Apartment hunting for foreign students

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Where to look: • Apartment advertisements (newspapers,

Craig’s List, University housing office)

• Internet (buyer beware!)

• Real estate agency (rental agency)

• Open house (anyone can come visit)

• Word of mouth

• FOR RENT sign – call for information

• Bulletin boards – coffee houses, supermarkets, etc.)

Bulletin board

ad

Homestay

http://www.homestayfinder.com/

A homestay allows you to stay with a family in your host country. It can help you to learn the language much faster, and to experience what "real life" is like in the host country.

Homestay

Los Angeles homestay listings

• Family of three: me, my wife and 11 year

old son.

West side near Santa Monica and Venice

beaches. Very close to SMCC and UCLA

and other schools.

• We will pick up and return to LAX airport.

Local bus stops less than 200 feet from

our back door.

$180 per week shared room; $250 per

week private room.

Amenities: City / suburb Los Angeles

State CA

Postcode 90066

Cost USD 180 per week

Available From 27 Feb 2010

Available To

House has pets No

Household allows smoking Yes

Any meals included? Breakfast & Dinner

Internet Broadband

Can provide airport pickup? Yes

Furn. 1BR cheap!

Craigslist

http://newyork.craigslist.org/

Website for each major USA city

Rentals, for sale, personal ads, etc.

Craigslist – apartment listings in New York

Newspaper classified ad

Pet-friendly apartment?

Choose an apartment that already has kitchen appliances

Apartment

• Do you want to live alone or share?

• How much space do you need?

• What rent can you afford?

• What amenities do you want?

• Do you want to live on campus / off

campus / close to campus / in a residential

area?

• How secure (safe) is the building and

neighborhood?

roommate or

flatmate

Let’s visit some apartments

Briar Place, Chicago

My first apartment

Furnished apartment

Studio (one room + kitchen & bath)

Briar Place, The Description

All Units at 540 W. Briar have FREE HEAT! This charming vintage elevator midrise building is in the heart of all things Lakeview! Shopping, great restaurants, nightlife, and lake all within a few short blocks. 540 W. Briar has an on-site staff, laundry room, new windows, HWF, spacious shared main lobby, bike storage & workout room. Express bus around the corner & walking distance to the El. NO SECURITY DEPOSIT.

Briar Place, The Amenities

• Cable Ready

• Emergency Maintenance

• Fitness Center

• Gated Access

• Hardwood Flooring

• High Speed Internet Access

• Laundry Facility

• Public Transportation

• Some Paid Utilities

One-bedroom apartment

Describing an apartment

• Conv. Loc. = convenient location

• 2 BR = 2 bedrooms

• Furn. / unfurn.

• AC = air conditioner

• Util. incl. = utilities included (gas, water, electricity)

• Pkg. incl. = parking included

• Sec. bldg. = security building

small – cozy - cramped

airy – light-filled

spacious – roomy - palatial

2-bedroom apartment

with terrace

Vocabulary:

• Rental application

• References / credit history /

background check

• Security deposit

• Lease / rental agreement

Standard lease

Many American apartments have cheap w2w – wall to wall carpeting

You will pay extra for

hardwood floors

• Construction: new buildings of about 5 floors or less are wood-frame and plasterboard (thin walls, noise travels easily)

• High-rise buildings are steel frame construction

• Older buildings have more solid construction – brick or concrete, quieter, more ambience (pleasing atmosphere)