Job Discussion Forums

[ladygringa]

where are you living? Apartments, I suppose. Anyone with a host family?

Now, how'd you find 'em? Is there some way to look for apts. once there, for example, the newspaper or cafes with postings?

Finding housing here in the states is hard enough. Any problems with shady landlords? Shady leases? Shady neighborhoods?

Thanks to everyone who's been answering my questions. I'm extremely grateful!

[moonraven]

Careful with host families. The experience I saw of profs who worked for me was that the host families were mean-spirited and gouging. They were in it only for the money.

Be careful with apartments, also. I had one in Guayaquil that the vice-president of the university found in the paper. The realty company promised that all appliances would be in working order and the apartment would be cleaned. They weren't working, and the place was filthy. The t.v. was easily repaired (which I did not watch), the refrigerator crapped out several times (each time I lost a week's worth of groceries) and I had to pay for buying and installing a new copmpressor (200 dollars--and I did deduct it from my rent), and the washing machine never worked--two months passed before it was replaced by a new cheap plastic one. Because I left before a year was up, I lost over 500 dollars that I had to pay up front as a deposit. I was also without phone service on two occasions because the landlord did not pay the bill on time.

Quito might be better--it couldn't be worse. There are a lot of listing for apartments in the Mariscal district (also called Gringolandia) in laundries, coffee houses, restaurants and in some Internet cafes. I recently spent two months in Quito (April and May) and stayed the entire time in a hostal--for 7 bucks a day my room was cleaned daily, I had access to a kitchen and I was half a block from work.

[Justin Trullinger]

Hello, all.

Moonraven, sorry to hear that you got screwed on an apartment in Guayaquil. Sorry, but nothing like surprised. It's surprising exactly how much that very thing seems to happen, isn't it?

I am the only person I know who has EVER got all of a deposit back on an apartment in Quito. And my friends tell me that I am, frankly, a bit scary. I think the two are probably connected...

Moonraven is right that a hostel can be a pretty good option, although after a month or two, they tend to get on my nerves. A host family placement, done through a reputable organisation, can be ok, but they tend to come out a bit expensive, and if you get a bad one, watch out.

I'm in an apartment in Quito, and so far, haven't got screwed. But it can happen to anybody. A few things I would recommend, to reduce the odds: if you're planning to stick around a while, rent unfurnished. The additional cost of a furnished apartment usually could buy the furniture and appliances is 6-8 months, so you come out ahead. And then, you know what you've got, and you don't have to deal with some %$# of a landlord to fix it. Also, try to negotiate the deposit. If they insist on a large one, it can mean that they plan to keep it. As my current (reputable) landlady said, as long as it covers minor damages, who cares about the deposit, as she plans to return it. Anyone who thinks the deposit is very important, in my opinion, is planning to spend it. Most ask for 2 months- see if they'll take one. If they will, it's a good sign.

The other thing to consider is, how you got hold of the landlord in the first place. There are many ads, postings, and apartment search services, and honestly, they don't tell you squat about what you're getting into. The most reliable form of recommendation in this country is word of mouth. If a landlord treated a past resident well, the odds that they'll do the same for you are good. So ask in schools, hostels, wherever, and be guided by the experiences other people have had.

Regards,
Justin

PS If you decide on Quito, feel free to get in touch. I've been here long enough to know a few people...