What Are Our Odds of Getting a $2,500–$3,000 NYC Apartment?

My wife and I are moving to NYC, and we’re trying to assess how competitive we are as tenants given our financial situation. We meet the income requirement but have some potential weak spots. Looking for advice from people who’ve been through the process (and particularly landlords or people who view these apps from the other side of things)

Pros:

✔ Meets 40x rent requirement – Wife will have a confirmed nursing job offer ($120K–$135K). ✔ 700+ credit score – Both of us. ✔ Strong rental history – No issues, good reference(s)

Cons:

✖ No pay stubs yet – Only an offer letter, as she’ll be starting the job when we move. (May start work 2-4 weeks before hand but either way not a long history of work but work will be guaranteed either way) ✖ No major savings or liquid assets (I know apps require banks statements etc.)

Possible Solutions (we’re thinking) • Employer & school references – Letters from her nursing school and two previous employers (each ~2 years) • Guarantor (if necessary) – Prefer to avoid this, but looking into paid guarantors if needed.

With all of this being said,

How much of a problem is renting with just an offer letter/two weeks on job (as a nurse)

Would our lack of savings be a dealbreaker for most landlords?

Anyone with experience using a paid guarantor—how does it work (and is this something that will likely be necessary for us)

How do we measure up as tenants from the application aspect over all (in our market, Manhattan 2500-3k)?