'Why International Students Are Getting Scammed Out of Safe Housing And How StudentsLanding Is Fighting Back'

Associated Press

a day ago

BOSTON, MA / ACCESS Newswire / July 1, 2025 / For international students, securing housing in the U.S. often feels like navigating a minefield blindfolded. Stories of wire transfer scams, fake listings and substandard living conditions have become all too common in student communities across America.
Yet for thousands of international students arriving in Boston each year, one platform has emerged as a beacon of trust in an otherwise chaotic landscape: StudentsLanding.
The company now commands over 50% of the international student housing market in Boston and they're rapidly expanding to tackle the same problems in New Jersey and San Francisco.
When Dreams Meet Reality Checks
The path to U.S. education is paved with bureaucratic hurdles, but for many international students, housing represents the most treacherous obstacle of all.
Picture this: You're a 22-year-old from Mumbai who's just secured admission to MIT. You've conquered entrance exams, visa interviews and financial documentation. But now you're faced with finding safe, affordable housing in a city you've never visited, using websites you don't trust, dealing with landlords who may not even exist.
The stakes couldn't be higher. A bad housing decision doesn't just mean discomfort - it can derail an entire academic journey.
The Scam Epidemic: Real Stories from the Ground
The horror stories are disturbingly common. Take Priya, a graduate student from Delhi who found what seemed like the perfect apartment near Harvard on Craigslist. The 'landlord' requested a $2,000 security deposit via wire transfer before she could view the property. After sending the money, she discovered the listing was fake - the real property owner had never heard of her supposed landlord.
On Facebook Marketplace, another student from Shanghai fell victim to a sophisticated rental scam. The fraudster had copied legitimate photos from a real estate website and created a convincing fake listing for a Back Bay apartment.
Even established platforms aren't immune. On popular rental sites, students regularly encounter 'too good to be true' listings - luxury apartments at suspiciously low prices that turn out to be bait-and-switch schemes. Students wire money for apartments that either don't exist or are significantly different from what was advertised.
'Many students were losing money or ending up in poor housing situations because they didn't understand the U.S. system,' explains Siddhey Mahadik, Chief Operating Officer of StudentsLanding. 'We created a platform that makes their entire housing journey smooth, safe, and transparent.'
The Trust Infrastructure Problem
Traditional rental platforms weren't built for international students. They assume local knowledge, established credit histories and the ability to physically inspect properties. For someone coordinating their move from halfway around the world, these assumptions create dangerous blind spots.
StudentsLanding recognized that international students needed more than just listings - they needed an entire support ecosystem. One that could bridge the gap between overseas preparation and on-ground reality.
The company's approach centers on three core pillars:
Verified Everything: Every listing, landlord and lease agreement goes through rigorous verification processes. No more wondering if that too-good-to-be-true apartment is actually a scam.
Global Partnership Network: StudentsLanding works directly with overseas education counselors particularly in countries like India who serve as trusted advisors during the planning phase. These partnerships ensure students receive guidance from people who understand both their home country context and U.S. realities.
Operations Excellence: Perhaps most importantly, StudentsLanding has built what Mahadik calls a 'high-performing operations team' that works across time zones to provide real-time support throughout the entire housing process.
Beyond Transactions: Building Student Success
What sets StudentsLanding apart isn't just what they do, it's how they do it. While competitors focus on transactions, StudentsLanding focuses on transformation.
'Our operations team is what truly sets us apart,' Mahadik says. 'They're not just service providers - they're problem-solvers working across time zones to make sure every student lands safely.'
This human-centered approach has resonated particularly well with students attending Boston's prestigious institutions. StudentsLanding currently serves students from:
The company's success in Boston hasn't gone unnoticed. According to Akhilesh Benke, Director of India Operations, the overseas counselor partnerships have been instrumental in scaling their impact.
'Our partnerships with overseas counselors have been the best part of our growth,' Benke explains. 'They help us serve a diverse set of clients on a single, unified platform tailored to their needs.'
Scaling Trust Across America
With a dominant position in Boston secured, StudentsLanding is now applying the same formula to New Jersey and San Francisco - two markets where international student populations are growing rapidly but housing solutions remain fragmented.
'These are natural next steps,' Mahadik notes. 'We're applying the same formula - trusted partners, verified housing and human support to cities where students face the same issues we saw in Boston.'
The expansion strategy reflects a broader understanding of how trust scales in global markets. Rather than simply copying their Boston playbook, StudentsLanding is building local partnerships and verification networks that can deliver the same quality of service in different regulatory and cultural contexts.
The Infrastructure of Opportunity
StudentsLanding represents something larger than a housing platform - it's part of the infrastructure that enables global talent mobility.
For students, the value proposition is clear: instead of spending months worrying about housing scams and substandard conditions, they can focus on what brought them to America in the first place, their education and career aspirations.
For universities, StudentsLanding provides an additional layer of support that helps ensure their international students have successful experiences both inside and outside the classroom.
'In an industry filled with cold real estate platforms and transactional tools, we're offering something rare - reliability, education and peace of mind,' the company states. 'For international students starting a new chapter, that makes all the difference.'
As StudentsLanding expands nationwide, they're not just growing a business - they're building the infrastructure that enables the next generation of global leaders to thrive in America. In a world where talent knows no borders, that infrastructure has never been more important.
Contact Info:
Name of person: Abhishek Benke
Email: [email protected]
Address: 119 Braintree St Ste 207 Boston MA 02134
Phone: [phone]
Website: www.studentslanding.com
SOURCE: Studentslanding
press release