Choosing your accommodation
***La Trobe University has recently been alerted to an internet scam where students have secured properties over the internet, before arriving in Australia, by paying rent in advance to alleged landlords and never hearing about the property again. We advise all students not to hand over money or sign any kind of rental contract before physically sighting a property.
You should consider the following things before making a decision:
Location
- Do you want to live on or off-campus? If off-campus, do you wish to live closer to the University or the city?
- Do you rely on public transport? If so, consider living on-campus or, in Melbourne, consider suburbs between La Trobe and the city on major public transport routes such as a tram or train line.
- Will you look for part time work? Think of where you will look for work and how you will get to your workplace.
- Are you in a group of students? University flats and whole vacant properties off-campus might suit your needs.
- Will you need to connect utilities? If you rent a whole vacant property off-campus or a University flat, you will need to do so. Check to see that there is an affordable form of heating for those cold winter months. Gas heating is generally the cheapest.
Facilities
- What sort of space are you looking for? The layout of the house/flat etc. is important, particularly if you are sharing with others.
- Do you wish to have your own room? Do you need a quiet place for study, strong light for design drawings, access to a computer, an area to practice musical instruments?
- Are you willing to share bathroom and kitchen facilities? If not, a one bedroom apartment off-campus may be your only option. These can prove expensive.
- Do you want meals provided? If so, do you have any special dietary requirements, such as vegetarian, halal or kosher food? At Bundoora, Glenn College is the only fully catered option on-campus. Off-campus, the only choice would be full board. In some share households people share food and cooking, but others buy all their food separately
- Will you need furniture? All on-campus rooms are furnished, but most off-campus rooms are completely unfurnished. If you don't want to organise furniture, full board or a room in a family home may be your only options.
Legal questions
- How long do you require accommodation? If it is for less than six months you will probably have difficulty gaining a lease on a whole vacant property. Off-campus, look for full board, a room in a family home or share accommodation.
- Are you willing to sign a lease? If not, your options are limited to full board, rooms in family homes and some share accommodation. If you run into difficulty with off-campus rental accommodation you have little protection without a lease. Standard leases, condition reports and other tenancy information are available at Accommodation at La Trobe. You can also contact Consumer Affairs Victoria or the Tenants Union of Victoria.
- Bills. If your name is on a utility bill (e.g. electricity, phone, gas) you are legally responsible for its payment. It is advisable to ensure all co-tenants share the responsibility and have their names on all the bills.
Costs
Moving into a vacant house, you need to pay for:
- connection fees for utilities such as electricity, gas and telephone, furniture
- bond (usually one month's rent)
- one month's rent in advance.
Share accommodation is a less expensive alternative. In share accommodation you usually move into an already established house. This often means living with people you don't know, which can be a little strange at first, but it is a great way to make new friends. Connection fees are already paid and the rest of the house is usually furnished.
When inquiring about shared households ask about things such as sharing of food and cooking, smoking, parties and noise, pets, small children, family and friends/partners.
In Melbourne, rent tends to be more expensive the closer you are to the University, and the city centre, but you can expect to pay between $100-$200 per week for a one bedroom house. If you are looking for a two or three bedroom house, the cost is usually between $150-450 per week.
Visit our Living Costs page for estimated annual costs.
Furniture
- If you are planning to live off-campus, you will probably need to purchase furniture. Prices vary widely, depending upon what you are prepared to spend. To find cheap furniture you can go to secondhand shops or markets. Garage sales are listed in local newspapers and EG (in The Age newspaper on Fridays) or look on notice boards around your campus for students selling furniture.
- The Trading Post is a weekly newspaper advertising secondhand goods, usually sold privately. It is published on Thursdays.
- First Fridays Furniture (FFF) is a program developed by EnviroSMART and the Maintenance department to recycle furniture within La Trobe University and the surrounding community. On the First Friday of every month the Waste Wise Shed is open to La Trobe staff and students between 4:30pm and 5:30pm to take any furniture for personal use.
Note: Furniture is not allowed to be re-sold under any circumstances.
For further information regarding housing options, please visit the Accommodation at La Trobe website.
