New UMELB students - accommodation

[scarah]

Hey guys,

If you're a new UniMelb student coming from rural, interstate or overseas and you're looking for accommodation here's a few tips:
Accommodation is extremely hard to find in Melbs at the moment, the rental market is horrendous and the Uni Colleges are tough to get into. Try looking at the Accomnet database on the UniMelb site (you'll be able to log) for available accommodation including share houses. Also talk to the friendly folk at the housing service.
If you haven't got anything and you're arriving you can book temporary accommodation through the Uni. You can also get a free ride in the from the airport if you are arriving at Tullamarine check out http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/international/planning/arrival.html for more details.

Anyway just thought I'd point those things out.
S

 

[Zi-5ean]

ok, i get it that the lost post on this thread was ages back, but since I'm currently looking for accomodation to move into I was wondering if anyone could help me out here. What is in your opinion the most suitable form of accomodation considerin i'm an international student moving into melbourne for the first time in my life this coming february? I'm really interested in sharing a room with some one preferably from the same university i received an offer from & the same course [uni of melb B.biomed], is there anyone there in the same boat as me?? Please do let me know... o btw please do not suggest the residential colleges cuz they're just ridiculously expensive. Ciao

 

[theillestill]

Well a residential college is probably the best choice. It's hard to find accommodation close to campus for reasonably cheap, especially if you're an international student.

 

[Zi-5ean]

But aren't those jus freakin expensive, i mean come on $500+ a week thats just insane, I may only consider that option if i get a scholarship or sumthing. In any case how are the residential colleges?? Especially the international house!! Is it like a single room for everyone or is it shared?? when will the applicants get to know whether they have been offered a place & lastly the dorms are co-ed rite??

 

[scarah]

Colleges are expensive however the include your meals, bills etc as well as tutoring so it's not as bad as it sounds and considering the price of Melbourne rents... colleges are expensive but so is everything. One thing to consider is whether you will be heading home each holiday as that can make the Colleges a good option (as the set fee is only for semester and you have to pay extra for holidays) or whether you'll be staying in Melbourne for holidays (which means another rental is better). Remember if you sign a lease somewhere you'll be paying rent the whole year so even if you go home you'll be paying rent in Melbourne.

As an international student you don't have a lot of options before you arrive in Melbourne as there are only a few places that will allow you to apply for accommodation without being in Melbourne. Private rentals and share-houses you need to be in Melbourne to investigate and apply for.

Your options from home include things like UniLodge, RMIT Village and College Square which are all "student style" Apartments that do not include meals and are very close to the University. However these are still more expensive than private rental.

In terms of private rental, a shared house is your cheapest option but finding one means being in Melbourne and literally traveling around checking out advertised rooms and meeting prospective housemates. In terms of apllying for and signing a new lease yourself, you don't have much change of getting anything without Australian rental references.

If you're going to Uni of Melb then make contact with the International Office http://www.futurestudents.unimelb.edu.au/int/prepare and that has links to the Housing Service which has advice and a housing guide http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/housing/publications/index.html. They also have a database of available shared houses and other accommodation http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/housing/accomnet/index.html which you should be able to log into once you have a student number. The information on that site is great, tells you about what costs to expect and which suburbs to consider looking in. If you want cheaper accommodation then you pretty much won't be walking distance from uni.

The international office at the Uni of Melbourne can help you find temporary accommodation for when you first arrive, arrange pick up for you at the airport etc. Check out the housing service website for all long term housing information.

I worked in the International Office last year, and my advice is to get some early because it's very very hard to find accommodation in Melbourne at all. Especially finding stuff from overseas. The Uni cannot give you accommodation if you can't find anything because they actually don't own any accommodation. Jan and Feb are the hardest times to find something.

 

[Zi-5ean]

So scarah are you suggesting that I arrange for some permanent accomodation while there's still time or I apply for temporary accomodation for the time being & then once I have got hang of the place & the housing situation, I look forward to a more solid decision? In any case how are these so called temporary accomdation...i mean how long can I stay at one of those places & is it an apartment or a shared housing?? Thanks for all the details you have been providin me with, appreciate it a lot ;D

 

[scarah]

Well it depends what kind of permanent accommodation you want and when you will be arriving in Melbourne. the temporary accommodation is not free (usually $40-70 a night) but it is generally a single room in a budget hotel. You should be able to stay there for a long as you need but last year we had problems because the students were finding it so hard to find permanent accommodation that they were staying in the hotel for weeks - which meant it was difficult to find rooms for new students arriving.

