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

1The answer first: what parents can do remotely

Compare, check and keep records; someone must see the place before you pay.

Say you receive a bank account from an agent with the message that if you do not pay today someone else gets the place, while your child is still on the plane. Do not transfer money: pressure to pay quickly is itself a sign of a scam. Reply that you will pay once you have seen the place and the agreement, then check the 8 warning signs of a rental scam.

2Where to stay first: book a few nights of temporary housing

Book temporary housing before you leave; inspect and sign a longer agreement after arriving.

CAV and Study Melbourne both advise this. Your child has somewhere to sleep after landing, then inspects by day, takes photos, asks questions and signs a longer agreement only when happy, which beats signing from a screen for a place nobody has seen. Student accommodation can be booked before arrival, but get a written quote and the full agreement.

How long and how much: most people book a week or two first. A hostel bed costs roughly a few tens of dollars a night, and a hotel or serviced apartment roughly A$100 to A$300 a night. Some student buildings also offer short stays, and a shorter term usually costs more a week (in Yeeliving's listings, 26 weeks costs about 7% more a week than 52 weeks for the same room). Prices change a lot with the date and season, so go by the price on the day you book, and book early for the February intake, which is busy.

Ask three things when booking: what time you can check in (after an early flight the room may not be ready, so ask about early check-in or luggage storage), whether you can extend by a few nights, and how cancellation works. Keep the booking email, the payment record and the check-in confirmation yourself as well.

3Asking someone to inspect: what to film and what to ask

A helper's report is a guide only; your child should still see the place before paying.

Who goes: your child, once they arrive. Until then, a relative or friend in Melbourne, or a senior student sent by Yeeliving (we arrange the booking, and an adviser explains the fee and timing first). The helper only looks and films. Signing and paying are still your child's decision.

What to film: ask the helper to walk through every room on video, covering door and window locks, hot and cold taps, the heater, each burner on the stove, mould in corners and on ceilings, power points and lights, the electricity and water meters and the smoke alarm. Keep the video and compare it with the condition report after moving in.

What to ask: how much is the bond and can it go straight to the RTBA, who pays for utilities, how long is the lease, when were the last gas and electrical safety checks, is there an application fee, and can the condition report be given before move-in. Ask for the answers by email. The full list is in the inspection checklist.

4Month by month: what parents do at each stage

Start preparing 4 weeks before departure and decide once your child is on the spot.

5A parent as guarantor

A guarantor arrangement is capped at one month's rent, and usually cannot sit beside a bond.

A guarantor is someone other than the renter who agrees to cover the rental provider's losses or damage, and the money is not held by the RTBA. A parent can be a guarantor. You can start by asking for the amount in writing before deciding whether to sign.

It cannot exceed one month's rent unless rent is above A$900 a week. Once a rental provider or agent has asked for a bond, they generally cannot also ask for a guarantor, again unless rent is above A$900 a week, and breaking this can lead to a fine. If both are demanded, do not sign until you have checked whether the A$900 exception applies.

Bond replacement products such as bond insurance are illegal in Victoria. If someone tries to sell you one, do not buy it.

6Paying the bond safely

The bond can go straight to the RTBA without passing through anyone's account.

There are two ways. You can pay the rental provider or agent, who must lodge the bond with the RTBA within 14 days of receiving it (not counting public holidays). Or, since 9 September 2026, you can pay the RTBA directly: tell the rental provider in writing before they start lodging, then pay using the payment link, so the money does not pass through their account.

With a share house paying the RTBA directly, the bond must be paid in full by one person, so agree who pays and how the housemates repay them. The RTBA issues a receipt with a bond number, so keep it, and get a receipt for every rent payment too.

For the process and the common traps, see Bond and the RTBA; for how to check the account before paying, see paying rent and bond for the first time. Do not rely on a changed bank account in the latest email.

7How to judge whether a place is sound, and who to call

Check the minimum standards, the emergency repairs number and the agreement, not the advertising.

Victorian rentals must meet 15 minimum standards, and the rental provider must say so before signing. At the start you must be given an emergency repairs number, keys and the condition report.

Gates and CCTV are facilities, not a promise of safety. If someone says they are from a particular agency, call that agency's public number and ask whether the person works there.

If something goes wrong, call the Study Melbourne Hub on 1800 056 449 (24 hours); the ISEALP legal program for international students is free. Complaining about a rental provider or agent does not affect a student visa (CAV). If you do not understand something, ask first and never sign a blank form.

8Before asking Yeeliving for help, write a one-page brief

Be specific, then ask the adviser to put the scope, the fee and the responsibilities in writing.

Write down five things: the campus and teaching building, the expected move-in date, the lease length you can accept, a weekly rent ceiling and your furniture and bills needs. In the budget, leave room for temporary housing, the bond, moving and monthly costs. If the visa or flights are not settled, say so and do not guess a move-in date to hurry things along.

Ask the adviser to spell out five things: where the shortlisted homes come from and how old the information is; who inspects, what they check and what you receive; who submits the application and who contacts referees; who signs the agreement and who is paid; and the total fee, any extra charges and how cancellation is refunded. A list of things you could ask for is not a promise that the service is provided.

The service fee, the rent and the bond are three different payments with different payees, so confirm each and keep the proof of each. Keep your own passwords, your bank's one-time codes and your RTBA identity checks to yourself, and do not hand them to anyone, advisers included.