Do you want to report "Future UWI student from Europe looking for housing in Kingston. Any tips?"
Hi everyone, I will be studying at Uwi this year and I am still looking for housing, preferably near the Uni. Anyone have suggestions or tips for what to look out for?
Per month. I see now that there’s a US$812 option for a 2-bed unfurnished within walking distance to the university. Kinda pricey, usually there are more affordable options.
I just remembered that propertyadsja.com also exists. Not as user friendly but you’ll find options on there that aren’t on the other commercial sites.
Some things to consider when looking is availability of hot/cold water, ac or a fan and wifi. Tap water here can be surprisingly cold. The heat, especially indoors, is unbearable during the summer. It would be great if there’s already wifi so you don’t have to go through the hassle of setting it up on your own which will require you to have, among other things, a TRN, which is something like a social security number that you have to apply for through the tax office in person.
Oh ok, is it normally extra specified if it has hot water? Ive been looking for some flats with ac but there dont seem that many or they are crazy expensive.. About internet I heard that digicel is by far the best in Kingston and I would like to use a wired connection for my laptop. Do you think most places in kingston have digicel?
Yes, hot water is a perk so it will be stated. if it’s not, I’d make sure to ask. If it’s a solar water heater, that’s also usually stated since it’s ideal for keeping electricity costs down.
AC isn’t the norm, and it’s used sparingly in homes because the cost of electricity here is very high. It will be important to decipher whether the electricity bill is included in your rent or not. If it is included in rent, then it will make sense that the rent cost will be significantly higher.
https://www.propertyadsja.com/3E1X
Notice in the listing above, in the first picture it’s clearly stated that there’s hot water and AC, and that wifi and water is included. So the rent is relatively low because while you do have AC and hot water, you are responsible for covering the electricity bill. That one is more affordable at J$65k/approx. US$430, although I don’t see a bed included. You could just get a cheap mattress at a furniture store. It’s 26min walk from the middle of UWI, which will suck ass walking in the heat/rain. I’m not sure if there are ‘route taxis’ at UWI that function as others do elsewhere on the island which is bundling people up in a cab for short trips for a low cost (usually J$100). However Uber recently entered the market here so a more convenient option for getting around now exists.
Regarding Digicel wifi, it’s not available as widely as Flow is. It’s specific to location. So folks at UWI will have to advise whether it’s an option for you.
