Room for rent in Kansas?

[Roxane]

I will need a room in El Dorado from August 2013 on because I will attend Butler Community College next fall semester. But because I am an international student and not an American Citizen (I am Dutch) I can't do credit checks or criminal background checks. Because I can't nobody wants me as a roommate. Any advise on how to get a room. (I can afford to pay up to $380 a month, utilities included).

I AM DESPERATE!
Yes, I checked craiglist, yes I found rooms. The problem is nobody wants me to move in because I am not a US citizen so I can't get my credit or criminal background checked. Nobody trusts me. What am I supposed to do now?

My future college only offers me whole apartments I can't afford so yes I tried that too. I don't know what to do anymore.
But yes, financially I'm doing well, why do you think I can study in America in the first place?

[SF]

Check craigslist.

[ibu guru]

If you are an undergraduate, if you were going to university, you'd need to live in the dorms on campus as a foreign student. Since you are only going to community college, which is designed for people who reside in the local community, I'm surprised they even have apartments available for students.

Clearly, you failed to plan your financial matters properly. Foreign students have no credit, no employment, no Social Security Number, etc, and it is very difficult to rent on private housing market. Your budget is too small to begin with. The only possibility now is to ask whether the landlord would consider you if you pay rent for the entire school term in advance.

BTW, craigslist warns against scams by foreigners! Lots of people claim to be looking for a room well in advance. Landlords need to see you in person - they will never rent to anyone sight-unseen. You are looking for a place while you are still abroad, don't even have your visa yet. This is an even more serious complication than being there & trying to get a place when you are face-to-face with the owner/landlord. Besides, most people do not know whether a place will be available next August or not! They certainly are not going to hold it vacant for so many months!

Rework your budget. There's no cooking in rooms, so in some ways a small apartment is going to be cheaper than getting a room & eating out 3 times a day. Check with the school's housing office to see if they have any suggestions. And remember, community colleges were never really designed with foreign students in mind. They were always intended as a cheap alternative for local residents, i.e. kids who live in town with mom & dad.

[flower]

You offer the landlord three months rent in advance. You rent a room in a house, not an apartment.