Students
Finding student housing abroad without falling for a scam
Renting from a distance is where the scams are. How to search, which signals warn you, and what you never pay before you have seen anything.
Claudia Ferrán 6 min Photo by Kateryna Kulakova on Unsplash Renting without ever having set foot in the city is the most vulnerable moment in the whole process, and the people who run scams know it: the perfect listing, a price just under the market, and the rush because there are supposedly other people interested.
The signals that warn you
- A price clearly below the market for that area.
- The landlord says they are out of the country and cannot show you anything.
- They ask for a transfer or a money order before anything is signed.
- They push to leave the platform and talk on another channel.
- And the rush: there is supposedly another applicant and you have to pay today.
When three of those five turn up, there is nothing left to discuss.
How to search with less risk
- Start with halls or the university's accommodation service, even if it costs more: that is the safe one.
- Use the student groups for your host faculty, where people post genuine handovers.
- Ask for a video call showing the place live, not photos.
- Check the address on a map and look at the street in street view.
- And book temporary accommodation for the first two weeks: searching in person changes everything.
That last point is the advice most repeated by people who have already been through it, and the one least followed.
Nobody letting a place seriously will demand money before showing it to you on a video call.
What to look at in the contract
The term and whether you can leave early, the deposit and the conditions for getting it back, which bills are included and who pays what. And what language it is in: if you do not understand it, you do not sign until you have a translation.
Frequently asked questions
How do I avoid rental scams from a distance?
By not paying anything before a live video call showing the place, checking the address on a map, and being suspicious of very low prices and of being rushed.
Where do I look for housing?
Start with the university's service and with the student groups for your host faculty, where genuine handovers get posted.
Is it worth renting before I arrive?
It is safer to book something temporary for the first two weeks and search in person.
What do I look at in the contract?
The term and early departure, the deposit and getting it back, which bills are included, and what language it is written in.
