Living in Saigon 6 months or more

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johnfrommelbourne
Living in Saigon 6 months or more

Having read a lot of posts on this site and others I just need to be clear on a couple of things please Tomo.
Firstly in Saigon itself is it correct to assume that rents for a small one or two bedroom apartment in Saigon are cheaper for foreigners if the length of stay is 6 months or more?
2) Would it be better to have a local Vietnamese person seek out an apartment on my behalf to avoid any exploitation by a local thinking they can milk an artificially high rent rate from a foreigner.
3) Is there any clear and definitive difference in price for an apartment in regards the different districts. For instance would a small apartment in District 7 for instance be vastly different to same apartment in District 1.
Or I see that District One is close to District 5 and 10 so is it likely that apartments in Districts 1, 3 and 5 are all about the same price
4) I see the prices quoted of US$200-300 a month for a one bedroom apartment at some postings but does not seem realistic to me. However if those prices are not realistic could I assume that I could get a one bedroom apartment for between $400 - $600 a month in most districts which is about all I could afford.

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Anonymous

Tan Binh, district 5... you might have to commute but it's not that far to get to downtown. Also, everything in downtown is probably 3-4 times more expensive (why? because they can) than other districts so unless you're making a lot of money, I wouldn't recommend thinking about living in downtown HCMC. It just doesn't make sense.

tomo

Most landlords will want a 6 or 12 month contract, so consider that normal. You'll pay a premium for a shorter term contract so consider just staying in a guesthouse or hotel instead of seeking a really short term contract.

Having a local Vietnamese person helping you not only helps you negotiate, but will help you find housing that you wouldn't have been able to find on your own without being able to read Vietnamese. But there can be trouble with the police when it comes to renting to foreigners, which can make rent higher... It's complicated.

There are different types of housing in different districts. Phu My Hung in District 7 has an abundance of highrises and many expat families stay there. An Phu in District 2 has a number of large houses or villas. District 1 is where you'll find a lot of rooms for rent to foreigners.

Anonymous

@ johnfrommelbourne

1) I don't know if it is cheaper for a length of stay is 6 months or more, it is depends on the landlord of course
2) yes, if you know of any Vietnamese can do a preliminary search for you it would help greatly. although sometimes you can still do the bargaining yourself
3) district 1 and 3 are most expensive areas in HCMC since it is considered downtown and the heart of the city. you can get some very good housing from Binh Thanh, Tan Binh, district 5... you might have to commute but it's not that far to get to downtown. Also, everything in downtown is probably 3-4 times more expensive (why? because they can) than other districts so unless you're making a lot of money, I wouldn't recommend thinking about living in downtown HCMC. It just doesn't make sense.

Good luck with the search.

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