The Switch Melbourne Victoria Market

We have been getting plenty of questions from students about The Switch, so let’s spend a bit of time on this building.

If you’re studying at RMIT or the University of Melbourne, want to live in the city and are coming to Melbourne for the first time, The Switch is a solid option to consider. Its biggest draw isn’t a particularly fancy room: it’s how easy everyday life can be. There’s a supermarket nearby, Queen Victoria Market is a short walk away, and getting to uni is straightforward. During those first few months, when everything is unfamiliar, that convenience can save you a lot of hassle.

What the building is like

The Switch is at 198 A’Beckett Street, close to Queen Victoria Market and Flagstaff Gardens. It’s purpose-built student accommodation, with staff available around the clock. You can have parcels delivered to the building rather than worrying about a delivery being left outside.

What’s inside

There’s a good range of shared facilities, so you don’t have to head out every time you want a break.

The gym is in the building, which can save you a separate gym membership. When you need somewhere quiet to study or finish an assignment, try the study room instead of staying in your bedroom. On weekends, the rooftop garden and barbecue area are popular places to spend time with housemates and take in the city at night. There’s also a cinema and entertainment space, plus music and games rooms for a film, a game or a small get-together.

There’s an on-site laundry, with a limited number of free washes and drying cycles each week; check your move-in agreement for the allowance. The communal kitchen is useful if several housemates want to cook together, or if your studio kitchenette feels a bit small for a bigger meal. There’s bike storage too. One thing to keep in mind if you drive: the building doesn’t have parking, so you’ll need to find a space nearby.

Rooms come with a desk, fridge, induction cooktop and smart lock, with USB charging near the bed. Most room types also have a microwave. Larger studios come with a dishwasher and oven, and some have a smart TV. You won’t need to buy major appliances when you arrive.

Rooms and a rough idea of rent

There are four-person shared apartments and studios in a range of sizes. In a shared apartment, each person has their own bedroom and shares the kitchen and living area. A studio gives you your own room, kitchenette and bathroom. Prices and lease terms are subject to the latest quotes at the top of this page. If you’re arriving for the first time and watching your budget, a shared apartment can be a practical choice and a way to meet housemates.

Getting to class

RMIT students have an easy trip: it’s roughly a ten-minute walk to the City campus. For a 9 am class, leaving around 8.30 am gives you some breathing room.

For the University of Melbourne, walk to Swanston Street and catch a northbound tram towards Parkville. Allow roughly 15–20 minutes for the trip. Trams are free within the Free Tram Zone; once you travel beyond it, you need to touch on with your myki. You can pick up a card at a station or a 7-Eleven after arriving.

Some Monash Caulfield students live here too. You can walk to Flagstaff or Melbourne Central and catch the train, with a one-way trip taking a little over half an hour. It’s further than living near Caulfield, but you get more city dining and shopping options after class. Think about which matters more in your everyday routine.

Everyday life nearby

Buying groceries is easy. There’s a small Woolworths across the road for milk, bread and snacks. For fresh groceries, head to Queen Victoria Market, which opens on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. You can browse seafood, fruit and meat stalls and compare prices, with some traders offering discounts towards closing time.

There are plenty of places to eat. HWKR food centre is on the same street, and Chinese quick meals such as malatang and spicy stir-fries are a short walk away. Asian grocers around La Trobe Street stock hotpot soup bases, chilli sauces and rice, so you should have no trouble finding ingredients for familiar meals.

For the things you need to do after landing — opening a bank account, buying a SIM and picking up essentials — Melbourne Central is about five or six minutes away on foot. It has banking services, a pharmacy, Coles and a gym. Kmart is a handy place to buy bedding, coat hangers and storage without spending too much.

What students have shared

Resident comments on uhomes and House of Student mention the location, staff assistance, facilities and laundry arrangements. A new arrival on Amber also describes help moving in and an introduction to the room. In the comments on a Xiaohongshu Victoria Market account, a self-described resident of the same building calls the shared apartment compact but clean, with a large balcony.

The author of that Xiaohongshu account describes problems with sound insulation and evening internet, while another same-building commenter reports a different internet experience. Experiences vary: listen inside the room at an inspection and ask about internet and maintenance arrangements.

A few tips before you move in

On move-in day, take photos of every corner before unpacking: furniture, walls and carpet included. Keep them somewhere you can find later. A Xiaohongshu end-of-lease account describes a cleaning-fee dispute; a commenter says an email appeal resulted in no charge. Outcomes differ, so keep dated move-in and move-out photos and email records.

Before signing, ask three things: how much the bond is — commonly four weeks’ rent — whether the booking deposit will count towards rent, and what happens if your visa is refused. The Switch has its own conditions for these, so get your adviser to go through them with you.

For luggage, bring an Australian plug adaptor and a suitable power board. You can buy your quilt and pillows after arriving instead of using precious baggage space. From the airport, SkyBus takes you to Southern Cross Station, where you can continue by tram.

Who it might suit

If you’re studying at RMIT or the University of Melbourne, coming to Melbourne for the first time and keen to live centrally and meet people, The Switch is worth a look. If quiet surroundings and internet speed are especially important, ask about higher-floor rooms facing away from the street, or compare a few buildings before deciding.

If you’re choosing between a few buildings, have a chat with a Yeeliving student adviser. Applying for student accommodation through us is free; our student accommodation service is free. We can help compare rooms, go through the contract and arrange an online inspection. After a referred friend signs a lease and moves in, the referrer can receive referral cashback, paid only to the referrer; details are as shown on your account page.