169 West 73rd Street, #6 (Bond New York Properties LLC)
Arriving in New York City often means learning a new vocabulary, especially when it comes to housing. From acronyms like EIK (eat-in kitchen) to euphemisms such as “open-concept living/dining area” (which often means the kitchen is in the living room—or that there’s no living room at all), newcomers have plenty to decode. But perhaps the most commonly used jargon in NYC real estate are the terms “convertible” and “flex.”
What one soon discovers—often only after a disappointing apartment viewing—is that “convertible one bedroom” or “flex one bedroom” technically refers to a studio, and likewise, a “convertible two bedroom,” "Junior 4," or “flex two bedroom” technically refers to a one bedroom. Unlike most studios or one-bedroom units, however, these convertible or flex options are theoretically large enough to be converted into units with an additional room.
What one soon discovers—often only after a disappointing apartment viewing—is that “convertible one bedroom” or “flex one bedroom” technically refers to a studio, and likewise, a “convertible two bedroom,” "Junior 4," or “flex two bedroom” technically refers to a one bedroom. Unlike most studios or one-bedroom units, however, these convertible or flex options are theoretically large enough to be converted into units with an additional room.
In this article:
Until 2005, flexing an apartment—often by installing a pressurized wall at the tenant’s expense—was a common practice. But that changed after a devastating Bronx fire in 2005 that killed two firefighters. Investigators found that illegally divided rooms had confused the firefighters, preventing their escape. As a result, the building’s former and current owners, along with two tenants, were charged with manslaughter.
Since then, many landlords and management companies have restricted tenants from installing temporary walls. However, flexing hasn’t disappeared. With rising rents and home prices, demand remains high, and temporary wall companies continue to thrive. While pressurized walls were once the go-to option, tenants now favor sliding walls, sliding doors, and freestanding bookshelves to create flexible living spaces.
Since then, many landlords and management companies have restricted tenants from installing temporary walls. However, flexing hasn’t disappeared. With rising rents and home prices, demand remains high, and temporary wall companies continue to thrive. While pressurized walls were once the go-to option, tenants now favor sliding walls, sliding doors, and freestanding bookshelves to create flexible living spaces.
#1. Is flexing an apartment still legal?
Technically, if you want to alter your unit, you need to get the green light from the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) and adhere to all the same criteria needed to install a permanent wall. In other words, if you want to install a new wall, you’ll need to contract with a licensed engineer or architect who will draw up a plan, have the wall installed, and then have a licensed engineer or architect inspect and approve the work in compliance with DOB standards. If you’re installing a wall to carve out an extra bedroom, it will also need to meet the legal definition of a bedroom in New York City—this means the room must be at least 80 square feet and have at least one window. Finally, if you think you don’t need a living area, think again. After the conversion, you legally must still have a living room and in most cases, it must be at least 150 square feet. Finally, if the creation of your new room in any way interferes with your ventilation or sprinkler system, it won’t be legal.
In theory, a tenant could—with their owner’s and management company’s approval—go through the expense, time, and cost of legally installing a wall, but of course, this is not how the vast majority of apartments are flexed.
#2. What options are available for legally flexing an apartment?
Most flexed apartments are no longer flexed using a pressurized wall but rather flexed using one or more of the following options: a wall that comes up to the ceiling; a sliding wall or door; or a freestanding bookshelf unit. Since many of these options are manufactured and installed by the same companies who once specialized in pressurized walls, the end result is often similar but with one notable difference—in most cases, these options are technically in compliance with DOB standards. This reflects the somewhat murky way in which “wall” is defined. Technically, if a wall doesn’t reach the ceiling, is not permanently attached, or can pass as furniture—as is true of free-standing bookshelves—your flex is probably legal, even if it has the effect of radically altering the layout and potential use of your apartment.
328 Grand, #5A (Real New York)
#3. Do I need to get permission from my board, owner or management company?
