Where to Find Your Perfect Saigon Flat
This is a guide, not a story. No waffle, no “journey,” just straight info. Like when you Google a recipe and have to scroll through someone’s childhood memories before you get to the actual ingredients? Hate that. And honestly? That’s exactly how I felt flat hunting here.
When I first landed in Saigon, people told me finding an apartment would be simple. “Just walk around, look for rental signs, call the number.” Easy, right? Except the signs were all in Vietnamese, I couldn’t even tell which ones were for flats, and I had no idea which part of the city I should live in. Cue: instant overwhelm.
So, to save you the headache, here’s everything I actually learned about finding a flat in my first week in Saigon:
For the love of God don’t go on Facebook
90% of listings on Facebook are fake, outdated, or total catfish.
Flats often look nothing like the photos, or straight up don’t exist.
Best option: go through a housing agent. That’s what I did, and it was way less stressful (I literally typed into Google, top 5 housing agents in Saigon).
Ask about hidden fees
Landlords won’t always mention these unless you ask:
Service/maintenance fees: clarify upfront.
Electricity: you shouldn’t pay more than 4,000 VND/kWh.
Water: often included in your bill. Mine is, and it saves hassle.
Pick your area carefully
Thảo Điền (District 2): The expat hub. Cafés, bakeries, international food, English everywhere. If you want a ready-made international community, this is the spot.
District 1: Central, busy, close to everything. Pricier, but worth it if you want a mix of local + expat life. That’s where I chose to live.
I skipped Thảo Điền because I wanted something less polished and more local, but it really depends what you’re after.
Look out for the small things
Motorbike parking: Even if you don’t plan to get a scooter now, you probably will later. Make sure your building has parking.
Cockroaches: Sorry, but they’re inevitable. First thing you should buy is Raid poison (easy to find at most supermarkets).
How I actually found mine
In the end, I didn’t even find my place through the agent. I was viewing a flat with them that wasn’t right, and before I left, the landlady casually mentioned she had a couple more. One of those turned out to be the one: a spacious one-bedroom in District 1, safe street, rooftop view, and all for 8.5 million VND. Not fancy, not flashy, but exactly what I wanted.
This is all just my week one experience, so take it as a starting point. It might change as I learn more, but these are the things I wish I’d known straight away. Hopefully it saves you some stress (and stops you from falling for Facebook scams).
With love from Saigon,
Anaïs