[Photo by China Daily]

Growing demand

China had 1.26 million students studying abroad by the end of 2015, about 25 percent of the world's total, according to a report by the Beijing-based think tanks Center for China and Globalization and Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

The overseas student accommodation market has great potential.

"If we look at the rents in cities across the globe, then we're looking at an industry valued at around $150 billion," says Luke Nolan, CEO of student.com, a platform head-quartered in the UK that provides overseas student accommodation service.

"We've also noticed that, in addition to the market for full academic year accommodation, there's a growing demand for short-term accommodation."

Liu returned to China after a one-year program.

Speaking about her experience, she says that she should have put in more effort in finding a house.

"Taking the initiative is crucial," says Liu.

New media platforms offer a way for students to look for accommodation.

Zhang Le, a 31-year-old music education doctoral student at Pennsylvania State University in the United States, found a house by going online.

"I found a house through Penn State's BBS," says Zhang, a native of Shuangyashan in Heilongjiang province. "After I got the contact of the landlord, I told him to download WeChat (Chinese messaging app), through which we could communicate."