January and February is a bad time to be looking, if you are arriving in Melbourne in February then you'll find it difficult to find something and may be looking for weeks. We often had students who were still looking when Uni starts - not really ideal starting uni while living in a hotel.

So my personal advice - if you think something like College Square, UniLodge or RMIT Village would be somewhere you like to live then organise it now. It will be a bit more expensive than finding a private rental but it means that you have accommodation when you arrive. You can always move after the first year, once you are in Melbourne it's much easier to find friends from your course to live with, you'll have rental references from the first year, you'll be in melb to look for houses, and you can can look in December rather than Jan/Feb.

If you don't like the look of College Square, UniLodge or RMIT village and you don't want to go to college then your only option is to sort something out when you get here. My advice in this case is to arrive early - allow at least a couple of weeks to find something. Also you should look at shared houses that a looking to fill a room, you're unlikely to get a new lease as an international with no job and no references.

But yeah, my advice is definitely don't underestimate how hard it is to find accommodation in Melbourne and do heaps of research into what kind of accommodation you want and where you want to live. Get online and get an idea of what prices etc are like http://www.realestate.com.au/ in the private rental market, check out http://www.unilodge.com.au/ and http://www.rmitvillageom.com.au and /http://www.collegesquare.ymca.org.au/ don't forget too, that the Housing service has good information like tables of comparing to the costs of living in college, compared to the student style apartments and private rental.

 

[Zi-5ean]

To be honest I was actually thinking about those student based apartments, to be particular there is an ad of sum properties called "micasa" provided by the student housing australia for like about 300 a week which i think is decent considering the room being completely furnished, with utensils, discounted internet & the best part a flat screen TV...woww!! I really liked the whole idea but i just dont get the whole procedure of applying? along with the lease availability stuff, the feel of living in one of those apartments, could you gimme some more information on these aspects, itll be the first time i'm dealing with property, so im a TOTAL noob in these matters!! xD

 

[scarah]

I haven't heard of that particular one but from the website it might be part of "Student Housing Australia" and they have application forms on their website http://www.s-h-a.com.au/ so I guess you print it out then fill it out and fax it to them. I know UniLodge and perhaps also College Square have online applications through their websites.

Generally there's several stages to the application - you fill out the initial form and send off your information first. Then you hear back from them and they requires more information, and finally you sign the actual lease agreement (normally a 12-month agreement) and pay the inital rent (usually one month in advance) and bond (which is a refundable deposit - you get it back when you move out assuming the apartment is not damaged in any way)

It might be worth emailing or calling them directly to get more of idea of the application process, it's quite normal for them to also ask for a deposit and a copy of your passport once you are accepted. As long as it's a reputable company this should be no problem.

If you are unsure of the process I strongly recommend the housing guides put out by the Uni or contacting Student Housing Australia or any other provider you are interested in and finding out the exact process.

It's part of growing up and moving away ^_^ learning how to do new stuff, use the Uni resources that's what they are designed for.

 

[Zi-5ean]

Ok its been a long time since i have written but this accomodation thingy is getting on my nerves. I think I'm going to surrender to the residential colleges even though they are extremely expensive. I guess the facilties provided outweigh the costs. In any case I was wondering on which of em will be better? There are like 10 of them, international house is my favourite but apart from that what else, any suggestions?? And how exactly is staying in a residential college llike? Im looking upto Scarah(yy)

 

[d4301]

I really want to get into college but i dont even think i have a chance cos it's so hard to get into!

 

[Zi-5ean]

It aint that hard, I applied to one of the residential colleges of the University of Melbourne & received the date for a telephone interview just about a week later. It wasnt exactly even an interview more of a "hey come join us" message. Anyways just try your luck, you may just squeeze into one of them at exactly the last moment!!!(y)

 

[d4301]

yes well what college did you get into?

it was hard for me even tho im interstate ... they didn't think much of me... it was mainly because of financial issues thats why they didn't let me in im pretty sure