Finding the perfect home is one of the top priorities about moving to a new country. But there's no worry here! We're going to break down the process and provide the tools needed for you to find the best place to rest your weary head at the end of the day.

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Before you arrive in Ho Chi Minh City, it's a good idea to book an short-term rent for your first month. Having your first month's accommodation sorted will give you enough time to get familiar with the lay of the land and decide where you want to live.
 
Ho Chi Minh City has 22 districts and 1 city in total. If you have all the time in the world, you could explore them all and choose to settle in your favourite. For the sake of saving time, though, we recommend looking at Phu My Hung in District 7, Thu Thiem in District 2, Thao Dien in District 2, And District 1. All these areas are bustling with activity and offer a lot of job and housing opportunities for expats.
 
It's not hard to find permanent accommodation in Ho Chi Minh City. There are plenty of websites and Facebook pages where estate agents post daily. To prevent wasting your time, be as precise and as accurate as possible regarding your wishes. You can check with the agents which properties are suitable for your requirements before seeing the actual places.
 
There are many factors to take into consideration when finding an apartment in Ho Chi Minh City:
 
Parking
If you're going to get a motorbike, there are many condominiums have space for parking.
If you are going to have a car, you should check the parking fee at the place you want to rent. Most of apartments for rent in Phu My Hung have free car parking lot, but the other areas you have to rent parking lot separately.
 
Security
Renting apartment in District 1, District 2, District 7 are quite safe. The are no worries about security
 
But if you decide to rent a house not in the urban area, you should check carefully where is safe for living or not.
 
Sanitation
Avoid living above a restaurant or at street level. As stunning as Ho Chi Minh City is, it's victim to all sorts of pests, and you're more likely to be overrun with rats or cockroaches if you do. For the same reason, make sure that there's a system to dispose of trash.
 
Appliances
You need a strong air conditioning unit in Ho Chi Minh City. It's an absolute 100% necessity, and no, a fan won't do! Also, most Ho Chi Minh City apartments won't come with an oven so if that's a requirement for you, make sure you tell your estate agent.
 
You should request the landlord to clean the air-conditioners before handover to make sure they works properly when you move in.
Not all properties have oven, and not all properties have hot water at kitchen. If you really need, you should pay attention to find the properties having these features or negotiate to have them.
 
Environment
Ask the landlord of the area is prone to flooding during the rainy season. Rain is torrential during the summer months, and many streets get badly flooded.
 
Renting properties in Phu My Hung district 7, in Thu Thiem district 2, Thao Dien District 2 or in District 1 are nicer areas and not having flooding.
 
Noise Control
Green spaces are lovely, but it's not a good idea to live too close to them in Ho Chi Minh City. From as early as 4:30 a.m. the city's early birds like to meet there to partake in group exercise, usually with speakers blaring music. It can get unbearable so avoid at all costs!
 
To get the best deal, you should always negotiate your rent. Usually the real estate agents can negotiate well to get the good rental, and also negotiate for the other terms and conditions.
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Rental contract duration is usually twelve months in Ho Chi Minh City, but sometimes you can negotiate a six-month contract if you can't commit to a whole year. The landlord may ask you to pay the rent three months or even six months upfront. Resist this and firmly insist on paying the rent monthly or every 2 months are common. The standard deposit is 2 month rental. Make sure that the contract states the deposit amount and that the landlord gives you a receipt.

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Some landlords state the rent price in USD. Instead, insist the rent price always be recorded in VND. If the rent is in USD, you will pay different VND amount each month because of the exchange rate. Normally, the landlord take the selling exchange rate according to Vietcombank at the time of payment.  
 
By Western standards, rent is not high in Ho Chi Minh City. You can live like a king for a fraction of the price! Expect to pay between 500 and 1000 USD per month. Apartments in Ho Chi Minh City sometimes include a communal swimming pool or gym, which can come in very handy when you want to escape the midday heat. It just depends on your budget and how luxurious and big an apartment you want.

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If you can find an excellent place to live that's also close to your work it will make your time in Ho Chi Minh City a million times more enjoyable.

Reference source: Vietnam online