The column first appeared in Looped In NYC, a newsletter to help New Yorkers make sense of the city. Sign up to get the email which also features event listings, NYC news to know and a reader photos.

There are many reasons to love spring in New York City. The flowers are blooming, the Knicks are surging and city swimming pools are opening soon.

But, as your local housing reporter, I am here to yet again kill the vibe: May is also one of the most stressful months for many New Yorkers. Late spring marks the start of peak moving season — the most competitive time to land a new place to live.

In an ideal housing market, apartment hunters would only have to focus on a few key questions: What neighborhood do I want to live in? How many bedrooms do I need? And how much can I afford to spend each month on rent?

But New York City is not an ideal housing market. It’s brutal, discouraging, infuriating and sometimes extortionate. An apartment search can make tenants feel like characters in “The Warriors” as they traverse the breadth of the city, compete with other desperate rivals and defend themselves against a slew of schemes, scams and indignities.

Here, the questions are more like: Do I have to pay that fee? Can they really ask for that? Is this a scam?

Renters face a barrage of requests for application payments, rent hikes, holding deposits, broker fees and whatever else an agent, property manager or landlord can cook up to extract some more money from a precious commodity — an available apartment during a housing shortage.

So whether you are staying put or finding a new place, here are some quick things to know.

Rent increases: No matter what, landlords have to give advance, written notice when they plan to raise your rent more than 5%. If you’ve lived there less than a year, it’s 30 days' notice; for one to two years, it’s 60 days'; and for more than two years, it’s 90 days'. Without the proper notice you can stay in your place at the current rent. Read more here.

If the apartment is rent-stabilized: Did you hit the jackpot and land a rent-stabilized apartment? About half of New York City apartments are regulated, which means legal rent increases are limited and established by the city’s nine-member Rent Guidelines Board. (Their next decision is coming June 25.) The law also entitles you to a lease renewal in most cases. Not sure if your apartment is rent-stabilized? Request your rent history from the state’s Division of Homes and Community Renewal.

Other renewal protections: Not in a rent-stabilized apartment? You may still be covered by the state’s “good cause” law. The 2-year-old measure prevents landlords from refusing to renew your lease without a valid reason — AKA a “good cause” — like nonpayment of rent. It also gives tenants a way to challenge some rent increases. But the law is complicated and depends on how many apartments your landlord owns. Check your potential eligibility here.

Application fees: The maximum legal amount you can be charged for a rental application is $20. The money is supposed to cover the cost of a background and credit check. If a broker, property manager or landlord tries to charge more, remind them of the law.

Broker fees: You don’t have to pay one unless you hired a broker to help you find an apartment. That’s a big change that a lot of renters, brokers and property owners are still getting used to a year after New York City enacted the Fairness in Apartment Rental Expenses, or FARE, Act.

Security deposits: So you were approved for the apartment? Great! But don’t pay the security deposit until you sign the lease. It’s not legal for brokers to ask for a deposit to “hold the place” (or any amount of money before the lease is signed). And the security deposit cannot be more than one month’s rent. When you move out, the landlord has 14 days to return the deposit or provide a written, itemized list explaining why they are keeping it.

Pro tip: Take photos and videos of the apartment when you first move in to prove you didn't cause any existing damage. That evidence could help you reclaim the deposit.

Watch this week’s video for more tenant protections. Have a question about any of these rules? Let us know in the comments!