Pre Enrolment

Accommodation

In Australia, there are various kinds of accommodation available, such as:

Hostels

Flats, units and houses

Home-stays

You can choose which ever you prefer, but we recommend home-stay or sharing a unit/house/flat with other students of different nationalities.

It can take time to find permanent accommodation after you arrive in Melbourne. You should allow at least 3 weeks finding permanent accommodation.

While searching you should:

Understand what the different types of accommodation are and involve,

Avoid being rushed in your search so that you make a wise choice.

Inspect the property before accepting the terms and conditions of the lease.

Read the terms and conditions of the lease carefully before accepting them

Decide whether this is good location to life

Assess noise levels during both the day and night

It is important that you consider the public transport connections to your campus. The sites below give you the opportunity to look at the travel distances, times and routes.

Where is - www.whereis.com.au

Metlink Victorian Public Transport - www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au

Private Rental

There are a number of options in the rental market. Renting an apartment, flat or house on your own offers you a chance to be self sufficient and private. It can be very expensive to live alone as you must also pay for utilities (electricity, gas, telephone and water) as well as other bills.

Most students chose to share accommodation with others. This is cheaper as all the costs are shared. This can be a challenge as you may not agree about responsibilities. It is best that you agree about these rights at the beginning.

When looking for accommodation it is best if your rent is not more that 30% of your income

Prices will vary depending on the type, size, location, and condition of the property. You should check the average prices of properties in the area which you chose to live. Prices usually increase as you get closer to the centre of the city.

You rent properties through either a real estate agent or directly from the owner. Properties are usually advertised in the real estate section of the newspaper, through real estate agents and on their websites

When you rent a property you are called the Tenant and the lease you sign is a legal agreement. There will be conditions in the lease that you must follow. You also have rights and are covered by the Victorian Residential Tenancy Act (1987). It is important you are aware of your rights and responsibilities.

You are required to pay a security bond as well as the first month’s rent up front. The security bond is usually the same as 1 month’s rent. It is refundable when you leave the property if it is in the same condition as when you moved in.
You will also need money to pay to connect the utilities, for furniture and household items.

Helpful links

Home-stay Accommodation

www.homestay-australia.com

www.globalvillageaccom.com.au

www.melbournehomestay.dragnet.com.au

www.studenthomestay.com.au

Houses, Flats and/or Share Accommodation

www.domain.com.au

www.realestate.com.au

www.yourestate.com.au

www.flatmatefinders.com.au

www.shareaccommodation.org

www.melbourneexchange.com.au

www.easyroommate.com

Student Accommodation in Melbourne - www.unilodge.com.au/

Share accommodation in Melbourne - www.onlymelbourne.com.au

Utilities

When renting a property in Australia utilities are an additional to the cost of the rent. The tenant will have to arrange to connect the utilities, such as water, electricity and telephone.

This can be done by contacting utility companies individually.