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.

5 min readChecked 9 Nov 2026

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.

10 min readChecked 9 Nov 2026

Can an international student under 18 rent a place in Melbourne on their own?

Students who will be under 18 in Australia need appropriate welfare and accommodation arrangements before choosing housing. Provider-issued CAAW and nomination of an eligible guardian are different paths. A friend cannot simply substitute. Check contract capacity, university conditions and visa requirements separately.

8 min readChecked 9 Nov 2026

Parents overseas: how to help your child find safe housing, sign the agreement and pay the bond

Parents can compare, verify and keep records remotely. The student or an authorised signatory decides whether to sign. A trusted person can inspect on site while the student is overseas; do not treat a second inspection after arrival as universally mandatory, or treat video alone as verification.

Scams and inspections

4 min readChecked 9 Nov 2026

School bank details changed? Check before paying

If a university notice changes payment details, pause and independently contact student services or finance through the university website to verify your instructions. If payment has been sent, the actual payer should contact their bank immediately and ask the university to check its records.

View all 9 articles

Finding a place

10 articles

Share housing

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.

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.

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.

Schools and neighbourhoodsSydney

Where should you live near the University of Sydney?

For USYD Camperdown/Darlington, compare actual addresses in Newtown, Camperdown, Glebe and Redfern. Check the teaching building and entrance, full travel, bedroom conditions and matching quotes. A postcode median is not a personal room price.

Schools and neighbourhoodsSydney

Where should you live near UNSW Kensington?

Compare Kensington, Kingsford, Randwick and Zetland using whole-flat rents, your teaching building and the full light rail or bus trip.

Transport

How do you compare rent with a longer commute?

Compare both homes over the same week using rent, transport costs, travel time and the routes you would use after dark and for shopping.

View all 10 articles

Inspections

2 articles

Scams and inspections

Stage · Inspections

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.

Living costsSydney

Stage · Inspections

E-bikes in Sydney apartments: storage and charging

Check written building arrangements and safe locations separately for e-bike storage and charging in a Sydney apartment. NSW guidance recommends charging large batteries away from living areas and exits, while awake and present. If no suitable arrangement exists, include that in your housing decision.

Signing

5 articles

Are bills included in student accommodation?

Check each included bill and the agreement for your room. Compare usage limits, extra charges and the full cost over the same rental period.

Can you sign an Australian rental agreement from overseas?

Arrange an inspection, the complete agreement and state-specific signing and bond steps before committing from overseas.

Bond and rights

Asked for months of rent or your original passport?

Keep your original passport and offer in-person verification or a necessary secure copy. Pause and ask for the basis before ongoing retention. Check rent in advance by state, weekly rent and payment frequency; it is separate from the bond, with no universal amount for every arrangement.

Bond and rightsSydney

Paying and checking your rental bond in Sydney

Pay through Rental Bonds Online or an authorised collection route, then track the official receipt and bond number after payment.

Living costsSydney

8 min readChecked 9 Nov 2026

Must NSW renters use a particular rent-payment app in 2026?

NSW residential renters cannot be required to use a particular payment app. Approved bank payments must be offered without provider-imposed fees. Centrepay has also been an option since 2 Mar 2026 for eligible recipients; normal fees charged by your own bank may remain.

Moving in

5 articles

Living costs

5 min readChecked 9 Nov 2026

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.

Collecting rental keys: documents, timing and authority

Prepare ID, your signed agreement, appointment and payment records. Confirm collection details and any late arrival or authorised collection.

Living costs

8 min readChecked 9 Nov 2026

Why does my apartment use an embedded energy network?

A building energy company may bill you because the apartment is in an embedded network that on-sells energy. Identify the seller, meter and tariffs first. Before switching retailers, confirm the connection and who bills network costs. NSW and Victorian rules differ.

Living costs

Apartment parcels: Safe Drop or Parcel Locker?

An apartment lobby may not be a safe parcel location. Ask how the building handles deliveries, then compare Australia Post Parcel Locker and Parcel Collect if home delivery is unsuitable. Safe Drop still depends on the parcel, permissions and conditions on site.

Living costsSydney

Sydney apartment fire alarms: what should renters do?

Respond immediately to a fire alert in a Sydney high-rise and follow the building evacuation plan and fire service instructions. Do not use lifts in a fire. Learn the fire stairs, outdoor exit and meeting place at move-in. If you cannot leave safely, call 000 and follow emergency advice.

Stage · Living in Melbourne

Living in Melbourne

2 articles

TransportSydney

How do you travel from UNSW to the Sydney CBD?

Use L2 from upper campus or L3 from lower campus towards Circular Quay, then choose the city stop for your actual teaching address.

Stage · Living in Melbourne

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

1 article

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.