Do's and don'ts when finding J1 accommodation

You've booked your J1, got hired for your dream job, and are already planning the perfect travel capsule wardrobe. You're home free, right? Ahh, 'home'. Yep, you still need your home away from home for the summer.

Whether you're finding your accommodation through a J1 Group on Facebook, from your own research online or you're waiting until you arrive – here are some do's and don'ts to make sure your stay in the States goes smoothly.

DON’T get scammed!

Every year, the threat exists in having your entire J1 ruined because of a scam when searching for a place to stay Stateside.

Websites like Craigslist, Roommates or Roomster are a great tool to find accommodation in the US, but like with any community or ad led site – you just need to be careful that the listings are legit. Make sure you're selecting filters such 'ID verified only' in your search results and if you’re not 100% sure that the accommodation you’ve found is legitimate, DO NOT transfer any money and definitely DO NOT pay the entire summer rent upfront. The general rule to go by is: if you have any doubt at all regarding the legitimacy of your accommodation, find somewhere else!

DO understand your lease

When you find somewhere to stay for the summer, no matter what, you’re going to have to sign a lease/agreement with a landlord/landlady. We cannot stress enough how important it is for you to read and understand the terms of the lease that you are signing your name to.

Not only do you need to know things like ‘Are utilities included’ ‘What bills will I have to pay – cable, gas, water, electric, gas?’ ‘Can I extend the lease if I decide to stay an extra couple of weeks?’ but you’re also going to want to look at the small print to see if the landlord has any terms, like taking a cleaning fee out of your deposit when you’re moving out.

DO NOT sign a 12-month lease if you’re only planning on staying for the summer. Sounds obvious, but it’s happened! If you look hard enough and well enough in advance you will have no problem finding a place to rent just for the summer months.

The more J1-ers that break their lease, the more difficult it is for future J1-ers to find accommodation, as well as all the legal implications that go along with it. Please don’t be ‘that guy’.

Not only that, but you’ve paid your deposit, so why wouldn’t you want it back? Getting your deposit back at the end of the summer will go a long way towards any travelling plans you’ve made before your flight home – BE SMART!

DON’T overcrowd

Giving up your personal space to drive the cost of rent down is not a good idea – trust us! It’s highly illegal for starters. Also, the US Department of State are clamping down on this, especially among foreign college students.

Remember, the people that are on the lease are the ones responsible for the apartment. If they do decide to take on extra roommates, those extra people have absolutely no legal requirement or responsibility to the place – and if you’re caught, it’s the leaseholders that will have to face the consequences. If you’ve got 9 or 10 rowdy Irish J1-ers packed into a 3-bedroom apartment, chances are you’re going to get caught and in the process you could ruin an area for future J1 students. We talked about not being ‘that guy’, right?

DO choose your neighbourhood wisely

Not every area in San Diego is beside the beach. Not every neighbourhood in New York makes for a doddle of a commute to Manhattan.

Living in Ireland, it’s easy to assume that everywhere in US cities are easy to get to, as long as there is public transport. But these are huge cities, huge! What if your bus only comes once an hour? And what if it takes the scenic route picking up people in every neighbourhood along the way? Suddenly you’re gone from a half hour commute to work to a two-hour commute to work.

Not what you want. It’s really important to research different areas in the J1 destination you’ve chosen and to not just go with the place that has the cheapest rent. What’s the point in living in a town that you need to get two buses and a train to get to work from just because it’s $100 cheaper per month? You’re supposed to be having the summer of your lives!

DO book your first week if you're waiting to find accommodation when you land

If you would prefer to wait until you get to America to start your search for accommodation, be sure to book a hostel, hotel or Airbnb for at least a week, and book it well in advance too. When it comes to hostels in the USA there are two important things to remember:

1. Hostels in the US are a bit more expensive than what you can get in Europe. Be prepared to spend that little bit extra per night, especially if the hostel you choose is located smack in the middle of whatever city your travelling to.

2. There are going to be thousands of J1-ers flocking to cities all over the USA in the space of 2-3 weeks in late May/early June. There are not an infinite number of hostels, so you’re going to want to make sure to book your hostel well in advance of the date you’re flying out on.

3. If worse comes to worst and you can’t find any vacancies, Airbnb is a great alternative for a week or so. And in some cases, you might even end up with a nicer living space for less money than you’d pay to stay in a hostel. Bottom line, sort out your first week well in advance and avoid any rocky starts to your J1.

DON'T scrimp on your safety

It’s worth spending an extra bit of money every month to ensure that you are living in a safe neighbourhood. A good question to ask yourself is, ‘Would my parents approve of this place?’ Generally, if the answer is 'no' you should probably look elsewhere. It's not always the case that you get what you pay for, but it's worth considering the pay-off of spending a bit more to have peace of mind all summer.