Hello Latvians!

I am soon moving to Riga to start studying this spring and am currently looking for apartments. However, this is the first time I am moving on my own and it is also to a different country than my own. I was therefore wondering if you have any tips and tricks for me to consider, based on your own experiences and knowledge regarding moving and the housing market. What to think, if scams are common and if so, how to avoid such scams, location, what sites to use, what to focus on etc.

I am really looking forward to this and from what I have gathered Riga, and Latvia, seems to be a wonderful place.

Thanks in advance from your neighbour across the sea!

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Edit:

Thanks to everyone who have taken the time to share your thoughts and experiences, it has been really helpful. I will try and take it all into account when making this quite major transition. Feel free to keep commenting if you have any more advice you feel would be necessary to know or to share the thread with others in a similar position.

Edit 2:

The avarage commenter in this thread: [https://imgur.com/gallery/jptyi33](https://imgur.com/gallery/jptyi33)

17 comments

  2. Dont ever send money if they tell you that that apartment has a lot of potential rentees but they will “hold it for you ;)”

    When looking at the apartment in person, check all faucets, look for mold in all kinds of corners, request latest utility bill to be shown.

    Cant think of anything else important. Enjoy the time spent here.

  3. My friend is currently moving out of my place, and I am in Netherlands myself, wanna move in? Depends which university you’re going to

  6. There are many groups on facebook as well. Search for “apartments in Riga” and you will find a lot. Also doms are available I think. You can contact your university if you are interested.

  9. our traditional dish is rosols and we have wird names that have bad meanings in english like ass nazis wich means sharp knife our best cheapest food are noodels named roltons.

  12. What you need to know about renting is that most places will offer you rent contract with 1 year term at best. That is because you cannot be legally evicted unless you do some incredibly stupid shit. So clauses in the contract that states that other party can evict you with prior notice will not be legally enforceable (although commonly included in contracts). So don’t get confused by that, also not worth even discussing this and making scene of it, just know that it cannot be enforced even if in the contract.

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    Otherwise, [ss.lv](https://ss.lv) which you already use and, yes, you can apply and pay for other unis’ dorms, RTU’s is best at the moment, make sure to check the address and quality, as some are incredibly bad and some are brand new.

  14. Fellow swede here. I moved to Latvia in 2015 and I have absolutely loved my time here since then. I think I was very lucky when it came to getting an apartment and I had help from both the company I was starting to work at as well as a local girlfriend who could help with some translation and communication.

    I don’t know if I have any golden tips I’m just sitting on, but don’t hesitate to message me in case you want to hear my perspective as someone who also moved from Sweden, albeit for slightly different reasons. 🙂

    I am now in the process of moving back to Sweden after almost 8 years. I will miss it and for sure come to visit 🙂

  15. Check Facebook groups like Riga Students Apartament or something like that. Look for centre locations, better avoid old town. Don’t recommend dorms

  16. I recommend to look facebook groups like rent in riga and riga student apartment market. If you’re fine with flatmates, find apartment with international students. Many of them have free room and lookin 1 more flatmate and have lived in the aparment long. And in own experience they have been reliable. And most of them wanna have facetime call, so you can see the room and apartment via that and get to know them better and also see do you like their vibe.

  17. I read you are going to study in RSU do you know witch building?
    I’d suggest in a walking distance from the 1st tram line as many of RSU buildings (even the one they are building currently) is accessible quickly from that line.
    Cheap near center region would be Grīziņkalns, it has 2 nearby parks and a activity park/area and slowly becoming unofficial little Asia of Rīga. Also this region has streets leading to the 3 main over rail bridges and easy fast access to the city centre.
    Many will say that that region is dangerous but that hasn’t been the case since early 2000’s.
    Renting apartments in Rīgā, I’d suggest to rent from a company instead of a person as companies can’t increase your rent Willie-nillie here, whilst a pe son can. I live in my current apartment for many years now and they raised the price just 3 times and 2 of what was in order to some Minister cabinet laws for renters etc. They provided me with the regulations copy and 1 time only because of the inflation and they warned me that that’s about to happen few months prior my lease ending.
    If you are renting a barebones apartment without appliances and need to do stuff like wash your clothes or something, I’d suggest to get Airbnb for that night and do all your washing and stuff done. I’ve done so few times while my washing machine is being fixed or when I waited for a new one.
    Get your student card ready ASAP and make a bus pass as that will be like water for you.
    Check the neighbourhood out every side street and all as you can find places that are crucial for your day to day needs.
    Local taxi – Bolt taxi (there is also ForUs but it is cumbersome hat it is)
    Food delivery – Bolt Foods, Wolt
    E-scooters (currently) – Bolt taxi, Tuul, Fiqsy
    Public bikes – nextbike, Ride (Red logo with white R in a circle)
    Rent a car for the drive duration – Bolt Taxi, Car Guru, City Bee, Fiqsy
    Public transport digital ticket purchases – Rīgas Satiksme
    Public transport departure times – 1188.lv /rigassatiksme.lv
    Local banks if needed (well Swedish) – SEB, Swedbank
    Need a local loan as your phone broke – Citadele Līzings (the only loan option for non-residents)
    Dunno if you’ll need it, but who knows if lt will reapear – covid19.gov.lv if your pass would work here as well
    Rimi – good quality but high prices, maxima – low prices, meh quality, Lidl – self explanatory, Tops – the sweet middle spot, Sky – high end on prices and quality.
    Get yourself a local sim card – I’d suggest from Tele2 the Zelta Zivtiņa set for 2.49 a week (no ID needed) with unlimited data, unlimited sms and 10 minutes of calls (who makes regular calls anyway?) you can always call through Internet as data is unlimited. Or if you get someone with a local ID make an arrangement (if you are between 18 and not yet 25) the Tele2 Youngster plan for 15.90€ a month for everything unlimited.
    Some subscriptions like Netflix, Spotify etc. Could be cheeper for Latvian customers, so compare those prices.
    And say hi to neighbours you had eye contact with.
    Most people will not have cash on hand as most places take card payments. Local banks don’t charge you extra while paying with cards (some banks in Europe still do this, so check with your bank if they will do that as you are going to a foreign country).
    If any questions, you can contact me as well.
    Hope this helps, and good luck while getting here.

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