😢 Limited Capacity of School Dormitory

• Housing Options at your university:
  • Residence Halls (Dormitories): The main option for most exchange students 

• Application Challenges:

  • Both exchange and local students apply each semester.
  • Results in a long waiting list and potential drop-outs.
  • Highly competitive due to availability to a broad student base.

• Acceptance Uncertainty:

  • Some students may get a spot immediately or while on the waiting list.
  • No certainty on when or if one will be accepted.

→ You must think of Plan B for your housing and be ready before you arrive in South Korea.

😓 Tight Schedules and Rules in Dormitory

• Fixed Schedules in School Dormitory:

  • Application, fee payment, and move-out have deadlines. 

  • These fixed schedules may clash with personal schedules such as flights, work commitments, trips, or study plans.

• Living Conditions and Rules:

  • Living with roommates can trigger both minor and major troubles in daily living.
  • Residents are required to adhere to strict dormitory rules like curfew.

→ Off-campus living adds more flexibility to your planning and living.

Then, specifically, where should you live when you decide to live off-campus?

Let’s have a look at the most well-known off-campus options in South Korea.

🔎 Option 1. AirBnB?

• Airbnb and Exchange Students:
  •  Low prices attract exchange students for long-term stay

• Legal Issues with AirBnB in Korea:
  • Only legal for travel, not for residential use.
  • Hosts may conceal legality issues.

• Risks of Illegal Stays:
  • Possible relocation to a different room than advertised.
  • Risk of eviction during police checks or host disputes.
  • No protection against fraud or eviction.

• Refer to these news :

Woman finned for irregular operation of Airbnb Studio

Airbnb Could Wipe Out 70% of Its South Korea Listing …

🔎 Option 2. Goshiwon?

• Cost-Effective Option for Exchange Students: 
  • Goshiwon is often chosen by exchange students due to its affordability.
• Poor Living Conditions: 
  • Typically, Goshiwons offer narrow spaces and outdated facilities, which might harm the quality of living. 
• Unfavorable Comparisons to Dormitories: 
  • some students find Goshiwon accommodations significantly worse than typical dormitory setups.
  • One student described it as "the worst 2-month living experience of my life" with issues like toilets too close to beds and cockroach infestations.
• Noise Issues: 
  • Rooms are almost stuck to each other, increasing the noise disturbances from neighbors.
• Strict Regulations: 
  • Rules can be stricter than those in school dormitories, potentially limiting personal freedom.

😯 Language Barrier in Unfamiliar Country

House hunting in a foreign country can be challenging for several reasons:

• Each country has its own unique housing culture and policies.
• It's important but difficult to understand the local housing system.
• Language barriers can complicate communication with landlords and realtors.

→ Checkmate provides English reports on local properties and interpretation at the time of signing the contract!

😞 Hard to Find Reasonable Option

Studying abroad is costly, covering everything from flights to housing. Checkmate helps students save money wisely:

• Deposit Range: In major university towns in Seoul, studio room deposits range from $3,000 to $6,000.
• Quality Housing: Checkmate.korea provides housing that balances affordability with quality, considering built-in options and location.

→ Look for house with reasonable pricing with Checkmate.korea ! 

😢 Little Help Offered to Exchange Students

Looking for the best student accommodation is always a priority as it will be your home away from home, and your student accommodation significantly impacts your college experience. However, there are no sources, exchange students could search for or ask help for.

• Most universities does not offer help with house hunting.

  • Currently, searching for houses is your own responsibility (OIA)
    
    

• OIAs does not provide 1:1 assistance (Reddit)

  • "I heard while my university has dorms, they're extremely limited and they do not offer 1-on-1 help regarding this. If  anyone has any suggestions or links I'd really appreciate it!" 

• Information on online fail to provide tangible help

  • Dorms are limited and information for off-campus living is vague (Reddit)

    • "I'm going to study abroad at SNU (in Seoul) this upcoming Feb. While the school has dorms they're very limited, they do provide sources of where to look for off campus living, however its very vague. Does anyone have any suggestions? (:"

  • Real estate apps list fake postings (Reddit) 

    • "Most real estate apps are garbage and only list fake postings." 

  • Real estate apps are very unfriendly for non-Koreans (Reddit)

    • "The apps used to find housing are not very non Korean-friendly. It is much easier to do when you are here, as you can just go, check out places, and sign up on the spot."