Housing options for students arriving in Australia are plentiful. The only exception is students under the age of 18: according to the rules, they must live in a so-called Homestay Family (HF) – an Australian family that provides the student with a room, meals, and also covers bills for water, gas and electricity. HF Parents are also the official student guardians in Australia until the age of majority.
White in the beginning you may have to live in a dormitory (which, in fact, is not bad at all) or in an Australian family (Homestay Family), upon entering the country there will be no problems finding housing.
There are a few options to choose from:
- Housing for rent: rental of your own housing is possible. In Sydney, the average cost of a studio near the city centre is approximately AUD350- 400 per week. A one-bedroom apartment near the city centre will cost you AUD500-600 per week. When searching for housing, Australians use sites such as realestate.com.au and domain.com.au. Landlords usually ask for a security deposit in the amount of the cost of a 4-week rental.
- House Sharing: a popular alternative for students is to rent a house with friends or even strangers who are in the same situation: the budget is small and you want to live in a good and spacious apartment (or house). If you don’t have friends yet to share accommodation with, sites like gumtree.com.au and flatmates.com.au will help you.
- Many universities also offer accommodation on their territory. Usually, this is a house, townhouse or apartment, designed for 3-5 people where each person has their own room. The kitchen, living room and bathroom (1-2 depending on the number of residents) are shared. Some universities also offer studios and one-bedroom apartments where you do not have to get along with strangers, but this will cost much more.