fall! It’s hard to believe October is already around the corner. As the weather starts to cool down and we settle into a new season, there are a few interesting developments and helpful resources we wanted to share with you this month.
In this edition of our NYC Homeowner newsletter, we’re covering everything from a rental tool that could help certain homeowners expand their pool of qualified tenants, to a New York program that can help eligible households lower their energy bills. We’re also sharing an important warning about a growing type of real estate fraud, an update on NYC’s short-term rental market, and a look at the proposed Sunnyside Yard development.
As always, our goal is simply to keep you informed about things that could affect you, your home, or the NYC real estate market. We hope you find something useful.
P.S.
Check out our recent Instagram post where we documented a day in the life of NYHT 🙂
P.P.S.
One of our team members recently replaced their awning and they are in love with it! If you want to get the contact info for the awning company they used, let us know.
Could Insurent Help You Rent Your Property?
We recently learned about Insurent through one of our current seller clients, and when we looked into it further, we thought it was worth sharing with other NYC homeowners. Insurent is essentially an institutional lease guarantor: instead of requiring a tenant to find a family member or friend who meets a landlord’s financial requirements, an approved tenant can pay Insurent a fee to guarantee the lease. This can be particularly useful for landlords who have a great prospective tenant who doesn’t quite meet traditional income or guarantor requirements—such as self-employed renters, international tenants, recent graduates, or others who may have difficulty finding a qualified personal guarantor. For homeowners who rent out a property, accepting Insurent can potentially open the door to a larger pool of qualified renters without requiring the landlord to pay the guaranty fee.
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Could You Qualify for a Discount on Your Energy Bills?
If your household income falls below certain New York State or local median-income thresholds, you may qualify for the Energy Affordability Program (EAP). The program provides monthly discounts directly on eligible electric and/or natural gas bills, and eligibility was expanded in 2026 to include additional households below the median-income level. Some households receiving programs such as HEAP, SNAP, Medicaid, SSI, or other qualifying assistance may be automatically enrolled. If you think you may qualify but aren’t receiving the discount, it’s worth checking with your utility company.
See if you qualify and learn how to apply →
A New Real Estate Scam Homeowners Should Know About
There’s a growing type of real estate fraud that’s worth knowing about: seller impersonation scams. Criminals pose as property owners and attempt to sell homes or land they don’t actually own, sometimes using stolen personal information, spoofed contact information, and even deepfake technology. A recent survey found that 59% of title companies had encountered at least one attempted seller-impersonation scam in the previous year—more than double the percentage reported in 2024.
A few simple precautions can help: regularly check your property records, sign up for your county’s deed or title notification program if one is available, be cautious about unexpected requests involving your property, and never assume an email or phone call is legitimate simply because the person appears to have your personal information. If you ever receive something suspicious involving your home, contact your attorney, title company, or real estate professional directly using a phone number you already know is legitimate.
Read more about seller impersonation fraud and how to protect yourself →
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Request a free home valuation from one of our local Queens real estate experts.
NYC’s Short-Term Rental Market Remains Dramatically Smaller
Three years after NYC’s Local Law 18 took effect, the city’s legal short-term rental market remains a fraction of what it was before the law. As of June 2026, NYC had about 3,500 registered legal short-term-rental hosts—roughly 15% of the approximately 23,000 listings that were active before the law took effect. More than three-quarters of registered hosts are homeowners, and one- and two-family homes account for more than two-thirds of the legally registered units. The city has also denied applications involving rent-regulated apartments and says hundreds of affordable units have been protected from conversion to short-term rentals.
Could Sunnyside Yard Become NYC’s Next Great Neighborhood?
One of the biggest potential housing developments in Queens is getting renewed attention. Mayor Zohran Mamdani and President Donald Trump recently discussed the long-planned Sunnyside Yard project, which envisions building a new neighborhood over the active rail yards in Queens. The current master plan calls for approximately 12,000 affordable homes, 60 acres of public open space, and a new regional transit station, along with thousands of jobs. The project would require significant federal funding and approvals, so there’s still a long road ahead—but it’s an interesting development to watch, particularly for Queens homeowners who live nearby.
Read more about the Sunnyside Yard plans →
From the Blog & YouTube Channel
NYC Economic Data
Private sector jobs in New York City rose by 27,600 over-the-year to 4,171,000 in August 2026. Gains occurred in private education and health services (+34,200), other services (+3,500), professional and business services (+3,300), financial activities (+1,800), and mining, logging, and construction (+1,500). Losses occurred in leisure and hospitality (-10,800), information (-3,800), manufacturing (-1,700), and trade, and transportation, and utilities (-400).
The city’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.8 percent in August, down two tenths of a percent from July and a decrease of 0.7 percent from August 2025. New York State’s rate was 4.3 percent in August 2026. The share of the city’s working age population (16+) who were either employed or looking for a job stood at 62.1 in August.
Well, that’s it for this month. If you have any questions or need any real estate help, please don’t hesitate to reach out. And if you haven’t already, check out our YouTube Channel, we’re putting up new episodes every week 🙂
https://m.youtube.com/queenshometeam
