With only a few days left until the new school year begins, the atmosphere in areas with universities and colleges in Son La becomes bustling.
Along with preparing for enrollment, finding suitable accommodation is a major concern for many new students and parents.
In the 2026 - 2027 school year, universities and colleges in the area recruited nearly 3,000 new targets, along with thousands of students currently studying, causing the demand for accommodation to increase.
Around Northwest University and colleges, many rows of boarding houses are fully booked. Students have to find places further away or choose to share rooms to save costs.
Em La Xuan Truong, a new student majoring in Information Technology at Tay Bac University, said that although he looked for a room early, it still took many days to find a suitable place.
I need a clean room, with a private toilet, a cooking room. Rooms near the school cost 1.1 - 1.3 million VND/month, not including electricity and water, but most are fully booked," Truong shared.
Not only new students, but many current students also have difficulty finding new rooms. Lo Thi Lan, a second-year student at Tay Bac University, said that she has been looking for many days, but rooms near the school and at reasonable prices are all fully booked.
In the end, I had to rent a room near National Highway 6, about 5km from school. Although going to school further away, this is the most suitable choice at this time," Lan shared.
According to records, closed rented rooms of 20 - 25m2 near the school are commonly priced from 900,000 VND to 1.3 million VND/month. Newly built rooms with hot and cold, beds, cabinets are priced at about 1.5 - 1.8 million VND.
In areas far from the center, room rates are lower, about 700,000 - 900,000 VND/month, but living conditions and travel are limited. Many students find accommodation through social networks, but parents are worried about unverified information and the risk of losing deposits.
Mr. Bui Van Nhu, Van Son ward, whose child is preparing to study at Son La Medical College, advises students to see the room directly before renting.
Information and images on the internet are sometimes not true to reality. Not seeing the room but transferring deposit money is very risky," Mr. Nhu said.
Mr. Le Thanh, a landlord in Chieng Sinh ward, said that the number of students looking for rent has increased sharply since the beginning of August, many rooms are full. According to him, tenants need to clearly agree on room rates and incurred costs before signing a contract.
Accompanying students in the early days of enrollment, Tay Bac University is arranging dormitories and implementing activities to support finding accommodation.
The school's Student Volunteer Club also provides advice and connects room information for new students.
Mr. Kieu Tien Luong - Secretary of the Youth Union of Northwest University said that the club supports new students to register to stay in dormitories and connect with boarding areas outside. It is expected that this activity will support about 1,600 - 3,000 new students in this year's enrollment season.
We propagate and recommend new students to carefully check facilities, electricity and water costs and deposit terms before renting a room," Mr. Luong shared.
For students away from home, suitable accommodation is a condition to feel secure in studying and stabilizing their lives. The companionship of the school and the landlord will help them soon find a safe and suitable place to live before the new school year.
