There are many different types of accommodation available, each varying in cost and inclusions. We have included some descriptions to help make your decision as easy as possible.

Each accommodation option may mean you have different rights and responsibilities, so make sure you know your rights and responsibilities before making any agreements, or paying any money for accommodation. You can get an expectation of the price for each option by conducting a search on the Houseme database.

Shared and Rooming Houses
Vacant Properties
Purpose Built Student Accommodation Facility

Owner Occupied
Casual or Short Term Accommodation
Homestay

Shared and Rooming Houses

Shared housing is one of the cheapest, most common and readily available housing options available to students. When staying in a shared house you usually have your own room and share facilities such as the kitchen, bathrooms and living areas with the other occupants of the house. In some shared houses you will join a group already living in the property, and be added onto the one lease. In these situations, the bills will usually be shared between the tenants, and all furnishings will usually need to be supplied by those living in the property.

In cases where there are four or more occupants in a property, and you are renting out an individual rooms, with an individual lease, this is known as a Rooming House. Rooming Houses must be registered with Council, and meet the Consumer Affairs Victoria minimum standards in rooming houses before they are able to be occupied.
All Rooming Houses listed on the Houseme database are required to provide their registration number, but you can also check in a property is registered by looking it up on the Public Register of Rooming Houses. In a Rooming House, utilities are included in the weekly rent and the property, including individual rooms are fully furnished, however, it is important to check with the accommodation provider before you make any commitments.

Vacant properties

This includes vacant houses, unit, studio apartments and granny flats. These types of properties allow you to live independently, without the need to share your living environment if you don’t want to. This can be one of the more expensive options as you are solely responsible for meeting all rental costs such as the bond (security deposit), weekly rent, gas, electricity, water and furnishings.

Most vacant properties are managed by a real estate agencies, which can have lengthy application requirements and they will not accept applications if you have not personally inspected the property in advance. If you do wish to choose this option you will need to allow a minimum four weeks to secure accommodation. This is a popular options for student waning independent living, or perhaps mature aged student or those moving with a family.

Purpose Built Student Accommodation Facility

There are a number of off-campus residences in the community operated by private providers. These residences offer furnished bedrooms and equipped common areas, as well as residential assistants. Rent includes all expenses such as gas, electricity and water unless the rooms are separately metered.
This type of accommodation is considerably more expensive than shared housing but usually includes more support and social options.

Owner Occupied

This accommodation type is where the property owner resides in the property. The rent usually includes a fully furnished room, with utility costs (gas, electricity, and water) included in the set price. This type of rental agreement is often referred to as boarding. Boarding situations are not covered by the Residential Tenancy Act and the boarder has limited rights. Read more about your rights and responsibilities when boarding.

Casual or Short Term Accommodation

This option is perfect for students who study off campus and only need to stay somewhere a few nights here or there at exam time. It’s also a good option for students who only require accommodation a couple of night per week, or a couple of months. Rooms are fully furnished and all bills are included, however you may be expected to supply your own food. Due to demand and the low supply of this type of accommodation it can take some time to find.

Homestay

Homestay accommodation is not available on the Houseme database, but searching for owner occupied accommodation can give you similar style options of living with a local family.
If you are particularly interested in Homestay accommodation, you can find more information on the Deakin site.