The price of boarding houses near the university increases every day, new students are struggling to find a room.

As soon as she learned of her university entrance exam results, Nguyen Linh Chi, born in 2005 (Phu Tho), a freshman at Phuong Dong University, and her sister went to look for a place to stay around Cau Giay ( Hanoi ). According to the plan, Chi's parents would give her 4 million VND per month to pay for the rent and living expenses. Therefore, the female student wanted to find a place to stay for about 2 million VND per month.

However, because at the beginning of the school year, new students from all schools enroll at the same time, the demand for boarding houses increases, leading to an increase in room rates. "Two months ago, my sister surveyed the prices of boarding houses in several areas and even paid a deposit for rent. However, after many students enrolled and the demand increased, the landlord asked to increase the rent by a few hundred thousand VND/month or return the deposit. I have to find another boarding house that fits my budget," the female student said.

In the area around Phuong Dong University, a 20m2 room with full furniture has increased to nearly 4 million VND/month, not including electricity, water, internet, garbage... (nearly double compared to 2 months ago).

Students looking for a place to stay in Hanoi is like "looking for a needle in a haystack" (Illustration photo).

According to Chi’s research, the rental prices of boarding houses located far from universities are a bit cheaper, around 2-3 million VND/month. Therefore, Chi decided to rent a room in Lang Thuong area, far from the school, and go to school by bus to reduce the burden of room rent.

"Although the room rent is quite low compared to the area around the school, I am not very satisfied. I will try to study and work at the same time to make up for the room rent and help my parents," Chi said.

Nguyen Thi Thao Hien, born in 2005 (Yen Bai), a new student at Hanoi Medical College, shared that although she had searched for a room on social networking sites before enrolling, it was very difficult and the price was very high, so she had to ask acquaintances to help her find one.

Close to the school start date, room prices in many places were too high, so Hien decided to share a room with 2 people she found online in the Kham Thien area, Dong Da to reduce the burden of room fees. Currently, the room for 3 people costs about 5 million/month but the room area is about 17 square meters.

In addition to staying in a small room, Hien also shared her worries about sharing a room with strangers for the first time because she didn't know much about their personality, lifestyle, culture... However, sharing a room will help female students reduce the burden of room rent, each person only has to pay about 1.5 - 1.7 million/month, not putting an economic burden on the family.

Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Phi, the owner of a row of 70 rooms for rent in Quan Hoa Ward, Cau Giay District, said that at the beginning of the new school year, room prices are higher than in the summer or mid-semester. Every day, he receives about 20 phone calls from students asking to rent rooms, mostly new students.

Last year, he rented out rooms for 2 - 3 million VND/month, depending on the quality of the room. However, after checking prices in some places in Cau Giay district, he decided to increase the room price to between 2.5 - 4 million VND/month.

"This increase depends on the escalating prices, the level of competition with surrounding boarding houses, and more importantly, the demand will increase, so the room rates will also increase, ensuring enough to cover operating costs and make a profit," he said. Previously, the salary of security guards and cleaners in the boarding house was 5-6 million VND, now the salary must be increased to 6-8 million VND/month.

Mr. Phi also advised that if students do not have enough money, they can rent a house in the price range of 1.2 - 1.5 million VND/month, there are still many, but they must also be mentally prepared for the low quality of accommodation and lack of essential amenities.

According to a survey, in Thanh Xuan district near major universities (University of Natural Sciences, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Transport Technology...), the price of a room here also fluctuates over 3.8 million VND/month depending on the room type and area, much higher than 1-2 months before students enrolled.

The large number of students flocking to Hanoi to prepare for school entrance has led to a high demand for accommodation, so the owners of all accommodation establishments have increased prices from 1 to nearly 2 million VND. This has greatly affected the finances of families with children going to university, leading to students having to find accommodation in cheaper areas but having to study far from school, or having to share a room with strangers to split the rent.

The number of students coming to study and workers coming to work in Hanoi is increasing, the current supply of rental housing is still limited, unable to meet the needs of many people. Therefore, when looking for a room to rent, you need to be alert to avoid the situation where the landlord "advertises a sheep's head but sells dog meat", advertises one thing but the reality is another, and pushes the price too high to squeeze the price.

Mr. Le Xuan Thanh, Head of the Student Political Affairs Department, University of Mining and Geology, said that most new students have to find a room to rent when entering university. They often share a room with 2-4 people, find a room near the school, and can cook to save money.

To avoid being scammed, Mr. Thanh advises students to take advantage of relationships, try to rent a room from an acquaintance, and provide transparent and detailed information. When viewing the room and signing the contract, ask an adult or an older sibling who has experience living and working in the city to go with you to ensure a genuine transaction.

"In addition, all schools currently have activities and groups to support students. Students should contact the school's admissions and student affairs departments for advice," he said.

Khanh Son

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