Housing & Renting

Foreigners can rent apartments directly in Vietnam — there's no local co-signer requirement the way some countries have. You'll need a passport and a valid visa or work permit, and by law the landlord has to register your stay with local police shortly after you sign, usually within a day or two. This isn't optional paperwork either of you can skip.

Leases typically run around a year. Ask for the full monthly cost including management fees, electricity, water and internet before you commit — listings often quote only the base rent, and the real number can be noticeably higher once everything's added in.

Local property portals, agents, and word of mouth are all in play, and in the big cities an agent who specifically works with foreign tenants tends to be worth the commission for the first lease — they know which buildings actually allow short notice periods, which landlords are used to dealing with foreigners, and what a fair price actually looks like in a given neighbourhood.

Underestimating the all-in monthly rent (management fees, utilities) is the most common one. Second is assuming a short-term serviced apartment booking gives you the same flexibility as a proper lease — it doesn't, and it's worth budgeting for both: a few weeks in temporary accommodation while you actually look at places in person, then a longer lease once you've found the right one.