Top 5 Mistakes Erasmus Students Make When Searching for Accommodation Abroad — and How to Avoid Them
- jessevisionfactory
- Aug 11
- 7 min read
Updated: Aug 13
Author: Lana Sertić
Introduction
Usually, finding suitable accommodation gets overlooked by the excitement of going on the Erasmus+ program. As studying abroad is one of the most beautiful and most exciting experiences you can live through in a student’s academic life, giving attention to securing housing early in your program abroad can be a little hard and exhausting.
Instead of daydreaming about exploring new cultures, meeting new friends that will be with you for a lifetime, and having new adventures with said friends, looking for a place to stay is the last thing that comes to your mind.
For you not to over-stress, waste money, and put yourself through uncomfortable or unsafe situations. In other words, to help you avoid common pitfalls, here are the top five mistakes Erasmus students make when searching for accommodation and how you can easily avoid them and be happy throughout the whole experience.
Waiting Too Long to Start the Search
As I said in the introduction, delaying the accommodation hunt is one of the most frequent and costly mistakes you can make for yourself. Don’t even think about finding an apartment when you get to the destination because, let me reality check you for a moment, it’ll not happen. Not to tell you, it will be far more expensive than it would be in the first place because it is last-minute.
Cities like Amsterdam, Barcelona, or Paris have notoriously tight student housing markets. Including countless Facebook groups and scammers inside of it, overpriced housing agencies, and always occupied student dormitories. If you’re blessed enough that you know someone in the town you’re going to, so they can help you with it, I’m already jealous, but so happy you don’t need to think about this pain some of us go through.
If you decide to go to an Erasmus exchange, you need to start looking for housing that month you decided or when you get your Erasmus confirmation, because in the end, it will leave you with overpriced rooms, long commutes, or what we don't want, nowhere to stay. It will be hard, there will be silent treatments from landlords, overpriced apartments from the last century, but believe the writer, it will be worth every nerve you lose in the process, and hey, you’ll have so many funny stories to laugh at yourself when something even worse happens.
Another great tip for you would be to join Erasmus or university-specific Facebook groups and WhatsApp chats early so you can maybe find roommates (the best), and your process will be a tiny bit easier. Moreover, join trusted platforms like ErasmusU, Uniplaces, or your university’s accommodation office.
Trusting Unverified Listings or Scams
Scammers know that international students are vulnerable, especially if they’re eager to lock down a place. Don’t fall for it. Don’t pay upfront without a contract, video call, or even better, an in-person look around of the accommodation if you have that opportunity, or if someone who lives in the city you’re going to can visit for you and video call you. From a personal experience, there can also be Erasmus WhatsApp groups that consist of people who go to see the accommodation for you, if you’re not able to.
Even if they say that they are a housing agency, ask for videos. Nowadays, it shouldn't be hard for them to send a video if they're real. Also, ask as many questions as you can. About utilities, heating/cooling, additional expenses, repairs, if something gets damaged, whether they provide towels, sheets, furniture, etc.
Red flags to watch out for:
A price is too good to be true.
Pressure to send money before a viewing.
Poor grammar a vague communication.
Refusal to provide a written contract
To avoid this, you should:
Use university-verified housing portals.
Never pay through Western Union, PayPal Friends & Family, or untraceable methods.
Ask for a video call or live virtual tour.
If you have a chance, request to speak with current or past tenants.
3. Ignoring the Location Factor
Finding a cheap room on the edge of town might save you money upfront, but in the long run, it could cost you your time, safety, and overall experience. At all that, if you pick unsafe neighborhoods, it could affect your Erasmus experience and in the end your entire semester.
Limited access to public transport can happen easily especially if you don’t do a good research to the potential neigborhood you plan to move to which can result in feeling isolated from university life because you need to constantly think when your last train/metro/bus goes and whats the fastest you need to run from said station to your place of living because its really scary going through those streets alone. None of your Erasmus friends doesn’t live there because they did their research and you didn’t.
When you do your research, you should map the distance from your place to your campus, check public transport options, especially at night, and use Google Maps Street View or ask local students about neighborhood reputations. Students who volunteer in Erasmus groups who are from the cities you want to go to are very approachable and will always help because their goal is to make your Erasmus experience the most beautiful ever.
Not Reading the Lease or Understanding the Terms
For the love of everything you believe in, read the fine print. Even if it’s in another language, ask AI to help you, or someone that you know who speaks the language the fine print is in. Even if the contract is in the language that you understand, there can always be words that don’t make sense (they can be distinctive to the person/agency writing it that you don't even know what they mean), so email the landlord or the agency what that means because once you sign that paper, you’re in it for the best, and rather for the worst.
If the person renting you the apartment is pressuring you to sign as soon as possible and won’t clarify you information that you don’t understand, run and don’t look back. Look for hidden cleaning fees, so that you know if you need to clean every crevice of that place you’re renting. Landlords love to put that clause in the contract.
There are out there landlords with so strict guest policies that you’ll be shocked. For a family member who’s visiting you to pay 80€ daily in an apartment you’re already paying for is absurd, and the landlord is in their peak delusion right there.
Another very important thing is not to blame yourself for not speaking the same language as your landlord. It will be difficult, but the other party knew what they were agreeing to.
Lastly, don’t forget to clarify details for the deposit amount and return conditions, notice period, and house rules. Likewise, when I go to the new place of living, the moment I get into an apartment, I like to check every wall, ceiling, and bed for possible damage, also if the bathroom and sheets are clean. If something is out of the ordinary, I take a video or a picture so I have proof that that was there before I arrived. When I leave, if I need to clean every crevice, I take a video of the whole apartment explaining what I did and what I cleaned, so they don’t charge me extra for cleaning expenses or worse, they don't return my deposit.
Overlooking Shared Housing Dynamics
There are always going to be pros and cons when you decide to live with a roommate or alone. Personally, you should try both, but be aware of some things first. At the beginning, it will always be perfect, and both, or however many of you, will be happy, but the real test starts 2 weeks or a month after living with each other. There are personality clashes, lifestyle differences, communication breakdowns, cleanliness standards, guests or partners overstaying, and it can become a mess really fast, but one thing I learned is that if you want to stay sane, you need to be able to communicate with grown children, and also, be able to compromise. Furthermore, set some boundaries from the start. That can be that you go to the bed really early, so people know that you’re not hiding in your room not wanting to hang out, so that they can be a little quieter with their talking, but you cannot expect for them to go to sleep when you do, so even if you hear them talking at 9 pm, just put your headphones in and you’ll sleep tight. Everything after 11 pm is inhumane and should be locked in an asylum.
A lot of people have a problem expressing dissatisfaction with other people's actions, and I've noticed that this can also happen with roommates because they may be uncomfortable and don't want to have a serious conversation, but this lack of communication only makes things worse, and I definitely don't recommend it. Adulting is not easy, but it’s not that serious in the end, so just say if something is bothering you, and your life will be so much better and happier.
For the Erasmus experience, especially I really recommend that you share a living space with someone because, if we look at the bright side and the side in which everything will work out, you’ll have a lifelong friend who shared the same experiences as you did in the best period of your life!
Conclusion
Go to an Erasmus exchange, it will change your life. Do a lot of research before going to your exchange location. Try to create friendships before arriving so that you already have someone when you get to the Erasmus location. Finding a place will be hard, but it’s not impossible! Watch out for scammers, there are a lot of them out there. Talk to former Erasmus students or check university forums for the answers you need. Join ESN (Erasmus Student Network) groups to make a lot of friends, and most importantly, allow yourself some fun.
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