Comprehensive Guide To Renting An Apartment Abroad

Having the opportunity to live abroad is an amazing experience that everyone should do at least once in their lifetime. I love moving to a new city, meeting new people and settling into a new way of life.

One of the things that many people find difficult when moving abroad is finding an apartment.

I remember back in 2009 when I was looking to move abroad the following year, finding an apartment was the most frustrating and difficult thing I had to do. It took me months to find somewhere to live that wasn’t trying to scam me.

Thankfully, these days there are many more options out there and renting an apartment abroad is easier than ever.

Don’t worry, I won’t be telling you to go through a rental agency to find an apartment because they are too expensive and lock you into a long-term contract.

If you’re looking to settle down somewhere for more than a month, then renting an apartment is going to be the cheapest and most convenient option.

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Why Rent An Apartment Abroad

There are a few key reasons that you may want to rent an apartment abroad. If you plan on moving somewhere abroad for more than a month, then you should look into renting an apartment.

Obviously, it’s going to be a lot cheaper to rent an apartment on a month to month basis than pay for a hotel/hostel room on a nightly basis.

Furthermore, it’s nice to have your own space. The great thing about renting an apartment abroad is having the comforts of home.

One of the things that I find difficult about travelling is not having a kitchen. Sure, in some countries street food is even cheaper than making your own meals, but it’s nice to have somewhere to cook.

Hostels sometimes have a kitchen but unfortunately, they’re normally full of people trying to cook. In this case, cooking a meal can become a long and exhausting task while trying to fight for space in the kitchen.

If you normally stay in hotels, you’ll know that they don’t have kitchens but will instead have over priced restaurants that you can’t afford to go to every day.

By renting an apartment, whether it be shared or not, you have your own space to relax in your bedroom, somewhere to cook your food that isn’t crowded and you’ll pay a lot less than you would otherwise be paying on a nightly basis somewhere else.

Websites

There are a countless number of websites available these days when it comes to renting an apartment abroad, however, I’ve found these websites to be the most useful and easiest to use.

Air BnB

Air BnB is the most popular website for searching for apartments online. Generally renting a room or an apartment on Air BnB per night is more expensive than some of the other websites below.

That being said, there are weekly and monthly discounts available of up to 50% off. This essentially means that it can be a lot cheaper than the other websites if you’re planning on staying for at least a month.

If you’re only planning on staying in one place for a month or 2, then this will probably be the easiest option with the least amount of organisation and research required.

Roomorama

If you’re looking for a short-term apartment rental then you might find Roomorama useful. Searching for properties is as easy as entering your desired location and the dates you wish to stay there.

I’ve found that there are less listings available on this site than other sites such as Air BnB.

Co-Living 

This website is a little different to the others because it lists apartments to share with others. Co-living specifically targets people who want to move overseas for a longer period of time, generally for more than a month.

Sharing an apartment will mean that you’re costs are significantly lower. Some of you may also find it easier to have flat-mates so that you don’t feel too alone when you first move abroad.

If you’re looking to share an apartment with others, then this is the website for you.

House Trip

House Trip has been designed for those people that are looking for an apartment when taking a holiday. These listings are generally more short-term. Discounts for longer stays aren’t normally offered unless you talk with the host directly.

Home Away

The main reason that I like Home Away is that it lets you search for apartments using the map view and check a box to say “Long-Term Renters Welcome.” This means that you won’t spend too long searching for apartments that only let you stay for a few nights.

If you’re looking for any discounts, I would contact the owner directly.

VRBO

This is a popular option for retirees and people looking to take a longer holiday. When searching for an apartment or room using VRBO, the listings will only show the nightly rate. However, once you open the property page, you’ll see whatever weekly and monthly discounts are offered.

Bars/Pubs

One of the best-kept secrets for finding accommodation is talking to the staff at the local Pub/Bar. If you visit the local English speaking pub, they will most likely know of at least a few landlords in the area.

Think about it, how often does staff turn around in hospitality. On top of that, hospitality workers overseas only tend to work for a few months so they can continue travelling, which means there are always apartments available.

This ultimately means that the staff need to know many landlords to house all their staff. These apartments will generally be well priced as hospitality workers can’t afford expensive apartments.

I’ve found a few different apartments abroad through this method and is the first thing I recommend you do after arriving abroad.

Go for a beer at the pub, be friendly with the bar staff and then tell them you’re looking for an apartment and more often than not they will be able to point you in the right direction.

Facebook Groups

If you’re nervous about moving abroad by yourself, you might want to become a member of some Facebook groups.

Most of the bigger cities around the world will have 2-3 facebook groups specifically for people looking to find rooms and apartments. These groups are great because members will tell you about their experiences and give you recommendations of where to stay.

To look for different Facebook groups in your city, all you have to do is search  “rooms/apartments in ______” in the Facebook group menu.

What Does My Process Look Like?

Now that you know the different ways you can rent an apartment abroad, you’re probably wondering what the best way to find an apartment is. That’s all up to personal preference.

In my case, this is the process I use when looking to rent an apartment abroad.

1. Go to Facebook groups, and search “Rooms/Apartments in ________”

2. Become a member of the top 2-3 groups for the city that you want to move to. Log on each day to see what apartments are available and start to get an idea of prices.

3. Visit Air BnB (or other website) and check what sort of discounts you can get for renting a room for more than a month.

While Air BnB is more expensive than other methods available, by doing this you’ll know how expensive a room will be for a month if you can’t find an apartment using one of the other methods.

4. Do a quick google search for “Rooms/Apartments available in ________” and see if there are any cheap deals for long-term rentals.

5. Book a hostel/hotel for 2-3 days. Because I’ve made this mistake in the past, I will always wait until I’ve arrived in the city before confirming that I will take the room long-term. It’s important to see the room because sometimes pictures can be misleading and the apartments can be a mess.

6. While staying at the hostel, visit the local English-speaking bars and ask the staff if they know of any apartments available for rent. By doing this, you’ll generally be able to find the cheapest deals.