Accommodation in Melbourne

AIE Melbourne does not offer on-campus accommodation; however there is accommodation available in nearby suburbs and a fantastic public transport network to get you to and from the campus and a variety of accommodation options available.

Share housing
Student accommodation can vary in expense and quality depending on what your individual needs are and your financial constraints. Most students choose to share a 2 or 3 bedroom apartment or house with others which allows students to share the basic costs of rent and services, making the living-out-of-home experience more affordable. Initially it may be easier to find a room in existing shared accommodation rather than renting a place and finding people to move in with you. Make sure you educate yourself about tenancy issues with the Tenants union of Victoria, www.tuv.org.au.

Please be aware that in share accommodation each individual pays for the room and a share of all utilities including gas, water, electricity and phone, buy their own food and do their own cooking. Also most rental properties are rented with no furniture. Prices for share housing range from $130 - $250 per week plus utilities with accommodation closer to the city generally being more expensive that that located in the suburbs. The approximate cost to set up your accommodation including rent, bond and service connection fees would be $1500 – $2500.

Single bedroom apartments
CBD and apartments near the inner city generally cost more than $300 per week, while a similar apartment in the suburbs surrounding Melbourne is about $180+ per week.  The vacancy rate for rental properties in Melbourne is currently quite low so there is generally quite a few applicants for each rental property available.
Single bedroom apartments usually require you to go though an agency where you may need personal references and proof of stable income to acquire the apartment.   You would also be required to sign a lease for a set amount of time and lodge a bond which is usually equivalent to 4 weeks rent.
Students can search for rental properties and shared accomodation online at websites such as:

• Domain www.domain.com.au
• Realestate.com.au www.realestate.com.au
• Real Estate View www.realestateview.com.au

One popular website for flat share accommodation is www.gumtree.com.au .  On this website people post new ads on average every 20 minutes. This website operated on a first come, first served basis.

Backpackers/Youth Hostels (for temporary accommodation)
The average price range for backpacker accommodation is around $20 - $40 per night depending upon location and facilities available.  For further information on this type of accommodation visit http://www.hostels.com/en/