The Big Apple: Cozy Digs ‘All Booked Up’, Students ‘Stumped’

The Rush for Student Housing

In the early morning of August 23, from An Giang, Ms. Nguyen Thi Lan (43 years old, a shoe factory worker) brought her daughter to Ho Chi Minh City University of Transport (Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City) to complete the enrollment process and pay the initial school fees. After that, she contacted her acquaintances to find a place for her daughter to stay.

“For several days now, I have been asking my acquaintances in Ho Chi Minh City, as well as checking various housing websites, to find a place near the university for my daughter that is convenient for her commute. However, many places quoted very high prices, around 5-6 million VND per room for 3-4 students. And for anything below that price, the rooms are usually in poor condition, with insecure locations far from the university. Many places urged me to come and see the place and make a deposit quickly to secure the room, as hesitation would mean losing the opportunity,” said Ms. Lan.

Ngoc Diep (from Gia Lai), a freshman at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, carefully read the rental housing advertisements distributed right at the university gate. She shared that she came to the city early to look for accommodation, but most of the rooms with amenities, private bathrooms, and cooking areas were already occupied or extremely expensive. “I have visited more than ten rental houses near the university but have not been able to find a room. Therefore, I have to look for places further away to find slightly cheaper options,” Diep said.

Pretending to be a student looking for accommodation, we went to Hem 36 on Nguyen Gia Tri Street (Binh Thanh District), where many people posted notices about available rooms for rent with prices ranging from 1.5 to 5.5 million VND per month. When we contacted the number 08532…, a man who introduced himself as the landlord asked about our budget. Upon learning that we were looking for a room within the price range of 1.5 million VND per month, he informed us that the location we were standing at no longer had any available rooms within that budget and that the only option left was a room for 1.8 million VND per month. When we went to see the room, we were quite surprised to find that it was a tiny space of less than 4 square meters, separated by a flimsy plywood partition, and shared bathroom facilities located at the end of the corridor…

Choosing Apartments over Rental Houses

The apartment rental market has also been bustling recently as many students opt for this type of accommodation due to competitive prices and guaranteed living security.

Hoang Nguyen, a second-year student at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City), shared that he was very satisfied after living in a one-bedroom apartment, just a few minutes’ drive from his university, for a year. Nguyen’s apartment is 40 square meters, accommodating three people, and costs 4 million VND per month. In addition to the rent, Nguyen and his roommates also have to pay a management fee of 8,000 VND per square meter and a parking fee of 80,000 VND per vehicle.

“A younger cousin of mine will be enrolling at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities at the end of this month and will be staying with us, which will help reduce the rent burden. Living in an apartment means I don’t have to worry about my bike getting stolen or the heat, so I can focus more on my studies,” Nguyen said.

Mr. Thanh Tai, a manager at a company specializing in connecting apartment owners and tenants in the area of Vietnam National University, Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City, said that in the past two weeks, 80% of the apartments in the area have been occupied, and it is expected that by the end of August and early September, supply will not be able to meet demand.

Mr. Tai provided an example: “The rent for a room around the university village ranges from 1.5 to 2 million VND, which can accommodate 2-3 people. In comparison, a two-bedroom apartment of 50 square meters costs 5-5.5 million VND and can accommodate 4-6 people, excluding management fees. This means that the apartment rent is only 500,000-700,000 VND more per person per month than a rental house. Apartments offer private kitchens, bathrooms, balconies, and living rooms, and tenants can also enjoy shared facilities such as swimming pools and gyms.”

“The landlord will require a deposit of one month’s rent and a minimum lease of six months, which is a significant expense for new students at the beginning of the school year. Moreover, the owner may decide to sell the apartment, forcing the tenants to move out within a short period. Or, if one of the roommates wants to move out, the remaining students will have to bear a substantial rent burden until they find a new roommate,” Mr. Tai analyzed the potential drawbacks of apartment living.

Mr. Tai advised students to carefully read the lease agreement and understand the terms regarding the rent, lease period, deposit amount, and refund procedures upon termination of the contract before signing.