NYC landlords were caught renting out 'micro rooms' for $600 a month. Here are 7 places in the US where you can legally rent an apartment for that much — or less.

• In August, two Manhattan landlords were caught renting out illegal micro-apartments for $600 a month.
• Zillow provided Business Insider with a list of 36 US cities where you can legally rent an actual apartment for that much (or less).
• Of those 36 cities, Business Insider narrowed it down to a list of the largest seven, in terms of population.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

In August, two Manhattan landlords were caught renting out illegal sub-units with no windows, sprinklers, or fire-safety systems. In one of the illegal apartments, the ceilings were reported to be just 4.5 to 6 feet tall.

Gothamist reports that the tiny spaces were being rented out for $600 a month. 

Read more: A Manhattan landlord is facing nearly $145,000 in fines for splitting up a condo horizontally to build 9 illegal micro-units that resemble a scene in 'Being John Malkovich'

Given that New York City is home to one of America's most expensive rental markets, it's no surprise that even illegal micro-apartments will cost renters a pretty penny. In fact, one year's worth of the average legal rent in Manhattan ($2,980 for a one-bedroom, as of June 2019) is more than three-quarters of the country's average annual salary, which is $47,060.

But not every American city is this outrageously expensive.

With the help of Zillow, Business Insider compiled a list of cities where you can legally rent a real apartment — windows included! — for less than $600 a month. Of the 36 cities Zillow provided, Business Insider has listed the seven largest in terms of population. Population data for each city was collected from Niche, a ranking and review site.

Keep reading for a list of places in the US where the median monthly rent is less than $600, ranked from the most to the least expensive.

SEE ALSO: NYC rents just hit a 3-year high, and the city's prices are pushing everyone from millennials to wealthy Wall Street bankers away

DON'T MISS: Here's how much it costs to rent a one-bedroom apartment in the 49 largest US cities

Tarboro, North Carolina: The median rent in Tarboro is $598.

Population: 11,038

Coal Township, Pennsylvania: The median rent in Coal is $593.

Population: 10,432

Sharon, Pennsylvania: The median rent in Sharon is $590.

Population:13,505

Danville, Illinois: The median rent in Danville is $574.

Population:31,765

Johnstown, Pennsylvania: The median rent in Johnstown is $569.

Population:19,967

Bluefield, West Virginia: The median rent in Bluefield is $553.

Population:10,144

Charleston, Illinois: The median rent in Charleston is $546.

Population: 21,202