Housing Information for Interns and Trainees

Types of Housing in the USA

Housing options vary across the USA. All cities and even most small towns have apartments available for rent. Larger cities have more options, including apartment sublets, rooms for rent, homestays, and university-style dormitories.

Apartment rentals/shares/sublets

Renting
Renting an apartment by yourself will provide you with the most freedom; however, it can also be a very expensive.

Share
A cost-efficient way to live in an apartment in a large city like New York is to share an apartment with other people. You agree to divide responsibilities and payment of rent and bills.

Sublet
Another option is to sublet an apartment from a tenant who leaves for a period of time – a few months or longer. You assume the responsibilities of paying rent and bills and the original tenant assumes all responsibilities under the lease.

To rent, share, or sublet an apartment, you are typically required to provide a photo ID, a letter from an employer with salary information or proof of sufficient funds from home, bank account information, and checks/travelers’ checks.

Dormitory-style apartments and university housing

Dormitories typically have a greater sense of community and social interaction and will allow you to meet other students and young professionals. Most often, dormitory-style and university housing will require you to share a bedroom and bathroom with other individuals. Most dormitories also provide essential housing needs, such as furnished rooms, Internet access, kitchen and laundry facilities, and, in some cases, even meals.

Homestays

Homestays offer participants the opportunity to improve language skills and sample American culture in a unique way by living with a US family. Participants will typically have their own bedroom and arrange to take an allotted amount of meals with the family each week.

Hostels

Hostels are great for temporary accommodation while you look for something more long-term, Hostels typically require you to share a bedroom and bathroom with other residents, but they also provide opportunities for meeting other young people and making friends.

Securing Housing

Ready to get started? Keep the following information in mind as you begin looking for housing and start viewing potential apartments or residences.

Resources - Where to Look

Start by talking to your host employer about the city or neighborhood where you will be working and the neighborhoods they recommend: What are the best websites, newspapers, or other resources people use in the area to look for housing?
Refer to some of the websites we have compiled which may help in your search

Roommates

Roommates can be found through word of mouth once you arrive in the US or through websites of professional companies, e.g. Roommates.com
Some roommates like to write a contract in order to delegate all responsibilities and outline how space will be shared—it is recommended that you do this before finalizing housing with roommates.

Avoiding Scams

There are a lot of housing scams, especially on the Internet, so you must conduct your housing search carefully. It is highly recommended that you secure short-term housing upon arrival (e.g. in a hostel) and conduct your housing search once you are in the US. This will allow you to see the property and meet your landlord/lady without requiring you to wire large sums of money to someone you have never met. If you absolutely must secure permanent housing before arriving in the USA, it is recommended that you look for an established university or residence facility rather than an individual apartment owner.

The Federal Trade Commission stipulates some telltale signs of scammers:

They want you to wire money. There’s never a good reason to wire money to pay a security deposit, application fee, or first month’s rent. Wiring money is the same as sending cash — once you send it, you have no way to get it back.
They want a security deposit or first month’s rent before you’ve met or signed a lease. It’s never a good idea to send money to someone you’ve never met in person for an apartment you haven’t seen. If you can’t visit an apartment or house yourself, ask someone you trust to go and confirm that it’s for rent. If you don’t know someone who can do this, wait until you are in the US so you can visit housing locations yourself. In addition to setting up a meeting, do a search on the landlord and listing. If you find the same ad listed under a different name, that’s a clue it may be a scam.
They say they’re out of the country, but they have a plan to get the keys into your hands. It might involve a lawyer or “agent” working on their behalf. Some scammers even create fake keys. Be skeptical, and don’t send money overseas. If you can’t meet in person, see the apartment, or sign a lease before you pay, keep looking.

Please check out the following websites for tips on avoiding fraud:

http://www.wikihow.com/Avoid-Scams-on-Craigslist

http://www.fraudguides.com/

Please read the blog of one of our very own participants who was the victim of a housing scam by an agency in her home country: http://careertrainingusa.wordpress.com/2009/03/09/how-to-avoid-housing-scams-in-the-us/

Tenants' Rights

Know your rights and what you’ve agreed to -- read your lease!

US Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD)
www.HousingNYC.com (specific to New York City)
www.tenant.net

Safety

Safety should be a high priority when looking for housing. The best thing to do is visit a neighborhood before moving there.

Utilities/Cable

Find out which utilities (heat, electricity, water, cooking gas, cable, Internet, etc.) you are responsible for paying, as it will vary from city to city. You can get a list of local utility and cable companies from your landlord.
Cable, Internet, and phone services can often be purchased together from one company. Assess what is most important to have at home before buying a monthly package, as they can be expensive.

Transportation

Find out whether there is easy access to public transit
Will you need a bike or are most things within walking distance?
Will you need a car?

Housing Costs

Average monthly cost of housing really depends on location, the type of housing, and what is included (furniture, utilities, etc.).
A security deposit (equal to one month’s rent or more) as well as first and sometimes the last month’s rent are due when you sign your lease.
Often, a one or two year lease is required when renting an apartment, but depending on the housing arrangement you select, you may be able to negotiate a shorter lease or a month-by-month lease. This is important in case you need to leave the US early—there may be a fee for leaving before your lease ends, so be sure to discuss this before signing a lease or housing agreement.

Furniture

You will be able to find both furnished and unfurnished housing options in the US. A furnished room or apartment will oftentimes be more expensive, but it can also help to reduce the costs of purchasing furniture and apartment necessities after you arrive.
If you need to furnish your apartment, you can find inexpensive furniture and kitchen supplies at places like Wal-Mart, Target, IKEA, K-Mart, etc.

For more information, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions.