Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the typical budget for a student wanting to rent a place in Melbourne?
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Weekly estimated
Rental comparisons 2008
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Shared accommodation
(own bedroom but share common areas such as kitchen, bathroom etc)
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1 bedroom apartments
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2 bedroom apartments
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Caulfield
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$120 -190
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$200-250
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$290-350
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Clayton
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$110-170
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$110-170
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$250-320
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Peninsula
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$90-150
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$90-150
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$180-250
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Parkville
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$130-190
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$130-190
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$280-350
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Gippsland
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$80-160
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$80-160
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$100-140
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Central Business District
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$200-250
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$250-300
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$380-500
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2. Are rents in Melbourne (central city) more expensive than nearer to my campus?
As a rule, the closer to the Melbourne Central Business District (CBD), the more expensive the rent will be.
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3. Will I be able to find private accommodation walking distance to my campus?
There are properties located close to most of the Monash campuses. However, there may be many students applying for these houses so it is best to look at suburbs around your campus.
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4. Can Monash arrange a rental property for me before I arrive?
No, unfortunately due to the Residential Tenancies Laws in Victoria it is not possible for Monash to book long term off-campus accommodation for students before they arrive.
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5. Do rental properties come with furniture?
This type of accommodation is becoming very popular, but it is still not the common practice. As a general rule rental properties in Melbourne do not come furnished.
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6. How long will it take to find suitable private rental accommodation?
We usually advise students that they should allow two to three weeks in some cases such as in the Central Business District, to find suitable rental accommodation. However, this will vary depending on supply, types of places available and the needs and expectations of each student.
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7. How do I inquire and arrange Home Stay accommodation?
Homestay inquiries should be made directly to Homestay Accommodation Services, a Monash company: www.monash.edu.au/mcpl/homestay
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8. Where can I get information about the accommodation options on my campus?
Please visit the Monash Residential Services www.mrs.monash.edu.au to get information on all on and off campus accommodation options.
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9. Which accommodation option is better for me; University, private rental or Home Stay?
Each option offers different benefits to you. If you like living with other students and confident to be in the private rental market, then private rental or a share house might be the best option. If you want to live in a totally student orientated environment, with the University rules, pastoral care support and security then the University residences will be best. If you want to experience life living with an Australian family, then Home Stay may be your choice.
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10. I am a postgraduate student, and I will be coming to Monash with my wife and child. Does Monash have accommodation suitable to my situation?
Unfortunately at this stage, our postgraduate families cannot be accommodated on campus and will need to find private rental accommodation. Please visit the Monash Residential Services www.mrs.monash.edu.au/off-campus
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11. What is the difference between full board, part board and Homestay?
Full board and part board accommodation are offered by local households to students looking for accommodation. Full board includes all meals and some household duties (i.e. washing clothes etc). Part board is usually room only and might offer breakfast. It usually doesn’t include domestic work.
Home Stay is different again. This is an option where an Australian family offers their home and the opportunity to socialize with them, giving students the chance to learn about the Australian way of life. Each household is usually registered with an official Home Stay Provider and is inspected and the family members have to agree to various checks (police checks etc) and interviews plus regular visits by the Home Stay Counselors. Monash has its own Homestay Company. Further details at: http://www.monash.edu.au/mcpl/homestay/
Please note: Monash Residential Services does not allow Part-Board, Full-Board and private Homestay offers to be advertised via the University Housing Database.
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12. What is the daily charge for the temporary accommodation that Monash arranges for us and where are these places?
Health Wellbeing and Development -the Hub www.hub.monash.edu.au organise this service. For information on their Airport Reception and Temporary Accommodation booking service, go to the above website.
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13. How can I arrange for Airport Reception? And will I be taken directly to my accommodation on arrival?
This is a service provided to International Students only by Health Wellbeing and Development -the Hub www.hub.monash.edu.au Please contact Health Wellbeing and Development -the Hub www.hub.monash.edu.au for details of their Airport Reception and Temporary Accommodation Service.
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14. What is a private rental property?
A private rental property is a house, unit or flat or an apartment block owned by an individual or company, not Monash University. In most cases private rental properties are managed and operated by their owners or by the owners appointed Real Estate Agent. The owners do not have any affiliation with Monash University, and they rent their properties out to students and other private individuals for personal benefit.
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15. What are my rights and responsibilities when I rent off-campus?
