Look at streeteasy.com, lots of listings and no need to find your own broker. Some landlords will take a large security deposit (3-6 months) in lieu of a guarantor. Expect to pay security deposit (lowest is one month) + first and last month’s rent + broker fee (one month of rent - if they ask for 15%, try to negotiate it down) at signing. If you go for a luxury building, you can often get away with no broker’s fee. Look in Queens or Brooklyn for more affordable apartments, but pay attention to how far subway stops are and whether they’ll need to transfer.