Off campus 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.
For assistance at other campuses contact:
You can begin searching before you reach Melbourne. You will find a range of information related to accommodation including advertisements for vacancies, real estate agents, maps, and useful links in the Student Accommodation Service database.
PLEASE NOTE: We do not recommend that you sign a lease or contract before physically sighting a rental property first.
After you arrive you can also look for housing ads in:
- the Age newspaper (Saturdays and Wednesdays)
- at Readings Bookshop (309 Lygon St, Carlton)
- at the Friends of the Earth (shop 312 Smith St, Collingwood)
- on poster poles at Melbourne (Bundoora) campus.
For further information regarding housing options, please visit the Student Accommodation Services Office website.
There are also a number of Off-campus Student Accommodation providers that offer long term student accommodation. Some of these also offer temporary accommodation.
Popular real estate websites that include rental properties are:
Off-campus accommodation FAQs
If I don't receive a room on-campus, where do I start looking for off-campus accommodation?
You can actually begin searching before you reach Melbourne. You can find a range of information about off-campus accommodation at the La Trobe Accommodation Services Office website.
Is off-campus accommodation more expensive than on-campus accommodation?
Many factors will influence this. Although the weekly rental price may appear a lot cheaper than the colleges, you will have to consider the cost of furniture, amenity bills, transport, how many people are sharing to reduce costs etc. Consult the pre-departure guide, where we have estimated annual costs, and compared different accommodation types.
Is it easy to find and organise off-campus accommodation?
This depends on how well organised you are and what you are looking for. The Housing Office on-campus generally has a large listing of rental properties at any given time so you should visit the office regularly to look at new listings. Use the time you have before orientation week or after orientation activities have finished each day to look at as many properties as you can. Many students also refer to local Real Estate agents for rental listings. It is important for you to understand that some effort is required to find suitable accommodation.
This is my first time in Melbourne, therefore how am I meant to find my way around to look at rental properties?
Justifiably, to most students the task may appear very daunting but if you have travelled half way around the world to get to La Trobe, scouring the local neighbourhoods for a home should be a piece of cake! Buy yourself a Melways (a very useful street directory) and become familiar with Melbourne's transportation system. LTI staff are always happy to assist students with information on how to get about Bundoora and its surrounds. During orientation there will be a Student Host assigned to assist new students with this and other issues.
I have found a rental property, what next?
You will not be left on your own to figure out how the renting system works in Australia. The real estate agent should give you a lot of information about your rights and obligations when renting the property. Another excellent source of information is Student Accommodation Services on-campus. During the Welcome Festival Orientation there is also a special information session on Housing and How to Find it scheduled or you can come into LTI and collect some information leaflets about renting, bonds and tenants rights. An excellent source of information is also the Tenants Union website, who can give students advice if they are having trouble with rental properties.
What part does La Trobe International play in regards to finding off-campus accommodation?
LTI cannot assist students looking for off-campus accommodation. LTI is concerned about the welfare of international students and is able to provide basic 'tips' on looking for something off-campus. The Student Accommodation Service on-campus receives all advertisements for properties available to rent and have staff equipped with the knowledge of being able to assist students.
