Finding affordable rental spots like Huntington, Long Beach, Farmingdale

When Olivia Morgan moved to New York in September from North Carolina to start a master's degree at LIU Post, she soon got an education on renting an apartment on Long Island. She and boyfriend Milan Miles would leave voicemails for landlords and never hear back, stumble across listings that would soon appear to be scams and saw they were priced out of many communities, they said.

Out of desperation, they moved to an Airbnb in Queens, spending $1,800 per month, they said.

After classes started, Morgan, 24, asked around the Brookville campus for recommendations, often being met with shrugs, she said, until a fellow student suggested looking in nearby Oyster Bay. They ended up finding an affordable rental after almost two months searching. 

Like many their age, they considered Huntington. Looking at starting rents for a one-bedroom apartment within their $2,000 budget in the hot North Shore community, Oyster Bay was more in reach yet offered a town center with amenities near the water. It's the kind of trade-off many renters on Long Island and those moving here make when looking for wallet-friendly options, even if the rents are slightly lower. What they might find is that their second, third or even fourth choices turn out to be better than where they thought they wanted to live in the first place.

Here are some alternatives to Long Island's hottest rental markets.

Huntington vs. Oyster Bay

If you want to live near restaurants and theaters but it's out of your budget to move to Huntington, try Oyster Bay.

WHAT YOU GET Theater options are aplenty near Oyster Bay, with short drives to Tilles Center for the Performing Arts in Brookville and The Paramount in Huntington. There are a variety of eateries, and residents can partake of more food at the annual Oysterfest. Like Huntington, the hamlet is on the water.

WHAT THEY SAY "It's definitely less expensive" than Huntington, said Debra Viscusi, who works out of Laffey Real Estate's Brookville office. She pointed out benefits such as free parking, which can be difficult to find in Huntington, especially on weekends. "It's much easier to find a spot," she said. There are no parking meters in the community, Brian Nevin, a Town of Oyster Bay spokesman, confirmed by email.

I'm from a small town in North Carolina, so it reminds me a lot of there. There's a very strong sense of community here.

— Olivia Morgan

Morgan and Miles pay $1,725 for their one-bedroom apartment above a takeout restaurant in an older four-unit building. They had looked everywhere in the New York City metro area, including Huntington because it would have been easy for Morgan to commute to school. But they were put off by high rents and broker's fees, from the low hundreds to as much as $1,000, and scared off by potential cons, said Morgan.

Morgan, who is studying genetic counseling and works part-time as a barista, said she's moved around, most recently relocating from Rochester. The rental process is "exponentially easier" elsewhere, and "a lot cheaper," she said.

Pray is the advice Miles, a freelance artist, offered for those looking for an apartment on Long Island within a tight budget.

"It kind of felt like, like, right place, right time, because we'd spent maybe four or five hours every other day or every day looking through different apartment listings," said Miles, who moved from Albany. "Some of them didn't call us back. Some of them were very apparently scams."

The couple found their place on Apartments.com, Morgan said.

"I really, really like the community," she said. "I'm from a small town in North Carolina, so it reminds me a lot of there. There's a very strong sense of community here."

When she and Miles arrived, they were impressed by activities in town, the waterfront, restaurants, things to do, and people’s friendliness, they said.

"I wouldn't say there's much of a nightlife," Morgan said, but added, "If you do want a place that has a little bit more of nightlife, you just hop on the train and go to New York City."

Long Beach vs. Lindenhurst

If you want the beachy vibe but can't afford Long Beach, try Lindenhurst.

WHAT YOU GET Lindenhurst isn't on the ocean, but the village by the Great South Bay is within a short car ride to Venetian Shores Park in West Babylon, Tanner Park and Copiague Beach in Copiague, and Captree and Robert Moses state parks.

WHAT THEY SAY With the opening of Fairfield The Wel At Lindenhurst apartment complex and some smaller rentals in the village, Mayor Michael Lavorata said the community has seen an influx of young people. "It has become a destination that I have to admit, 10 years ago if you would have told me this, I might not have believed," Lavorata said, noting that people are drawn to the more budget-friendly rents in the neighborhood.

It has become a destination that I have to admit, 10 years ago if you would have told me this, I might not have believed.

— Michael Lavorata, mayor of Lindenhurst

John Tullo, 32, a banker, moved to Lindenhurst in January. He said he knew he wanted to live on the South Shore, but was drawn to Lindenhurst because friends live there.

He had been sharing a four-bedroom Long Beach apartment for $3,600 a month split among four roommates, he said. He and his girlfriend wanted to move in together, and the Lindenhurst rental allowed them to do that, he said.

They pay $2,300 a month for the sunny first-floor one-bedroom unit inside a house, Tullo said. They have a separate entrance, and are within walking distance of the Lindenhurst Long Island Rail Road station, he said. The couple splits the rent, he said. "It's much more affordable than other areas, but you still get a lot of the good things," said Tullo, ticking off the village's restaurants, social scene and generally "good crowd."

He said he had been looking for a place to live for five to six weeks, then decided to call an agent. Jonathan Enriquez of Smithtown-based Listing Pro Realty Services found him an apartment in two weeks, he said.

"We lucked out because it's tough with rentals," said Enriquez.

For a renter, finding an apartment on Long Island is hard work, sometimes requiring as many as 20 or 30 showings, Enriquez said. "It's a lot of hustling, so a lot of agents say, 'Thanks, but no thanks,' " he said. Enriquez considers what he does to be a service, one he hopes clients will remember if they decide to buy a house one day, he said.

Farmingdale vs. Patchogue

If you love the bustling downtown in Farmingdale, but it's too pricey, try Patchogue.

WHAT YOU GET Although it's farther east, Patchogue has its own LIRR stop and access to highways. Downtown life is bustling, with about 45 restaurants and bars and a brewery, according to Mayor Paul V. Pontieri Jr. It's also a ferry point for Fire Island.

WHAT THEY SAY More than half the village's housing stock consists of rentals, with affordable housing available at New Village at Patchogue, Artspace Patchogue Lofts and elsewhere as well as more planned, Pontieri said. When it comes to housing, he said, "There are so many opportunities on so many levels."

There are so many opportunities on so many levels [in Patchogue].

— Paul Pontieri, mayor of Patchogue

Michele LaBella, 54, said she lived at her childhood home in Medford until 2021, when her mother died. As she worked on finding her first apartment, she said she soon found out about the Long Island Housing Partnership, a nonprofit that could help her find an affordable apartment. In 2023, she submitted an application to live at New Village at Patchogue, she said.

The process required LaBella, who is on Social Security Disability, to provide financial documents, and her gross annual income as a household of one could not exceed $87,500 for a studio apartment, said Nicole McCarthy, the organization's manager of Technical Assistance Programs, via email.

She was just approved earlier this month. The news couldn't come at a better time, she said.

LaBella's monthly rent at her current one-bedroom apartment in East Patchogue is $2,310. "My rent is due to go up again, and my lease is up at the end of May," she said.

LaBella will be paying $1,684 a month at New Village, before fees for amenities and other services, she said. She was gearing up to move in on April 2, and said she's OK with downsizing.

She's nervous but also excited about the move, she said, especially since she'll have a washer and dryer in the apartment. She said she plans to save money while living in downtown Patchogue.

"I'm looking forward to walking up and down Main Street," she said, and maybe trying a restaurant or two.