Housing Search

Find advice for securing housing and avoiding housing scams.

Unless you have made prior arrangements with your host company, you can expect to
secure long-term housing on your own. Some host companies will help you arrange
housing. If this assistance is not available, you may want to make a reservation for two to
four weeks in short-term housing (Airbnb, hotel, or youth hostel). This will give you time to
secure long-term housing.

Start by asking your host company and coworkers for suggestions. In many cases, there
may be other interns or colleagues looking for a roommate. You can also look up local
rental agencies who can assist you.

Intrax has an arrangement with FOUND Study for discounts on furnished lodging in a few
larger cities. Follow the hyperlink for more information.

Here are some websites that might be helpful:

What to Look for

Rent, Sublet, or Share

You will find apartments available to rent, sublet, and share.

When you rent an apartment, you sign the lease with your landlord. Leases usually last 6 months to a year, and in most cases, you are required to have references and income verification. You will likely have to pay a fee to break a lease earlier than you agreed to with the landlord.
When you sublet an apartment, you do not sign the lease; you rent the apartment from the leaseholder.
When you share an apartment, you live with someone who has already rented the place, and you share the expenses with that person.

Questions to Ask During Your Housing Search

Is furniture provided?
How far from my host company is it?
Is it near public transportation?
Can I easily commute to my training from there?
How accessible are stores, banks, entertainment, etc.?
Is it safe?
- Do not accept the landlord’s word on this. Ensure you are satisfied with
  the security of the neighborhood and the apartment/house itself.
If sharing housing, will I like my roommates?
What is the average rent for a place this size in this neighborhood?
- Research online to get a sense of the local housing prices.
How soon can I move in?
How much must I pay before I can move in?
- e., security deposit, first and last months’ rent, etc.

Watch out for Housing Scams!

Be careful when dealing with anyone online or browsing online listings. Most housing scams involve one or more of the following. Be wary If you see any of these signs:

The landlord does not reside in the same city as the apartment and promises to send a key.
The ad is low on specifics and possibly contains poor grammar/spelling.
The landlord requests that you pay a deposit by Western Union, Money Gram, cashier’s check, money order, or bank wire.
The landlord tells you that the apartment cannot be viewed in advance (it’s under
construction, the previous tenants have not moved out yet, they’re not available
that day...)
The landlord is unable or unwilling to meet face-to-face to complete the transaction.
The offer seems too good to be true (e.g., the rent is half what anyone else in the area is asking, or they are offering something that seems much better than what they charge for rent).

Protecting Yourself from Scams

Book short-term accommodation and then deal locally, face-to-face, with prospective landlords. Follow this one rule to avoid 99% of scam attempts.
Do not extend payment to anyone you have not met in person unless you have verified that they are a legitimate business.
Never wire funds (e.g. Western Union). Anyone who asks you to is a scammer.
Make sure that you pay your landlord directly, and beware of anyone asking you to
pay a third party, such as a lawyer or “representative”.
Never give out financial info (bank account, social security, PayPal account, etc.) over the phone or by e-mail. If the request is legitimate they will be happy to send you a formal letter by mail.
If you must arrange permanent accommodation without seeing the housing in person, only deal with a registered business that has an online identity that you can research or that someone at your host company can vouch for.