Tenants and landlords alike have responsibilities when it comes to renting property. Please refer to either 'Your rights and responsibilities' ,
the Tenants Union link
or Consumer Affairs link
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16. Is it customary to sign a contract to rent off-campus accommodation?
A tenancy agreement (lease) may be in writing or it may be verbal, both types are recognized by law. However, verbal agreements can be more difficult to prove if a dispute was to arise. However the majority of landlords will require you to sign a written agreement because it offers both parties more security. Please refer to ‘Starting a Tenancy’ under the Useful Fact Sheets on our website.
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17. Can you give me a list of recommended places to live?
Please use our website www.mrs.monash.edu.au for resources and contact details of our staff. Monash Residential Services does not recommend any specific private rental accommodation. The only accommodation recommended by Monash Residential Services is that owned by Monash University and managed by Monash Residential Services. Please visit the on-campus section of the website to get more information about Monash University’s student accommodation.
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18. What is the distance between Clayton and Caulfield Campus?
It is about 9kms from Caulfield and Clayton campuses is 9km. The time to travel between the two is; by road – 15 to 20mins. By public transport is approximately 30mins, as students will need to take a train and a bus to get to and from Clayton campus. Caulfield campus is on the train line.
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19. What is the distance between Caulfield and Peninsula Campus?
It is approximately 35kms from Caulfield and Peninsula campus. To get to Peninsula Campus from Caulfield campus it is recommended that you travel by train. The trip to Frankston station is approximately 45minutes. Students will then need to take the bus out to the campus which is located approximately 20mins from the station. To travel by road would take approximately 45-60mins depending on the time of day.
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20. What is the distance from Clayton campus to Berwick Campus?
It is approximately 20kms from Clayton campus to Berwick campus is approximately 20kms. To travel to the campus by road will take approximately 20-45mins depending on the time of day. To travel by public transport it will take approximately 60mins as student need to take a bus from Clayton campus to the station. The station at Berwick is located within a 10min walk of the campus.
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21. What is the distance from Berwick campus to Gippsland Campus? It is approximately 120kms from Berwick campus to Gippsland Campus.To travel to the campus by road will take approximately 1.5 hours. To travel to the campus by public transport, students would need to take the country VLine train from Dandenong Station and the trip will take approximately 2.5 hours to get to Morwell. Then students must take a bus to the campus approximately 30mins away.
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22. What are my accommodation options if I am studying at Parkville Campus?
Parkville Campus students need to rent privately as Monash does not have any accommodation near to the campus. Students can also contact Melbourne University to see if they can get accommodation within one of their residential colleges. Contact the Monash Residential Services off campus staff on 9903 2721 for assistance in contacting Melbourne University and to source private rental accommodation.
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23. What can I do if I cannot find any suitable accommodation?
If students are unable to find suitable accommodation via our housing website resources and information, please contact our staff by either visiting or calling the Monash Residential Services office on any Monash Victorian campus.
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24. Are there any other housing websites I could look at?
The main websites used by the public are:
Also a lot of real estate agents have their own individual websites, so doing a search on the internet may provide many other sites that may suit your needs.
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25. What do the following advertisement abbreviations mean; BIR, WIR, LUG, TBA, PW, PCM, HWS?
BIR – built in robes; WIR – walk in robes; LUG – lock up garage; TBA – to be advised; PW – per week (in reference to rent); PCM – per calendar month (in reference to rent); HWS – hot water service (also known as a water heater). For abbreviations please refer to our Rental advertising abbreviations section on our website; www.mrs.monash.edu.au/off-campus
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26. Can Monash Residential Services give me a rental reference to include with my application?
We cannot give you a rental reference unless you have been a resident in one of our student residences. Otherwise, go to Student Services or your Faculty and get a letter to confirm your enrolment to study at Monash University. Another option is if you are a member of a student club or society, it may be possible for the President of the club/society may be able to provide a character reference for you. However you must ask permission before using anyone as your referee.
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27. Where do I find which agents are closest to my campus?
We have a detailed listing on our off-campus website www.mrs.monash.edu.au/off-campus. Also, you can find local real estate agents in local newspapers (Leader or Independent newspapers). These newspapers usually come out weekly and are normally available free from local newsagents. You may also contact Monash Residential Services for further assistance.
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28. What is the minimum length of time I have to rent a place for?
