Australia Student Accommodation

Living in Australia/Accommodation

Many international students try to arrange a permanent place for their stay in Australia before they arrive. Although it is very good if students can organise their accommodation before they arrive, many students are comfortable organising it upon their arrival as they can have a look at all the options personally before deciding where to stay.

If you wish to assess your permanent accommodation opportunities before making a decision, it is better to at least arrange short term accommodation before you arrive. It can turn out to be a very costly affair if you have not arranged your short term accommodation before coming to Australia as you may have to spend 2-3 days at a hotel which usually cost between AUD125 – AUD175 a night before finding something that suits you.

Your education institute might be able to help you with short term accommodation. Most of the institutions provide accommodation for its students on campus. Some of the institutes even have relationships with few private hostels.

Education institutes also provide long-term accommodation for its students. However, to start with, many international students take up the short-term accommodation option. The students then start looking at all the possible long-term accommodation options such as leased private homes, private hostels, shared accommodation, paying guest etc.

Different students are comfortable with different options as some prefer to stay alone in a leased apartment and some prefer to stay in a shared accommodation with other international students.

Many students also assess the time it would take them to commute to their education institute and to the place where they find work.

International students should also know that Australia is suffering from shortage of affordable housing. This results in more demand for properties on rent and thus the rents being high. Even if you are ready to pay the rent as asked by the real estate agent, you will still need to beat other applicants by offering a sense of security to the real estate agent and the landlord.

The landlords and the real estate agents are looking for tenants who have good references and enough savings in the bank to demonstrate that they will be able to meet their rent obligations on time every time.

To assist you in making a decision on where to stay, we have discussed below few common options with their approximate cost:

Campus accommodation arranged by the education institute
Most of the education institutes that offer courses to international students offer variety of on or near campus accommodation. These accommodations vary from self-catered apartments to residential colleges with meals. The self-catered apartments are usually of different sizes offering stay for up to 4 students. Students living in these apartments are responsible for maintaining the apartments to the required level and cooking their own meals.

Residential colleges offer meals and recreational facilities such as a sports room, gym, library etc.

Halls of residence try to create a balance between apartments and residential colleges. Basic services such as meals, and basic cleaning is provided by the authorities. Students are responsible for other chores.

The cost of these accommodations varies and range from $100 a week to $250 a week. Usually, apartments are the cheapest, with halls of residence next in the level and then the residential colleges.


Boarding schools for school students
If you are going to Australia to study at one of the secondary schools, you may want to consider boarding school for accommodation. These are provided by many private secondary schools and the accommodation includes meals, cleaning, laundry etc. Usually, you will be living in a dormitory with other same-sex students under the supervision of a warden. The cost of this accommodation varies between AUD8,000 to AUD11,000 a year and is in addition to the tuition fees.


Youth Hostels
These hostels are usually run by organisations such as Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA). Students living in these hostels usually share kitchen and bathroom facilities. The cost of this accommodation varies between AUD80 – AUD135 a week.

 
Homestay/Paying-guest
Many Australian families offer a room in their house for international students’ accommodation purposes. For most of these families, the reason for offering such accommodation is more than just financial. Learning about different cultures is a very attractive proposition for many families here. When these families decide to offer their house for accommodation purposes, they are hoping for an experience that they will cherish.

Most of the students who come to Australia for short course prefer this kind of accommodation. The accommodation type varies and you may either be given a room right in the middle of other family members’ rooms or you may be given a room with a separate entrance from outside. Many families offer meals in the accommodation but few also offer self-catered rooms.

Australian families are very open-hearted and they usually accept any reasonable requests. However, it is still recommended that you ask your host’s permission if you intend to make any changes to the room. For example, moving the furniture around, installing an electric equipment etc.

Educational institutes offering courses to international students usually maintain a list of reputable families offering this accommodation to students. If you are interested in this kind of accommodation, you will need to ask the institution offering your course. Accordingly, if you are having any problem staying at a families’ home, you should consult the department that arranged your accommodation. The department takes a very open approach to your issues and will assist you in whatever way they possibly can.

It is always better to go over some disciplinary questions when you start living with a family. Questions such as when to pay them for rent and other utilities, whether you can invite your friends over, restrictions on coming back home time etc should be addressed by you to ensure that you understand clearly what is expected of you living in their house.

The cost of this accommodation ranges from AUD110 to AUD270 a week.


Rental and shared accommodation
The most common choice of accommodation by international students is renting a private home/apartment. Students either rent these places by themselves or along with other students. However, as mentioned earlier, the competition for this kind of accommodation is enormous and that results in it becoming an expensive and a tougher choice for accommodation.
Finding the right place to rent is not an easy task too. You will need to work out what areas you want to live in so that you can easily commute to your place of study and/or work. Then you will need to work out whether to rent the house alone or with any of your friends. Though staying alone means that you have total control on the house, most of the international students rent a place with their friends as it gives them a sense of family in the new still unknown country.

Being a tenant also involves understanding of your responsibilities and do’s and don’ts of living in a rented house. Every state in Australia has a Residential Tenancy Tribunal that helps tenants understands their rights and obligations. Even though the real estate agent will provide you with some information on being a tenant, it is highly recommended that you visit the Tenancy Tribunal’s website to ensure your knowledge on this topic is comprehensive.

Information on properties available on rent can be gathered from various sources. Common sources include websites such as www.realestate.com.au and www.domain.com.au, or universities notice boards, offices of real estate agents etc.

Every property that is available on rent is usually open for inspection for few weeks. You should check out the inspection times and visit the property at least once before deciding whether to apply for it or not. During inspection, you will be greeted by a real estate agent who will be able to answer your queries (if any) on the property. As mentioned earlier, you need to make sure that there is no discrepancy between what you think your rights and responsibilities are and what the agent says.

If you decide to apply for the property, you may request a copy of the tenancy agreement that will be applicable to you. This agreement will cover details such as the bond applicable, due dates for rent, terms of rent increases, period of tenancy, notice period required for termination of tenancy etc.  

Bond is the money that you will need to pay upfront as a security. This amount cannot be offset against the rent and is usually given back at the end of the tenancy if the property is in the same condition as when you started living in it. The general wear and tear, of course is accepted.

If you are successful in getting the property, you will also receive a condition report. This report will outline every damage, however trivial, on the property. From spots on the carpet to cracks in the wall, the condition report should state all issues clearly. If you do find something in the house that is not listed in the condition report, you must contact the real estate agent and add the item in. Failure to do so may result in you being liable for the damage when you leave the property.

Once you have settled the paperwork, you may wish to get the utilities connected to the house before you move in. You, as the tenant, will be responsible for contacting the companies offering utilities services such as gas, electricity, phone etc. The accounts for these services will be set in your name and you will be responsible for paying their bills on time.

Property agent’s job also involves making sure the house is maintained well by the tenants. Therefore, the property agent might conduct frequent inspections of the property during your tenancy period. If the agent reckons that the property is not maintained well, they will advise you of their concerns. In this case, the agent might inspect the property again within couple of weeks to ensure that you have done what was asked.

Similarly, if you have any issues with the property, you will need to address your concerns with the agent. If you are not satisfied with the agent’s response, you will need to contact the Residential Tenancy Tribunal’s office in your state. If you decide to contact the tribunal, it is recommended that you maintain proper records of your communication with the estate agent and their response to your queries. These notes can be kept either in form of copy of emails, or notes of telephone conversations.