If you’re not eligible for university accommodation or you prefer a more cost effective solution, you can choose private accommodation. Students can get “to let” information from the university welfare office, adverts around campus or on the Internet, and local estate agents. If you plan to rent, think about the utility costs, such as gas electricity and water, before you pay the deposit and sign the contract. According to Chen Jianqian, senior consultant at Amber Education, these costs can be high but are often overlooked by students.
如果你無法申請大學宿舍，或者追求更經濟的住宿方式，那么你可以選擇租房。學生可從大學后勤辦公室、校內廣告、網上或是當地房屋中介這些地方獲取招租信息。如果你打算租房，應在交定金、簽合同之前考慮一下水電等公共設施費用。琥珀教育集團高級顧問陳倩倩（音譯）表示，這些費用有時很高，卻經常被學生忽視。
Chen suggests students take photos of the accommodation before they move in. “There have been cases in which landlords charged students for not maintaining their accommodation properly, but because the students didn’t take photos they couldn’t refute the claims,” she said.
陳倩倩建議學生在入住之前拍照留存。她說：“有些情況下，房東會以學生沒有保持房況為由收取費用，但是由于學生沒有拍照留證，因此百口莫辯。”