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

1The short answer: who decides, and in what order

Welfare arrangements come before renting: first decide who is responsible for your child, then where they live.

Welfare arrangements simply means who is responsible for your child's housing and care while they are in Australia. Home Affairs requires them for every student visa applicant under 18, and they cannot be changed without the education provider's written approval. A place your child finds online by themselves is not one of the recognised arrangements.

Neither Home Affairs nor Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV) says directly whether a minor can sign a rental or accommodation agreement. Ask the school and the operator who signs rather than deciding yourselves. You can also call the Study Melbourne Hub on 1800 056 449 (24 hours).

2Where your child actually lives: three arrangements, who they suit and what they cost

None of the official welfare arrangements is renting a share house or a whole place on their own.

Homestay is a private arrangement outside Victoria's rental law, so bond and condition report rules do not apply. That is a reason to put the weekly cost, the meals, the time to be home and how to leave in writing, not just agree them by word of mouth.

Whether a student building takes students under 18 has to be asked building by building. Start with the school's approved list, then ask whether the building has a gate and sign-in system and whether someone is on duty overnight. Gates and CCTV are facilities, not a promise of safety, and you should get a current written quote and the full agreement before paying.

3How three schools handle it: Melbourne, Monash and RMIT

Every school works differently; other schools have their own forms and lists, so ask each international student team.

University of Melbourne: housing must be arranged before arrival, as a condition of the CAAW and CoE. There are two routes. Your child can live with a parent, guardian or relative, and does not have to join the university's Under 18 International Student Supervision Program. Or they live in university-approved housing and join the program, which costs a one-off A$381 administration fee plus A$88 a week, up to and including the week they turn 18 (2026 page; check the university's page for 2027). The approved list is on the university's website, and the Under 18 team can answer questions.

Monash University: after the offer you complete Monash's Under 18 Welfare and Accommodation form, and both the student and a parent or guardian must sign it. Monash issues the CoE and CAAW once the arrangements are approved. If your child lives with a parent or a relative aged 21 or older, Home Affairs approves it and Monash does not issue a CAAW. Otherwise Monash is the welfare provider and your child lives in approved housing: an on-campus residence or a Monash-approved homestay, where places are limited, so ask early. Without proof of a booking, Monash will not issue a CAAW.

RMIT University: a student under 18 must stay in RMIT-approved housing every night and be back by 10 pm, and anyone who will be late needs approval first. Changing housing also needs RMIT's consent. From 15 March 2026 RMIT no longer endorses outside caregiver services and uses its own Care Program instead.

4Say your child is 17 and starts in February 2027: two ways it can go

The same student, but where the family has relatives decides which route to take.

School-approved housing: the offer arrives in November 2026. The family contacts the school's Under 18 team, picks an approved place such as an on-campus residence or a homestay, books it and gives the school the proof. The school then issues the CoE and CAAW, and the visa application follows. From the day they arrive until they turn 18, their housing and care sit inside that arrangement, and any change needs the school's written approval first.

A relative's home: say an uncle lives in Melbourne, is over 21 and holds a suitable visa. The parents nominate him in writing as guardian and attach Form 157N to the visa application. Home Affairs approves it and the school does not issue a CAAW. What the family pays him for food and board is for the two families to agree. If the uncle has to leave Australia for a while, approved alternative arrangements must be in place first, so your child is never left alone.

A student close to 18: if they turn 18 before arriving (say a birthday in January 2027) they do not need welfare arrangements, but questions 1 to 8 of Form 157N and the parental consent are still required. If they are still a few days short when they arrive, the arrangements must still be in place until the birthday.

5Who can be a guardian, and which documents to prepare

A parent, a person with custody, or a relative aged 21 or older named in writing by a parent.

Relatives who count: grandparents, siblings, aunts and uncles, including step-relatives. Cousins are not on the official list. The relative must be 21 or older, named in writing by a parent or the person with custody, and be an Australian citizen, a permanent resident or hold a visa valid for the student's stay.

Documents: a Form 1229 consent or statutory declaration from each parent or guardian; Form 157N nominating the guardian, signed by a parent or the person with custody; the guardian's passport and proof of their relationship to your child. A guardian who is not a parent also needs a police certificate. Home Affairs sets the details and they change, so follow its page.

A guardian can also apply for the student guardian visa (subclass 590) to stay in Australia with the student. The applicant must be at least 21 and attaches Form 157N as well. Parents thinking of this should read the Home Affairs page first.

6When welfare arrangements start and when they end

They last until your child turns 18, and your child cannot arrive before they start.

When a school approves them, a CAAW covers at least the CoE period plus 7 days at the end, or until the student turns 18 if that comes first. Home Affairs recommends that the provider takes responsibility at least a week before the course starts.

Arriving before the welfare start date breaks a visa condition, and the visa can be cancelled. Check the start date on the CAAW before booking flights, and do not travel early to settle in.

If a guardian has to leave Australia for a while, they need a compelling reason and approved alternative accommodation and welfare first: a new guardian, usually a close relative aged 21 or older, completes Form 157N, and it must be approved before the guardian leaves. Changing housing needs the school's written approval too.

7Email the school and ask these five things

Put your questions in an email, ask the school to answer in writing and keep the reply.

Options and lists: which welfare arrangements does the school offer a student under 18, and which can my child choose? Which housing is approved, what does each cost a week, is there a supervision program fee, and is there a gate and overnight cover?

Timing: for a February 2027 start, by which month must the form be in and the housing booked? When is the CAAW issued, what is the start date, and what is the earliest date my child may arrive?

Changes: who do we contact, and how is it approved, if my child wants to move, a guardian has to leave Australia or something unexpected happens? The school's answers should match what the CAAW says.