New students rent a room: Rushing will lead to "falling into a trap"

(Dan Tri) - From "haunted rooms" to advertising photos that look one way but reality is another, many new students have become victims when looking for a room to rent in their first days away from home.

The pictures online are gorgeous, the real room is disappointing.

Every school year, the rental market in big cities becomes bustling. This is also an opportunity for criminals to use all kinds of tricks to make a profit.

One of the familiar tricks that still traps many students is "hanging pictures one way, but reality another".

Photos of bright, tidy rooms, sometimes with added lighting and sparkling decorations, are posted on social media platforms or rental websites. However, when you get there, the harsh reality often appears.

Thu Ha, a student at Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, shared: “On Facebook, the room picture was very nice, airy, and cheap. But when I got there, the room was old, damp, and cramped. The landlord said the room in the picture was already rented, and then tricked me into putting down a deposit for another room.”

The photo on the left was taken by the broker to introduce to customers, while the photo on the right is the actual photo when the tenant came to see the room in person (Photo: NVCC).

Not only Ha, many other students are also in the same situation. Minh Anh, a student at the University of Economics and Law, Ho Chi Minh National University, said she had to "swallow the bitter pill" of losing a deposit of 2 million VND because she believed in the sparkling photos.

“The room in real life is much smaller than in the picture, and the bathroom is in the common yard, not as described. I wanted to withdraw my deposit but the landlord refused to return it,” Minh Anh said.

In addition, many landlords and brokers also use the trick of exaggerating the area and quality of the room. They often take photos with a wide-angle lens, making the small room look spacious and airy. Sometimes the room is only 10m² but is advertised as 20m².

“When we arrived, the place was small and hot, completely different from what they promised. But because we had already paid the broker, students had to reluctantly stay temporarily or pay to rent another place, suffering in every way,” said Bao Chau, a student at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Architecture.

These tricks are not new, but they happen every year, because new students are often in a hurry to find a place to stay without having the experience to verify it. The fear of losing their place makes many students easily pay a deposit without carefully examining the room, creating opportunities for unscrupulous landlords to take advantage.

“Ghost rooms” and fake brokers

Another trick that causes many young people to lose money right from the start is “ghost rooms” – rooms that do not actually exist. Scammers often take advantage of the bargain-hunting mentality of newly enrolled students, posting rental ads at surprisingly low prices, along with urging words like “book now or you will lose it”, “only one room left”.

The familiar trick is to ask for a deposit in advance to “confirm”, and then… disappear.

Many posts on groups share about the scams of fake brokers (Photo: Screenshot).

Bao Chau recounted a memorable experience: “I saw a room for rent for only 1.2 million/month, much cheaper than the average price. The poster said that I had to transfer 500,000 VND in advance to reserve the place, otherwise someone else would take it. I believed it and transferred the money. But then they blocked my number and lost contact completely. Only then did I realize I had been scammed, my money was gone and the room was not real.”

Many other students have also fallen into the same situation. Minh Quan, a second-year student at Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry, said he once lost 700,000 VND when he paid a deposit for a “haunted room” advertised in the old Binh Thanh district.

“The room looked very nice and close to the school. But when I got to the address, it was just a locked house. The neighbors said no one had ever rented there,” Quan recounted.

The common point in these cases is that the criminals often take advantage of the inexperience and impatience of students. With just a few photos edited from the internet and attractive promises, they can easily gain the trust of people who are in a hurry to find a place to live. A transfer of a few hundred thousand may seem small, but for many students far from home, it is the amount of money for a week of food.

Charging unreasonable fees in the name of safety

Even if they have a room, students can still be ripped off with unreasonable fees. Many landlords use safety and convenience as reasons to collect extra money from tenants.

Dang Khoa, a student at Nguyen Tat Thanh University, recounted: “Recently, due to many fires and explosions, my boarding house installed fire extinguishers, masks, and fire alarms. But instead of paying, the landlord asked each room to pay a few hundred thousand. What makes me angry is that the price they offered is twice as high as the market price. It is clear that they are taking advantage of safety reasons to collect more from students.”

Thu Phuong, a student at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Ho Chi Minh City National University, and a group of friends once encountered a situation where, after moving house, the landlord immediately came up with "out of the blue" fees and asked to deduct them all from the house deposit.

However, Thu Phuong boldly spoke up, providing evidence of the room condition and contract so that in the end the landlord could not "cheat".

The post shares the story of the "fraud" of the landlord that Thu Phuong encountered (Photo: Screenshot).

In addition, many students reported being "drawn" additional fees such as cleaning, security, Internet, and even unusually high parking fees. Although each fee is not too large, when added together, this amount becomes a significant burden for students who are already financially limited.

Many people think that these fees are like a “hidden trap”. Initially, the listed rental price is affordable, but when the fees are added up, the total monthly payment is almost as high as a room in the city center.

In fact, this is a “trick” that many landlords use to retain tenants. They understand that students are often reluctant to move because of the effort of searching and transporting, so after signing the contract, tenants have to “turn a blind eye” to the additional fees. This not only causes financial pressure but also creates frustration and lack of trust between landlords and tenants.

According to Mr. Tien Dung, a real estate consultant in Ho Chi Minh City, the main reason why students are easily deceived is because of their greed for cheapness and haste.

“People are often afraid of losing the room so they transfer money to reserve it right away, without going to see it in person or reading the contract carefully. This is the biggest mistake,” he said.

When looking for a room, students should survey early to have many options. The most important thing is to go directly to see the room, carefully check the condition and surrounding area. The contract must clearly state the cost of electricity, water, internet and the conditions of check-out.

Students should absolutely not deposit online and should prioritize finding rooms through friends' recommendations, reputable groups or student support centers.

The above stories are not only a warning for new students but also reflect a painful reality in the current rental market. Finding a suitable place to live is not only a matter of settling down, but also the first lesson in caution and self-protection skills in a strange city.

Phuong Thao, Khanh Ly

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/tan-sinh-vien-di-thue-phong-tro-voi-vang-la-dinh-bay-20250901062610676.htm