--- title: "Student housing abroad: how to look for it | Gigapass" description: "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." url: https://getgigapass.com/en/blog/student-housing-abroad markdown: https://getgigapass.com/en/blog/student-housing-abroad.md lang: en site: Gigapass generated: 2026-10-24 languages: es: https://getgigapass.com/blog/alojamiento-de-estudiante-en-el-extranjero de: https://getgigapass.com/de/blog/studentische-unterkunft-ausland it: https://getgigapass.com/it/blog/alloggio-studente-estero fr: https://getgigapass.com/fr/blog/logement-etudiant-etranger pt: https://getgigapass.com/pt/blog/alojamento-estudante-estrangeiro nl: https://getgigapass.com/nl/blog/studentenhuisvesting-buitenland ja: https://getgigapass.com/ja/blog/kaigai-gakusei-sumai ko: https://getgigapass.com/ko/blog/haeoe-haksaeng-sukso zh-hans: https://getgigapass.com/zh-hans/blog/guowai-xuesheng-zhuchu pl: https://getgigapass.com/pl/blog/studenckie-mieszkanie-za-granica sv: https://getgigapass.com/sv/blogg/studentbostad-utomlands no: https://getgigapass.com/no/blogg/studentbolig-utlandet da: https://getgigapass.com/da/blog/studiebolig-udlandet tr: https://getgigapass.com/tr/blog/yurt-disi-ogrenci-konaklama ru: https://getgigapass.com/ru/blog/studencheskoe-zhilyo-za-granitsey zh-hant: https://getgigapass.com/zh-hant/blog/guowai-xuesheng-zhuchu ar: https://getgigapass.com/ar/mudawana/sakan-tullabi-fi-alkharij he: https://getgigapass.com/he/blog/diyur-lestudentim-bechul index: https://getgigapass.com/llms/en.txt --- # 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. [Home](https://getgigapass.com/en) › [Blog](https://getgigapass.com/en/blog) › Finding student housing abroad without falling for a scam Students 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** 10 Aug 2026 6 min Photo by Kateryna Kulakova on Unsplash In this article › The signals that warn you › How to search with less risk › What to look at in the contract 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 1. Start with halls or the university's accommodation service, even if it costs more: that is the safe one. 2. Use the student groups for your host faculty, where people post genuine handovers. 3. Ask for a video call showing the place live, not photos. 4. Check the address on a map and look at the street in street view. 5. 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. For the viewing video calls, with the place still without internet, you will be running on mobile data. It is one of the first things worth having sorted when you arrive. Know where you're going? Pick your destination, days and data. Install it before you leave and pay once. [See destinations](https://getgigapass.com/en#destinos) Claudia FerránLong trips and remote work She has worked from wherever she happened to be for six years. She works out the data for a trip the way you'd work out the petrol, and she rarely gets it wrong. ## 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. ## Keep reading - [Students](https://getgigapass.com/en/blog/erasmus-phone-line) | Erasmus: what to do with your phone and your line before you go | 6 min - [Students](https://getgigapass.com/en/blog/studying-abroad-paperwork) | Studying abroad: the paperwork in order, with its deadlines | 6 min - [Students](https://getgigapass.com/en/blog/first-weeks-studying-abroad) | The first weeks in another city: a student's list | 6 min