Renting guides

Rental scams: 8 warning signs, and why you should not pay before you have seen the place

If you have paid and suspect fraud, contact your bank immediately about stopping or recovering the payment. Otherwise pause and independently verify the room, authority, agreement and payee. Repeated photos, an overseas contact or a low price are clues, not proof of fraud.

How do I budget for monthly living costs in Melbourne?

Add your own rent, bills, transport, food and other spending to calculate a monthly budget. There is no single amount for everyone. The three assumed budgets below show the calculation; replace them with your own figures. Keep the bond and moving costs separate.

Student accommodation, share house or whole rental: how to choose

Choose student accommodation, sharing or a whole home by private space, shared liability and total cost over the same period. Student accommodation is not necessarily all-inclusive. Co-renters may be responsible for the whole rent, while a person renting alone pays the whole cost.

A one-page guide for parents: how your child will live in Melbourne

Parents can help check housing responsibilities, full funding, the payee and move-in tasks. Build the budget from the student’s actual quote. Under-18 students need appropriate welfare arrangements first. Compare and keep records, while signing and entry follow the agreement and required authority.

Starting in Melbourne in February or July 2027: when should you start looking for a place to live?

For a February or July intake, align course and enrolment dates, travel and the current accommodation window and start date. Area research can begin early, but approval and key collection have no universal timescale. Do not shift another semester’s calendar by a fixed number of months.

How much money do you need for your first month in Melbourne?

Build a first-month payment calendar: bond, rent before entry, later rent due in the month, and living and moving costs. For an ordinary home at A$500 a week, the usual one-month bond amount is about A$2,172.62. Weekly and monthly payment schedules have different upfront amounts.

Renting processStart here

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Finding a place

14 articles

13 min readChecked 9 Nov 2026

How does renting in Melbourne work, from your first search to getting the keys?

For a Melbourne long-term rental, set your campus and budget, inspect and verify, apply, review the agreement, check payments, collect keys and document the condition. Search and approval times vary. From overseas, you can ask someone you trust to inspect, while keeping the signing decision yourself.

10 min readChecked 9 Nov 2026

Victoria’s rental changes (2025–2026): which ones matter for international students?

As at November 2026, Victorian rules include the rental bidding ban, 90 days’ notice of a rent increase, the standard application form and direct RTBA payments. Energy efficiency and other later measures have future commencement dates. Check the date and legal agreement category before applying a rule.

Finding a housemate in Melbourne: what to ask in your first chat

Yeeliving provides free manual housemate introductions for students aged 18 or over. Match budget, dates, term and campus first, and exchange contacts only with everyone’s consent. An introduction is not an assurance; verify the property, authority and agreement separately.

Student accommodation

Choosing Melbourne student accommodation: campus, room type and terms

Start with your teaching building, dates, term and occupants, then check the room layout, furniture, bills and full agreement. A matching building or university name does not establish a suitable commute, availability or eligibility.

What can you rent in Melbourne for A$300, A$400 or A$500 a week?

Establish whether A$300, A$400 or A$500 is your personal rent, a whole-property rent or a housing budget including bills. A budget band cannot establish the type of home available. Filter current quotes by campus, dates and room type, then allow for bills and upfront funds.

Student accommodation

How do I compare Melbourne student accommodation quotes?

Student accommodation has no single citywide weekly price. Obtain a written quote for your dates, term, room, occupants and included bills, then compare the whole-term cost. An old starting price or another building’s price is not your quote.

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Inspections

4 articles

Inspection checklist: what to check and ask in 20 minutes

If inspection time is short, prioritise safety, locks, damp, water and supplied appliances, then ask about the start date, furniture and costs. Twenty minutes is a suggested allocation. Obtain permission before testing or photographing, and record anything unchecked.

Booking open inspections and planning a viewing day

Register where required, plan around each advertised window and travel time, and submit a separate rental application after viewing.

How often are Victorian rental gas and electrical checks due?

From 13 Oct 2026, all Victorian rental properties require electrical safety checks every two years, plus gas checks where gas appliances, fixtures or fittings exist. Confirm dates and outstanding recommendations before signing; renters on older agreements can request the records.

How do I check flood maps for a Melbourne rental address?

Before signing in Melbourne, use the Victorian DTP flood-tool and VicPlan entry points to research the address, then verify with the local council or Catchment Management Authority. A 1% AEP is not a fixed century-long interval, the official maps are for general reference only, and the unit, entrances and basement car park need separate questions to the rental provider.

Signing

9 articles

13 min readChecked 9 Nov 2026

Victoria rental bond: how much, who holds it and how to get it back

For an ordinary Victorian residential rental, the usual bond cap is one calendar month’s rent and the bond must be lodged with the RTBA. Verify authority, the payment account and lodgement process. A transfer receipt is not an RTBA lodgement receipt. Higher-rent homes, VCAT decisions and other agreement categories need separate checks.

How do co-renting, subletting and rooming houses differ in Victoria?

For shared housing in Victoria, check who contracts with whom, rental authority and bond registration. People on the same residential agreement are usually co-renters. Renting from a head renter may be a sublet or another arrangement. Identify a rooming house by its legal definition, not just current occupancy.

