Things you should consider when renting a house in Hanoi

Content

1. Overview of the real estate rental market in Hanoi

In general, you have three choices: a house, an apartment, or a villa, depending on your demands and budget. When looking for a future house, each style of dwelling has its own set of advantages and disadvantages to consider!

• Private residence: There are also two types of houses: street houses, which are often located in the downtown area, and detached houses. Its length is far greater than its breadth, earning it the nickname "tube home." It always faces a street, and because the first level is utilized as a shop or office, you can only reside on the upper floors. The other type is a detached house, which is a self-contained structure on its own plot of ground with its own road, garden, and boundary fence.
• Apartment: If you're living alone or with only two other individuals, this is a common option. An apartment can be served or unserviced. Serviced apartments are always furnished and include services such as a cleaning woman, a security mini-market, a gym, and restaurants, among other things.
• A villa might be thought of as a considerably more opulent dwelling. They always have a bigger garden, a pool, and hotel-style services and facilities. This option is only available to those with a high income.

2. Select the District where you wish to reside

• If you wish to reside in or near the city center, consider Hoan Kiem (the heart of Hanoi), Ba Dinh, Dong Da, and Hai Ba Trung.
• If you wish to see a calmer side of Hanoi, go to the following districts: Cau Giay, Tay Ho (My Dinh area)

When it comes to finding residences in Hanoi, the Tay Ho area is the most popular choice among foreigners. You could find it more convenient to reside in a large expat community with many benefits for foreigners, such as several international schools.

Another factor to consider while deciding where to reside is your place of employment. Hanoi traffic is becoming increasingly chaotic, especially if you do not own a motorcycle. So, in order to save time, we propose that you remain as close as possible.

You don't want to be 20 minutes away from the next store, 200 minutes away from the nearest park, rushing to do weekly duties, or waiting an hour for your kids to get to school.

Begin by limiting your preferred location to a single city. After that, you may start looking around the city's neighborhoods to determine which ones could be the best fit for you.

Furthermore, if you want a tranquil lifestyle, you should evaluate if the area you pick is close to a major road. With Hanoi's congested traffic, you should first verify the location on maps to ensure it is not near any congested streets, or if you work with a real estate company to help you choose the proper house, you should discuss this with them. It's also necessary to discuss the location's near future; imagine living in that region for one or two months and discovering if there will be construction there shortly, which will be dusty and noisy.

3. View

4. Choose your desired pricing

5. Accommodation

There is a lot of crucial information regarding the villa that you should know before renting it. All of these will assist you in having a decent place to depart, and the location will always be in good condition for you to remain. If you are staying with a roommate or traveling to Hanoi with your family, for example, the apartment must have enough space and room for everyone. Or if a villa has mold or not, and if the area is regularly pest disinfected or not, and if it receives a lot of sunshine or not.

Furthermore, while renting a villa, it is typical to have certain standard amenities such as air conditioning, a refrigerator, and a washing machine, so make sure you inspect all of the amenities before signing the contract. Because the owner will be responsible for repairing any issues with their facilities prior to signing the contract. Or as we mentioned above, with the weather here, it is important to have a mosquitos net on the doors and windows too.

6. Neighborhood

Being an expat is difficult enough when you live in a foreign nation. If you wish to live in an area with other expats, you can simply acquire this information about the region beforehand or speak with an agent to assist you in finding the perfect place. Furthermore, before making a final selection, it is necessary to study the community around the apartment.

The neighborhood is crucial since it may have a significant impact on your life. That is why we feel you should speak with the owner ahead of time if your neighbors are likely to be noisy, if they have a pet that is likely to be noisy, or if they raise chickens, which may be stinky, so that you can live more comfortably.

7. The property owner

The most significant factor in defining your living circumstances is your landlord. If you have a good landlord, you won't have to worry about hidden expenses or poor conditions since the landlord will take care of everything. If you have a lousy landlord, you may find yourself in your own rental nightmare (or, worse, a lawsuit). To avoid this, try to meet with your landlord or (at the at least) speak with him or her over the phone. If you'll be moving in with roommates, make sure to ask them about their landlord's overall experience.

8. Pet policy

Pets are always allowed in certain elite accommodations, but this is not the case for every landlord, so if you are a pet lover and have a pet, you should enquire about it as soon as possible. Usually, the owners of a landed-house or a villa will accept pets more easily, meanwhile the high-end serviced apartments’ owners may be hesistant to do this.  If the landlords agree to let you keep the pet, you must ask about deposits and fees (in luxury apartment buildings, pet deposits are required to cover the deep cleaning after you move and any damage your pet may do).