🏠 Finding Accommodation for SJSU – My Experience
Searching for accommodation can be daunting — especially if you've lived with your family your whole life.
I'm writing down my experience partly to remember it later (maybe I’ll get dementia one day 😅), but feel free to use this information if it helps.
🔗 Connecting with Others
We connected with a lot of people through Reddit, Yocket Chat, and other forums to form unofficial WhatsApp groups for SJSU.
There are at least 8–9 such groups.
Eventually, a few seniors from the International Students Office (ISO) created an official WhatsApp group that required verification to join.
But before that, we made a Google Form to collect information about incoming students — their preferences, emails, etc.
It gave us a shared sheet that made it easier to reach out and form roommate groups.
I'll add the Google Form format here too.
I highly recommend you do something similar — it's a great way to start networking.
🕒 When to Start Looking
Most people don’t start talking about accommodation until they get their visa.
But if your visa slot is after May 15th, I highly recommend forming a group early — at least with people who have slots before that.
This way, they can begin the research while you're still waiting.
Another place where people usually post is the SAMMY App.
✅ First Steps
- Get your visa sorted (Check my [Visa Page] too).
- Know your budget — both lower and upper limits.
- Use the shared Google Sheet (highly recommended), or cold-message people from the WhatsApp groups to find roommates.
- Form your own group with potential roommates — it's okay if some haven't received their visas yet.
📍 Location Context
SJSU is located in Downtown San Jose.
Downtowns in many U.S. cities tend to have safety concerns — San Jose is no different.
That said, if you're going to university and back, and mind your own business, you should be fine.
If you're unsure, try to travel in groups.
Note: I'm still in India while writing this, so please verify the details.
⚠️ Do Your Own Research
Always do your own research.
Advice from blogs or seniors can sometimes be outdated or biased.
🛏️ Our House Setup
We're 4 male students in a 2-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom apartment. Here's the breakdown:
- Bedroom 1 + Bathroom 1: Shared by 2 people
- Bedroom 2 + Bathroom 2: Private room (but shares the shower with the hall occupant)
- Hall Room + Half Bath: Taken by 1 person (shares shower only)
We chose this setup to avoid unnecessary conflict. Fewer people = fewer opinions = fewer disagreements.
Though rooms are private, the kitchen is shared — so keeping it clean is a shared responsibility.
💸 Cost & Occupancy Notes
- San Jose is notoriously expensive
- Legal max occupancy in a 2B2.5B is 5 people
- Some places go beyond this, with up to 7 people (not recommended)
Costs vary by season — Fall and Spring intake periods usually have higher lease prices.
📝 Things to Keep in Mind
- Make sure your name is on the lease — USCIS requires proof of residence.
- Most landlords require proof of income.
- For international students, i20 living expenses count as income
- Example: If your i20 shows ~$26K/year, four of you together show ~$100K, which meets the requirement
📌 Suggested Apartments for International Students
- 101 San Fernando
- 33rd South