Gretchen Connelie tried to relax despite the news she got about her apartment. The good deal she landed on rent during the pandemic runs out when her lease is up. Her rent will be up by about 50% if she stays in her apartment.

"I laughed. I honestly didn't think it could be real,” Connelie said.

"I expected there to be some bump just because of supply and demand. To have it go up by $1,000 — no actually $1,100 — was shocking to me.”

She moved in during the winter, when pandemic pricing made New York housing more affordable. Her new place came with more space to work from home as a freelancer.

"This unit on the same floor across the hallway became available and it was only slightly more than what I was paying for my existing unit,” 
Connelie said.

She said the New York Emergency Rental Assistance Program, or ERAP, helped pay her rent for the months when she wasn't working.

"As soon as the applications opened I was able to get mine in and then it was approved at the end of September so it did take a little while but then that actually worked out to the benefit because all of my rent is paid up, my landlord has their money,” Connelie said.

Now, the idea of paying so much more to rent the same apartment doesn't seem feasible to her.

We reached out to her building's leasing company. A rep said they do not discuss any tenant's lease with anyone else. However, Streeteasy reported citywide the median rent is near $2,700.

Apartment Guide also said rent prices on one-bedroom apartments have spiked 36% since August 2020. 

For Connelie, she just wants to stay in her apartment.

"I'm not looking at other units because I feel confident that we'll be able to work something out,” Connelie said.