FAQ - Students

The Housing Service provides you with the latest information on rooms and properties for rent. The Housing Officer does not pre-arrange or pre-book accommodation for students. It is your responsibility to find and arrange accommodation to suit your needs with the assistance of the information provided by the Housing Service. Students from country and interstate areas who are new to Melbourne are welcome to make an appointment with the Housing Adviser to discuss accommodation options. International students interested in home away from home accommodation may be able to have their accommodation pre-booked for when they arrive in Australia. For all other types of accommodation, no pre-bookings are made on behalf of international students. International students should go to http://www.international.swinburne.edu.au for more information

Generally the best options would be either the Student Residences or Unilodge @ Swinburne Place. Hawthorn and Lilydale are the only campuses that have on campus Student Residence accommodation. However, many Prahran students still apply for and are accepted into Hawthorn Student Residences as it is a very supportive environment and travelling time from Hawthorn to Prahran would be 20-30 minutes. Likewise, Croydon and Wantirna students could stay at Lilydale Student Residences as travelling time from these campuses to Lilydale is only 30-40 minutes, less by car. Student hostel accommodation is another option though students tend to use these facilities more for short term and temporary needs.

Information on Melbourne and Victoria can be accessed on the site www.tourism.vic.gov.au and public transport information is on the site www.victrip.com.au.

Generally no. People providing full board to country and overseas students (Home Away From Home) must undergo a police check and provide certain furnishings for the student. The Housing Officer or the International Accommodation Officer will have met the provider and inspected the property. Other offers of accommodation are usually taken over the telephone and when they are made the Housing Officer checks some details and excludes those which do not meet basic requirements or are suspicious. Accommodation offers are also excluded if there are serious or repeated complaints about the property, tenants or landlords. It is vital that you inspect any property you are considering renting before you move in or sign any agreements.

The amount you can afford will depend on the amount of income you have. Some students receive Austudy/Youth Allowance and some may also get assistance from their families and friends or have savings in the bank to fall back on. Others may derive income from part-time jobs. A general budgeting rule of thumb is that you spend no more than 30 - 50 % of your income on rent as you may find it too difficult to cover other living expenses. However, this is a guide only. The Inner East and South Eastern areas of Melbourne are highly sought after therefore Hawthorn and Prahran prices tend to be well above Melbourne averages.

Home Away From Home – Maximum amount is $250 per week full board. This includes three meals per day, a furnished bedroom and the cost of gas, electricity and water. Telephone bills are generally the responsibility of the student. Breakfast and lunch may be prepared at home by the student, whilst the evening meal is usually prepared by the provider. Home Away From Home can also be offered without meals and the maximum is $170 per week.

Share Accommodation – Hawthorn and Prahran students can expect to pay around $120-$170 per week and Croydon, Wantirna and Lilydale students can expect to pay around $70-$120 per week. This is for your room only. Bills are normally shared by the household and you should budget around $10-$15 per week for them and perhaps around $50-$70 per week for food. The room will generally be unfurnished so you will often need a bed and a wardrobe.

Vacant flats/units/houses – Most vacant flats and houses are just that, vacant! No fridge, washing machine or furniture. There is usually a stove and heating though some places may not even have that. Sometimes furnishings and white goods can be provided by the landlord in which case the price will be higher. A 1BR flat in the Hawthorn and Prahran areas will often be $200-$250 per week and a 2BR flat will be $250-$400 per week. As mentioned, Hawthorn and Prahran and the surrounding suburbs are expensive and prices are higher than Melbourne averages. Croydon, Wantirna and Lilydale are not as expensive, around $150-$200 per week for a 1BR flat and $200-$250 per week for a 2BR flat.

You will normally pay the bond to the person moving out however, before moving out there are some things to check. Check the original condition report on the property to make sure you are not moving in to somewhere that has been trashed by your potential room mates or the person moving out. Also check out the condition of the room you are moving into. The next thing to check is that the landlord or real estate agent knows you are moving in. If the landlord or agent does not know you live in the property you may not be covered by the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA) 1997. Lastly, get the correct forms completed by everyone concerned, this should include a bond transfer form. Do not pay any money until the remaining tenants and the person moving out have completed this.

If you cannot afford to pay the bond on the property you wish to rent you may be eligible for Bond Assistance from the Office of Housing. The amount you can borrow depends on the number of bedrooms in the property. Currently for a one bedroom flat the maximum is $520. You must meet certain eligibility requirements to receive assistance. For example, your share of the rent should be less than 55% of your gross weekly income, a single person's income should not exceed $315 per week and his/her assets cannot exceed $1,300 in value.

You can find out more information and download application forms from the Office of Housing web site www.dhs.vic.gov.au/housing click on the link titled "Assistance" then click on the link titled "getting help if you're renting privately". There are also links to your nearest Office of Housing. The Housing Adviser at your Swinburne campus should also have application forms.

There are also Financial Advisers available on all campuses who may be able to assist with a student loan. However, a loan would only be granted if all other avenues have been exhausted and the student demonstrated the capacity to repay the money within a given time frame.

The Housing Advisers can assist you with any difficulties you may encounter whilst renting. Other organisations such as the Tenants Union www.tuv.org.au can help with specific difficulties. To avoid problems with other members of the house we always recommend you thoroughly discuss financial and household arrangements before you move in and it is preferable to have everything in writing. Use the Occupancy Agreement to help you.

The Housing Service and Swinburne University do not provide rental references. In some instances where the student is well known to a staff member they may provide a character reference. Student Administration can provide evidence that the student is attending Swinburne University.

You should always be clear on whether the people in the house or flat are the owners or are renting as this can sometimes have an effect on the length of the lease or stay. You should also be aware that if you intend renting a vacant house or flat, the usual practice is to require you to sign a twelve month lease. This may not always suit students as they typically want accommodation from February to November. We recommend where possible a six month or periodic 28 day lease be undertaken. A lease is a legally binding document and the provisions of the Residential Tenancies Act will apply. Breaking a lease can be very costly, we recommend you are confident of staying in the property for the duration of the lease before signing it.

In an owner occupied situation the Residential Tenancies Act does not apply. We always recommend you discuss the expected length of your stay with the owner before you move in and to put it in writing. Use the occupancy agreement as a guide for putting things in writing.

This should be made clear before you move in and can depend on the tenancy agreement. If you are covered under the Residential Tenancies Act you may be required to give 28 days notice to the landlord. Likewise the landlord may be required to give you 28 days notice to vacate. If you want to move out before the end of your lease be aware that breaking a lease can be very costly. Contact the Housing Officer if you require further information.

In an owner occupied situation both parties should discuss their expectations before the student moves in and put any agreement in writing. Two weeks is often agreed upon as the length of notice to vacate required by both parties.

In general International students compete with local students for the accommodation vacancies that the Housing Service receives and advertises. Some private providers prefer to have Internationals only and some do not specify a preference. International students are often seen as able to pay higher rental than local students so it is always wise to make some price comparisons before applying for or accepting a place.

A recent trend, particularly in the inner city and Central Business District areas is to provide large complexes of self-contained fully furnished student apartments. We have listed some of these facilities in the Student Hostels section. These are marketed to International students and are quite expensive. Listings of these providers are available on the home page under student hostels.

In a vacant flat/house, student hostel, and hotels, the law prohibits people from rejecting your application on the grounds of your cultural background, gender or religion. In a share or home away from home situation the discrimination laws do not apply and the owner can specify female only, male only, international students only etc.