It is highly advisable that you get the green light from your owner and/or management company prior to flexing your unit. If you rent in a condo or co-op also double-check to ensure your building’s board approves your plan. If your owner, management company, or board doesn’t approve, your potentially costly investment in a partial wall, sliding wall, or freestanding bookshelf that function as a wall may be lost. Also, it is important to note that most reputable companies that build and install temporary and sliding walls or freestanding bookshelf dividers will ask you to get approval from the unit’s owner and/or building management prior to doing any work in your unit.
#4. Am I responsible for removing the wall when I move?
This is a tricky question. If the incoming tenants are excited about the additional wall and the owners have, in fact, benefited from the ability to rent out your apartment as an already legally flexed unit, you’ll probably not experience any problems. However, since most leases contain a clause requiring you to leave the unit in the same conditions you rented it in, if you fail to remove a partial wall, sliding wall, or freestanding bookshelf-divider you could be held responsible and as a result, lose your security deposit. As a rule, this is something you should also discuss with your owner or management company at the time you ask for permission to do the installation.
#5. What is the typical cost of flexing and what’s the potential return on investment?
Partial walls and freestanding bookshelf dividers often start at just over $1,000 but bear in mind that you get what you pay for. In other words, pricier options generally look less like temporary walls and more like permanent walls. Also, as you might expect, the larger the wall and the more features—for example, the integration of built-in bookshelves, doors, sliding doors, or windows—all add to the price. If you want to opt for a sliding door from a company like Raydoor or a custom-designed Japanese sliding wall from the master builders at Miya Shoji, you’ll likely pay at least $4,000..
Whether you’ll ever see a return on investment depends on how long you stay in your flexed unit. If, for example, you spend $5,000 to legally flex a $3,000 one-bedroom apartment into a two-bedroom apartment in a neighborhood where two-bedrooms generally start at $3,500, over five years, your initial $5,000 investment could result in a savings of $25,000 or more.
Available Flex or Convertible Apartments for Sale
76 Remsen Street, #6B (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
1 Vernon Jackson, #PH8I (VORO NYC)
Sherman Square, #7C (Compass)
The Churchill, #4B (Brown Harris Stevens Residential Sales LLC)
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Gramercy Towers, #15G (Compass)
The John James, #3H (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
The Tower at Gramercy Square, #2G
$1,175,000 (-3.3%)
Gramercy Park | Condominium | Studio, 1 Bath | 682 ft2
The Tower at Gramercy Square, #2G (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
444 East 86th Street, #14G (Compass)
The Greentree, #2C (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
The Badge Building, #3H (Serhant)
Prospect Tower, #1515 (Elegran LLC)
750 Park Avenue, #11A (Brown Harris Stevens Residential Sales LLC)
Gramercy Park Towers, #15R (Coldwell Banker Warburg)
Morad Diplomat, #11B (Hauseit LLC)
200 East 36th Street, #9D (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
136 East 56th Street, #9J (Serhant)
One Hanson Place, #22G (Garfield Realty Corp)
Southgate, #4F (Brown Harris Stevens Residential Sales LLC)
The Murray Hill Crescent, #8O (Compass)
169 West 73rd Street, #6 (Bond New York Properties LLC)
170 East 92nd Street, #4C (Corcoran Group)
London Terrace Towers, #16H (Brown Harris Stevens Residential Sales LLC)
201 East 66th Street, #16G (Compass)
Tracy Towers, #9B (Compass)
138 East 36th Street, #5B (Compass)
Convention Overlook, #2A (Corcoran Group)
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Or call us at (212) 755-5544
Would you like to tour any of these properties?
Contributing Writer
Cait Etherington
Cait Etherington has over twenty years of experience working as a journalist and communications consultant. Her articles and reviews have been published in newspapers and magazines across the United States and internationally. An experienced financial writer, Cait is committed to exposing the human side of stories about contemporary business, banking and workplace relations. She also enjoys writing about trends, lifestyles and real estate in New York City where she lives with her family in a cozy apartment on the twentieth floor of a Manhattan high rise.
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