For many young couples after marriage, settling down is always one of the top priorities. However, among the myriad of choices, the question is: should I rent an apartment or buy a house on installments?
At the present time, whether renting an apartment or buying a house on installments, each has its own advantages and disadvantages. The right decision depends not only on finances but also on lifestyle, future plans, flexibility, and personal feelings.
Apartment rental options analysis
The obvious advantages of renting an apartment
Renting an apartment gives you flexibility in where you live: Renting an apartment allows you to easily change your living location to be closer to your workplace, your children’s school, or move to a new area when needed.
The initial cost of renting an apartment can be lower than buying a house: You don’t need to pay a large amount of money upfront like when buying a house, you only need to deposit 1-2 months’ rent to rent an apartment, helping to keep other investment capital or in case of emergency.
When renting an apartment, you don’t need to worry too much about maintenance costs: Most of the costs of repairs and maintenance of the system if you rent an apartment are usually the responsibility of the landlord.
Apartments for rent today also provide many modern amenities: Many apartments for rent are fully equipped with amenities: swimming pool, gym, children’s play area… without you having to invest your own money.
Suitable for people who like to experience or work on the move a lot: If you do not need to live permanently but only go on business trips for a fixed long period of time, renting an apartment will be much more economical.
👉Currently, there are many beautiful, convenient apartments for rent with diverse styles and number of bedrooms suitable for young couples.
What are the disadvantages of renting an apartment?
In addition to the above advantages, renting an apartment will also bring you easily noticeable disadvantages such as:
- Renting an apartment means you don’t own the property and can’t accumulate long-term asset value.
- The landlord may increase the rent or ask you to move out at any time.
- The landlord may increase the rent or ask you to move out at any time.
- Renting an apartment will make you lack the feeling of “settling down” – something many young couples aim for.
Whether you choose to rent an apartment or buy a house on installments, you need to determine based on your personal needs and ability to pay to make the right decision.
Analysis of options for buying a house on installments
Advantages of buying a house in installments
Long-term property ownership, more direct ownership than renting an apartment:
Even if you pay in installments, the house is still yours. After completing the payment, you own it completely and can use it for many purposes: living, renting, reselling completely different from renting an apartment. You have few rights to do with your apartment.
Provides a more settled feeling than renting an apartment:
Compared to renting an apartment, buying a house gives you the feeling of having a stable “home” which is important, especially when couples are thinking about having children and settling down for a long time.
You can actively design and renovate your house unlike when renting an apartment:
Unlike renting an apartment, you can proactively design and renovate your home according to your own preferences without depending on the landlord’s opinion.
Real estate values ​​can increase over time:
If you choose the right location and timing, the value of the apartment you buy can double after a few years of ownership, bringing more value than renting an apartment.
Disadvantages of buying a house on installments
- Big financial pressure: Even with a loan support package, you still need to pay 20-30% of the house value in advance – a large amount for many young couples. Therefore, choosing to rent an apartment will still be more focused.
- Interest rate volatility risk: Interest rates can increase periodically, causing great pressure if income is unstable.
- Limited mobility: Once you’re “rooted” in one place, it’s difficult to change jobs or living environments quickly.
- Additional costs: In addition to installment payments, you also have to worry about maintenance fees, repairs, taxes, transfer fees, pink books,… many additional costs compared to renting an apartment.
Current rental rate of young couples
Currently, the rate of young people choosing to rent apartments is increasing significantly in Vietnam, especially in large cities such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang. Below are some statistics and main reasons leading to this trend:​
Rate of young people renting apartments today
Age group 25–34: According to Business & Marketing Magazine, the group of people aged 25-34 accounts for nearly 62% of the total number of people looking to rent apartments in 2024.
High-income group (21–40 million VND/month): Up to 42% still choose to rent an apartment instead of buying.
In Ho Chi Minh City: According to research by the Clean Accommodation website, the rate of apartment renters has increased to 60%, higher than the national average of 50%.
Survey in big cities: According to the housing rental demand report of VOV Economic newspaper, more than 60% of young people under 35 years old prefer to rent a house rather than buy one.
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The apartment rental rate of young people is currently increasing in many large urban areas such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang.
The main reason why young people prefer renting apartments over buying houses
Housing prices increase faster than income: Over the past 5 years, apartment prices in Hanoi increased by 72%, in Ho Chi Minh City increased by 50%, while income only increased by about 6-10% per year. This difference makes owning an apartment much more difficult, even with installment payments. Instead, renting an apartment still provides an ideal living space at a more affordable cost.
Financial pressure when buying a house: With a loan of 1.5-2 billion VND, the buyer must pay principal and interest of 25-60 million VND/month, 5-10 times higher than the cost of renting a normal apartment.
More reasonable rental costs: The cost of renting an apartment is only about 2/3 of the cost of buying a house and paying bank interest.
Lack of home buying support policies: The lack of preferential interest rates and home buying support policies makes it difficult for many young people to access the real estate market, so instead they choose to rent apartments.
The trend of moving to the suburbs
Due to the high rents of apartments in the city center, many young people move to the suburbs to rent houses at lower costs.
However, this is also difficult because the public transport system is not yet developed synchronously, leading to increased travel costs.
The rate of young people renting apartments in Vietnam is high, reflecting the change in housing trends. Renting apartments brings flexibility and reduces financial pressure, especially in the context of real estate prices increasing faster than income.
However, to meet this demand, there needs to be synchronous development of infrastructure and policies to support tenants.
Should young couples rent an apartment or buy a house on installments?
When should I rent an apartment?
Just married, no children, unstable income, no large savings, you should choose to rent an apartment rather than spend a large amount of money to buy a house right now.
Choose to rent an apartment if you have not determined a long-term place to live (can change jobs, places to live)
If you want to invest capital to make a profit (business, stocks, extra study, …) then you should choose to rent an apartment first, both for use
Although Tay Ho district also has many services, tourists, cultural centers, this place gathers many apartments for rent at affordable prices.
Rent an apartment first – Buy a house later is the solution applied by many modern young couples.
When should I buy a house on installments?
If you are looking to buy a house on installments instead of renting an apartment, you should have the following factors:
- Have enough savings to pay in advance and maintain regular monthly payments.
- Couples with young children or planning to have children and want a stable environment should choose to buy a house rather than rent an apartment.
📎 In addition, you should learn about home loan interest rates and apartment rental prices in 2025 to understand detailed information.
Neutral Solution Suggestion: Rent an Apartment First – Buy a House Later
A smart choice for young couples is to rent an apartment for the first 1-2 years to stabilize their lives and prepare finances to buy a house later.
At this point, you can:
- Experience different living areas, different apartment rental models to choose the ideal place to settle down.
- Renting an apartment can help you save up for a down payment and plan your finances well.
- Don’t feel too pressured about renting an apartment or buying a house when your marriage is still new.
To make the apartment rental process easier, you can refer to the information on reputable apartment rental websites with many reviews to find the ideal and most suitable living space.
There is no absolute right answer for whether to rent an apartment or buy a house on installments, because each couple has different circumstances and life goals. The important thing is to clearly understand your financial capacity, determine your life plan for the next 3-5 years, and then make the most suitable choice.
If you are still confused and need more specific information about the real estate market, loan interest rates, or tips for negotiating renting/buying a house, do not hesitate to leave a comment below or follow the Modern Housing Tips section to update more useful information.
To be able to choose an apartment that suits your needs, please refer to the article on common mistakes when renting an apartment and the top 5 rental trends in 2025 to keep up with the trend.
