NYTANGO, we have no disagreement regarding the rent. I believe the amount quoted by the hospital is a good deal.

Regarding the license and registration, I'm afraid that the link posted is actually steering OP and Mrs. OP in the wrong direction for a few reasons.

First of all, the DMV's website does waffle on the student question by stating "According to this law, students from other states or from other nations who attend school in NYS are normally not considered residents of NYS." [my emphasis]

I actually took the trouble to look up the section of the Vehicle and Traffic Law cited by the DMV on Westlaw §250 (5) and the problem is that OP's wife (Dr. OP) is not a student.

But, let's cut to the chase.

What OP is really interested in, I presume, is saving money on insurance. There are several problems with this plan. First, each and every time you pay an automobile insurance premium, the bill has language to the effect that the bill is based on the information set forth. The applicable piece of information for this discussion is the place where the automobile is "principally garaged."

Assuming for discussion purposes that someone lives in a low insurance rate area of California, moves to New York and has his bills forwarded, each and every time he pays such a bill (or violates his agreement to notify the company of a change in the location where the automobile is principally garaged), he commits the crimes of insurance fraud and larceny, to cite just two.

Here's how this works in the real world. Our hypothetical driver has moved to New York and gets into an accident. The insurance company will start asking questions, the first one of which will be for an explanation of why the vehicle was more than 2,000 miles away from the registered location. The next questions will concern what the insured was doing in the location where the accident occurred. Insurance investigators are usually not idiots and will likely raise further annoying little questions like "where do you work?" and "what do you do for a living."

In short, if they catch you, they deny your coverage. If you disagree, then you can sue the company. (The last time someone came to me with this question was two months ago.)

My advice is that if, anyone like OP intends to come here for one year or more (a typical hospital residency), live here and be employed here, then if you want to try and claim that you are not a resident of the State of New York, you are taking a big risk.

If you do not notify your insurance company you have moved the car here (whether or not you change the license plates or your driver's license), you are playing with fire.

Needless to say, I think this would be a big mistake.