Apartment renting from outside the US

[goosebump]

Hi, I am international student and I will be starting at UW-Madison on Fall 2011. My biggest problem is to rent an apartment when I am not in the US. I have some list of apartments that are plausible for me, but I don't know how I sign a lease without actually being there. Did anybody have this kind of problem? What did you?

[Strangefox]

Hi, I am international student and I will be starting at UW-Madison on Fall 2011. My biggest problem is to rent an apartment when I am not in the US. I have some list of apartments that are plausible for me, but I don't know how I sign a lease without actually being there. Did anybody have this kind of problem? What did you?

I was lucky to get in touch with another incoming student who was super kind a helpful and looked at apartments I found. May be you can contact your program and ask them to put you in touch with other incoming students. May be some of them are already in Madison and they will be willing to help you out.

And as for signing the lease - I will do that when I arrive. Right now I have just paid a deposit.

[eklavya]

Hi, I am international student and I will be starting at UW-Madison on Fall 2011. My biggest problem is to rent an apartment when I am not in the US. I have some list of apartments that are plausible for me, but I don't know how I sign a lease without actually being there. Did anybody have this kind of problem? What did you?

if the landlord is okay with you signing the lease, it can be done via email and fax. but i strongly recommend that you don't sign a long term lease without actually seeing the property in person. a very nice alternative to this is to get a room in a house or an apt where someone else is already living. they will have the first hand experience of living at that place and will probably help you sing the lease and all that.

in addition, also look for on campus housing. although they are usually not the cheapest and best ones, but it will get you by for a couple of semesters. then you can move after your contract is over, or before by subletting it.

[dali99]

I agree with bhikhaari. You can sign the lease if the landlord is ok. But it's strongly recommended that you inspect the room before signing any lease. As for my case, I'll be arriving D.C in the third week of August, and house-hunting for about ten days before classes begin. I know it'll be stressful, but I'd rather have the stress now than regret signing a long-term lease later.

G'luck.

[newms]

Yes you can sign a lease without being in the US - I've done so by scanning and emailing documents and I'm sure you could use fax too as well. I guess it depends on if the landlord will allow you to.

[Argonaute]

I think it depends on the landlord. My future roommate, who's currently in the US, has already signed the lease. I was informed that I would be signing the lease once I arrive there so that they can have the original copy of the lease.