12 things to agree on before sharing a house

Before co-renting, record rent, bills, bond shares, visitors, cleaning and housemate changes. A private agreement cannot change your obligations to the rental provider. Its enforceability depends on its terms. Agree money matters, daily arrangements and how changes or disputes will be handled.

Victoria: an RTBA email arrived. What should you check before accepting?

Open rentalbonds.vic.gov.au independently to verify the transaction rather than paying through a suspicious email. Acceptance, direct payment and the official receipt are separate steps. Check names, address, amount and payer before acting; do not pay twice because a receipt is pending.

Paying rent and bond for the first time in Melbourne: what to check before you pay

Separate the bond, rent in advance and any holding deposit, then check the agreement, payment period and payee. Victorian residential rentals have different limits and exceptions. A weekly advertised rent does not mean weekly payment. Pause and independently verify an unexpected account change.

What should you check in a Melbourne rental agreement before you sign?

An ordinary Victorian rental agreement has no cooling-off period after signing. Before committing, obtain the full agreement and attachments, check names, address, rent, bond, dates and additional terms, and put agreed promises in writing.

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Moving in

11 articles

How do I complete and return a Victorian condition report?

For an ordinary Victorian rental, check the condition report room by room, add existing damage and untested items, then sign and return it within five business days of moving in. Date and label photos and keep them with the report.

How to connect electricity, gas, water and internet as a renter

Check included bills, separate meters, gas and embedded networks before deciding which accounts to open. Contact providers once the agreement and access date are confirmed. They confirm connection or installation timing; do not wait until moving day.

Your first week in Melbourne: what to sort out first, and what can wait

On arrival, secure accommodation, phone access and transport. Then follow your own university deadlines for enrolment, accounts and travel. Arrange utilities once the long-term rental is confirmed and complete the condition report after entry. The deadlines here are not every personal visa or university obligation.

Moving into a Melbourne apartment: do you need to book the lift?

Confirm building moving rules, lift access and loading times in writing before booking transport. Rental start, key collection and furniture delivery may differ. Booking requirements, charges and refundable amounts depend on the building’s lawful rules; there is no universal amount or lead time.

Rent or buy furniture for your Melbourne rental?

Check what comes with the property, then compare the full cost of renting or buying furniture over the time you expect to use it.

Your first shopping trip after moving to Melbourne

For the first shopping trip, buy missing washing, bedding and next-meal essentials. Check the actual inventory first, measure before buying bedding and arrange delivery access before ordering large items; add other supplies as daily needs become clear.

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Living in Melbourne

5 articles

Transport

Where is Melbourne’s Free Tram Zone, and do you need myki for Parkville?

The Free Tram Zone covers designated tram stops in the CBD and Docklands; Parkville campus is outside it. A tram trip entirely inside the zone needs no myki touch-on. A trip beyond it needs a valid fare. Check the official zone map and full route before travelling.

How to read and check utility bills in Melbourne

Before paying, verify the provider, account, full address, billing period, readings and previous payments, then establish which charges are yours. A period after entry does not make every item your responsibility. Query discrepancies with the provider and avoid duplicate payment.

Repairs in a Melbourne rental: contact the PM or the BM?

If something inside your home breaks (hot water, stove, leak, door lock, air conditioner), contact the PM: the property manager, who looks after the rental for the rental provider and is usually an agent. Shared parts of the building, like the lift, entry system and corridor lights, belong to the BM, the building manager. Tell your PM first and copy the BM if you like.

How to report recurring damp around a rental window

For recurring window damp in a Melbourne rental, record the address, exact location, first observation, changes and impact, with room and close-up photos, and ask the rental provider or PM to inspect the cause. Use urgent contacts immediately for safety faults, serious leaks or minimum-standard failures, then confirm in writing.

Transport

How do you get home after late classes?

Ask campus security about an escort or check the campus shuttle, then connect it with public transport and the final walk home.

Moving out

2 articles

Stage · Moving out

Moving out and getting your bond back: cleaning, photos and disputes

When leaving a Victorian rental, establish how the agreement ends and when rent liability stops, then arrange the handover, keys and bond claim. A flight, moving out or returning keys does not automatically end the agreement. Keep cleaning and condition evidence and use the RTBA refund process.

Student accommodation

Stage · Moving out

Leaving student accommodation before the end date

Before leaving student accommodation early, identify the state and legal agreement category, then check exit charges, continuing rent and the date your responsibility ends. Any replacement route needs operator approval and effective documents; moving out, returning keys or finding an interested person alone does not establish release.

Renewing or moving

3 articles

Stage · Renewing or moving

When a housemate leaves: the rental agreement, the bond and replacements

In a Victorian co-rental, moving out does not automatically release a housemate from the agreement. Confirm the written exit or replacement arrangements, then handle the agreement, bond record and private share settlement separately. Obtain the rental provider's written consent before a replacement moves in.

Stage · Renewing or moving

Transferring a rental agreement (lease): how a new renter can take over when you move out early

To leave a Victorian residential rental before the fixed term ends, request a transfer in writing, confirm consent and effective documents, and separately update the RTBA renter record. Finding a replacement or handing over keys does not by itself end your liability.

Stage · Renewing or moving

Renew or move when your Melbourne agreement ends?

Check how your current agreement can end, then compare written terms over the same period, including bills, travel and moving costs.