Best wishes on your acceptance to your ideal university. The onus now shifts to finding lodging. It is difficult to get a decent house or apartment in a safe neighbourhood with decent housemates at a fair rate. Young students who are travelling abroad for the first time should prioritize their safety. The full housing advice for international students is available here.
How Can an International Student Find Housing?
1. Online Research
a) City Guides: Studying the city should be the first stage in your investigation. Google Maps and city guides can be used for this. These manuals are available for any city you plan to relocate to. This is where your apartment search should start. Additionally, your university may provide housing guides. While not all institutions have it, you can benefit from a nearby university's guide if you attend several in the same city. One more extensive network is the transportation system. Finding out the best route, the approximate time and the proximity of housing to the school is crucial.
b) Groups on social media: Numerous colleges concentrate on global students on Facebook, WhatsApp, WeChat, and other communities. After receiving admittance, you can publish your queries in those groups by joining them. The present student body is helpful and reasonably engaged. To find roommates, you can also post. Advice on safe living practices, estimated rent, and desired communities can be obtained.
2. Formulate Documents
In areas where there is a shortage of off-campus accommodation, renting an apartment can be difficult. Some landlords may be strict about the documentation you need to submit with your rental application. The list of documents they prefer to see is as follows:
a) The credit report is a standardized document that credit bureaus send you that details your creditworthiness. If you're an international student, you might not have one. Ask your existing family members, such as your siblings, to co-sign your loan.
b) To confirm that your yearly income is 35–40 times the rent. Some landlords will relax their rules if you provide a sizable down payment up ahead.
c) They might want copies of your passport, bank statements, prior tax returns from your home nation, and your admission letter.
d) Provide evidence that you can pay the rent for the duration of the lease, which is typically one year.
3. Housing Possibilities
For overseas students, the following accommodation choices are available:
a) Acquisition: This is the least practical course of action for you to take. Purchasing an apartment can be costly, and since you cannot get a mortgage as an international student (due to your lack of credit history), you might have to pay the entire amount upfront.
b) Rental: For many international students, this is a feasible choice, but it necessitates a sizable down payment or a co-signer. Depending on where you discovered the flat, you might also be required to pay broker fees.
c) Sublet: Subletting is less expensive than renting out your space. It's only the act of taking over a lease from someone else or leasing from an existing tenant. Relatively less cash upfront is needed. The deposits for the first and last months will still need to be paid. Usually, sublets are for shorter durations.
d) Roomies: This is the least expensive off-campus accommodation choice available to international students. There are occasions when several pupils use one room. There are seniors from past years who might be able to locate housing in their apartments. There are apartments near the school, and the rent is typically fair.
4. Start Timely
Starting your search early allows you to take your time, which can help you obtain an apartment more quickly. When college commences, you will have an advantage over other students who are searching for residences. The graduating class's need to find housing when they start new careers also makes things more competitive.
Locating the ideal apartment can be done in several methods, including through brokers, rental websites, building management offices, and off-campus housing listings. About 30 days before the start of classes, you can travel to the nation and take your time searching for an apartment. Before you go, make a list of the apartments you would like to see. It will provide you with a rapid understanding of the market and give you time to look for a roommate. If you wait to begin your search, you could have to sign a lease quickly.
5. Dodge Alert
Searching for a place online in a foreign nation invites con artists to steal your money. Certain websites must be used with caution. One of those websites that is both beneficial and a popular spot for con artists to try to steal money from gullible people is Craigslist. Make sure you check out their advice on spotting con artists.
These con artists might con you in several ways in an attempt to win your trust. They might use fictitious phone numbers from a nation they don't belong in, create phoney social media profiles to prove their identity, coerce you into filling out forms with private information, etc.
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