Record-high rents and bidding wars leave NYC house hunters scrambling for shelter this summer

Daniela Mora, a stand-up comedian and content creator, found nothing to laugh about when she began her hunt for a one-bedroom rental in Manhattan this year. 

In order to find a new lease by June 1, Mora’s May consisted of scouring StreetEasy at all hours of the night and spending her spare time schlepping across the city to open houses.

“The minute [brokers] text you, you have to fly over to Queens or wherever, trying to be the first person in this unit,” Mora, 26, told The Post. “It’s kind of like a second full-time job.”

Under pressure to pursue every possible lead, Mora found herself pushing back professional meetings, canceling workout classes and arriving late to comedy shows. She toured close to 25 apartments, applied to two and got into a bidding war — yes, a bidding war — over one.

And Mora’s not alone. New Yorkers on the hunt for a new lease this summer are battling more than just heat waves. Historically high rents, low vacancy rates and agonizing bidding wars — a phenomenon typically reserved for home purchases — define this year’s red-hot summer rental market.

Rent in Manhattan reached an all-time high in June, according to a new report from appraiser Miller Samuel and brokerage Douglas Elliman. The record-setting prices started unseasonably early this year, as far back as February, and have climbed nearly every month since. The median rent for a Manhattan one-bedroom in June was a record-breaking $4,625, and new lease signings well outpaced inventory.