The common minimum lease is 12 months. In some instances where students are moving into a ‘share house’ short agreements may be negotiated.
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29. What is a bond?
A bond is a security over the accommodation students rent. It is used mainly to cover costs of maintenance and cleaning after a tenant has vacated the accommodation. There are rules and regulations that govern the use of the Bond. Please refer to the publication – ' Renting a home: A guide for tenants and landlords' on our website: www.mrs.monash.edu.au/off-campus to gain a better understanding. An electronic version of this publication in various languages is available via this website.
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30. Can I use my bond to pay my last month’s rent?
Under normal circumstances the answer to that question is NO! Please refer to ' Renting a home: A guide for tenants and landlords' and the various fact sheets available via our website, www.mrs.monash.edu.au/off-campus
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31. How is the rent calculated?
Rent is normally calculated over 52 weeks of the year and that amount is then divided by the 12months to come up with the monthly per calendar month (PCM) rate. E.g. if the rent on the property is $150 per week (pw), the landlord/agent would then take that figure, multiply it by 52, giving $7800, and then dividing it by 12, for each month of the year to come up with the PCM rate of $650pcm (per calendar month).
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32. Where can I get information about public transport?
The best way to get up to date information on the public transport system in Melbourne is to visit the Metlink site, http://www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au/
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33. Where can I get a map of the local area?
Street Directories and maps of Melbourne and suburbs area available for purchase from most book stores, including the bookshops on your campus.
There are a couple of websites that are also great sources of online maps:
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34. Where can I find information on products and services that will be helpful to me when I am setting up my new place?
Yellow Pages either online or in hardcopy is a good start. The hardcopy can be obtained from your local post office free of charge. Also, check noticeboards on your campus and your local newspaper.
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35. Can you provide any tips about share housing?
On our website www.mrs.monash.edu.au/off-campus we have a link to a fact sheet called ‘Share Houses’ which is from Consumer Affairs Victoria. If you are thinking of moving into a share house with friends or even with people you don’t know, we recommend you read this fact sheet first.
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36/ What information and documentation should my landlord or agent give me when I agree to rent a place?
At the beginning of your tenancy your landlord must give you:
- A copy of the residency agreement
- o A receipt for the rent money you have paid
- o A Statement of Rights and Duties booklet
- o 2 Copies of the Condition Report
- o A statement setting out the agent’s power to authorise urgent reports (if the landlord has an agent), the maximum amount of repairs they can authorise, and the agent’s telephone or fax number for urgent repairs
- o The landlords or agents’ full name, address, telephone and fax numbers
On our website www.mrs.monash.edu.au/off-campus there is a link to a number of fact sheets available from the Tenants Union of Victoria and Consumer Affairs Victoria that will provide addition information on this subject. Please refer to our Useful Fact Sheets.
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37. I live in a rented property, and the landlord is not carrying out maintenance. What can I do?
It is the landlords’ responsibility to ensure that their rental property is in a reasonably clean condition at the start of the tenancy and that they must maintain the premises in good repair during the course of the tenancy. Please refer to Useful Fact Sheets on our website www.mrs.monash.edu.au/off-campus and click on the link to Repairs and Maintenance for information on what to do when the landlord will not carry out repairs.
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38. I live in a rented property and the landlord comes onto the premises to ‘look around’ and ‘inspect the condition’, regularly, do I have to let the landlord in every time they want an inspection?
The landlord must take all reasonable steps to ensure that you have ‘quiet enjoyment’ of the property you rent. Please refer to our Useful Fact Sheets on our and click on the link to Privacy and Access for more information.
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39. Do I have to give the landlord notice when I plan to move out of my rental property?
Yes, you must give the landlord notice in advance of your plans to move out of the rental property. Please refer to our Useful Fact Sheets on our website www.mrs.monash.edu.au/off-campus and click on the link to ‘Ending a Tenancy’ and ‘Breaking a Lease’ for more information on what you need to do.
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40. Where can I go for help when things go wrong, or if I need advice?
The first place you should visit is our website www.mrs.monash.edu.au/off-campus. Our Off Campus Accommodation website information and links to numerous fact sheets that may provide the answer to your problems as well as contact email addresses and phone numbers for the MRS office on your campus. Feel free to contact Monash Residential Services and we will assist you residential tenancy matters and refer you to the right people within Monash who can also assist.
For your information, the following organisations also provide legal tenancy advice free of charge and can also assist:
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