Rentals in demand: Two-bedrooms on top

TRD's weekly look at the most searched-for apartments

The demand for two-bedroom rental apartments in Manhattan is intensifying, as the unit size tied last week with one-bedrooms in terms of inquiry from prospective renters, according to Zumper, an apartment listings website.

Devin O’Brien, head of strategic marketing at Zumper, has said students returning from college are the primary force behind the rise. Two-bedrooms, which comprised 31 percent of the leads, had a median inquiry of $2,700 per month. They surpassed studios, which had 30 percent.

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The priciest inquiry was for a two-bedroom Upper East Side penthouse apartment asking $15,000 per month, while the cheapest inquiry was for a West Harlem studio apartment asking $1,100 per month. The most popular neighborhoods were, in order, the Upper East Side, Kips Bay, East Village, the Upper West Side and Hell’s Kitchen, data show.

Methodology: Zumper determined the rankings by using a representative sample of emails and phone calls from renters interested in its Manhattan listings available for the week ending June 1. — Mark Maurer