Directorate
Advice for Visiting & International Students
The following information is compiled for visiting and international students, with the aim of providing general information relating to housing and accommodation before and after arrival in Perth.
The International Centre also has a range of information and publications for international students |
ARRANGEMENTS BEFORE YOU ARRIVE IN PERTHIf you want to live on campus at one of the local residential colleges, you should organise this before you arrive in Perth. Because the residential colleges are a popular choice, you should submit your application before the end of the preceding academic year; preferably at least 4 to 5 months before you are due to start your studies at UWA. You will find the residential colleges contact details here. If you want to live off campus, you will find it difficult to arrange accommodation before you arrive in Perth. It is therefore essential that you organise temporary accommodation for at least the first week or until you find suitable, more permanent, accommodation. Please visit the Student Services website for details about temporary accommodation. Some of the residential colleges offer short term temporary accommodation over the vacation months, but you should contact them directly to ask about availability. You will need to arrange accommodation in Perth before you leave home. Homestay is a very popular option for overseas students and interstate Australian and country students alike. There are local companies who place international students in local accommodation. They can help with finding off campus accommodation in shared accommodation or as a paying guest in a family home. With a homestay provider you can request a homestay placement before leaving your home city and you will be notified of the family details so you can go straight there from the airport. They can even arrange a pick up from Perth airport to take you there directly on your arrival. You don't have to commit to a long stay, you can book an initial stay of at least 2 weeks with a family and then decide what you want to do in the longer term once you have settled in. The weekly fee for Homestay during 2009 is from $220 per week. But remember, this includes most of your meals so is a very good option for a lot of students. A one off placement fee is also charged. For more information about Homestay, please visit our Homestay web page. |
RENTING ACCOMMODATIONThe cost of renting accommodation in the suburbs surrounding Perth city centre has risen over the recent years. As a guide, the average weekly cost of renting a property is $400. If you share with others, the weekly cost for rent for a full-time student is between $120 and $300. The cost will differ depending on the type of accommodation you choose. Please see the information on our website for more information. There are a number of barriers to securing rental accommodation before you arrive in Perth. Below is a general outline of the steps to finding rental accommodation and some general advice:
References: If you are looking for a rental property on your own, having rental references in English from a previous landlord may increase your chances of being accepted for a place if you apply. Personal references can also be helpful. For international students, if you have no written personal references available, your enrolment details from UWA and bank statements may qualify for a reference. Please check with the agent or Owner of the property. View before you commit: You must always view a rental room or property before you rent it to be sure that it is suitable. It is not a good idea to sign up for anything other than temporary accommodation without viewing it first. A friend who is already in Perth can offer advice about prices, location and can view a property on your behalf, but you need to be in Perth to sign a lease or rental contract. We advise you not to sign a contract before you arrive in Perth. Fees and charges: When applying for a rental property through a real estate agent, you may be asked for one weeks’ rent as a deposit. This is known as a holding or option fee. You will get this back if your application is unsuccessful. You will not get it back if your application is successful and you decide not to take the rental. In you are successful this money will be off-set against the initial charges. You will also usually pay two weeks rent in advance. You can pay this as cash or set up an agreement to pay through your Australian bank account. Neither agents nor property owners can charge you more than four weeks' rent in advance (bond). Only if the owner has lived there 3 months prior can they charge you up to six weeks' bond. When you find somewhere suitable to live and you are accepted as a tenant, you will usually need money to the value of 6 weeks rent in order to sign up and get the keys. This consists of a bond up to the value of 4 weeks rent, which is returnable at the end of the tenancy period, plus two weeks rent in advance. After paying the bond, they cannot charge you more then two week's rent in advance. Rental Contract/Tenancy Agreement: In most cases you will have a Tenancy agreement, but not always. It is however preferrable to get agreements in writing. Often contracts for rooms will be for one semester, 6 months or a year. If not sharing, contracts will almost always be for a minimum of six months. Sometimes landlords may accept one semester contracts, especially if they are near the university, but expect to be offered 6 or 12 month contracts. Property Condition Report: It is a good idea to get a property condition report that outlines the condition of the accommodation when you move in. This will protect you against the cost of damages for which you were not responsible. It is not a legal requirement for landlords to provide you with a copy, but you can submit one regardless. Sample Property Condition Reports are available from the Housing Office. The report must be handed into the agent/owner within 21 days of you moving in. Please ensure that you keep a copy for your records including any pictures you took when you moved in. |
TYPES OF ACCOMMODATIONLiving on Campus/Halls of Residence Living on Campus/Halls of ResidenceThere are five residential colleges situated close to the main UWA campus. All five colleges are situated in pleasant surroundings across the road from The University. St Catherine’s College provides accommodation for female students only. The other four colleges provide accommodation for male and female students. Students have their own bedroom but usually share bathroom facilities. All colleges provide full board accommodation for the academic year and offer a friendly, supportive atmosphere with resident tutors, who are available to assist students with their studies. If you want to live on campus at one of the local residential colleges, you should organise this before you arrive in Perth. Because the residential colleges are a popular choice, you should submit your application before the end of the preceding academic year; preferably at least 4 to 5 months before you are due to start your studies at UWA. You should apply to the college of your first choice. If your application for the college of your first choice is unsuccessful, then that college will forward your application to the college listed as your second preference (and so forth). The approximate cost for college accommodation is $280 per week (based on 2008 rates), plus ingoing charges. Higher rates may apply over the vacation period. Further information is available by visiting contacting the colleges directly. Full Board / HomestayFamilies or individuals may offer this type of accommodation. Full board provides all meals and also covers the cost of electricity, gas and water. Students are usually welcome to join in family activities. The cost ranges between $180 and $290 per week. A bond is usually required. See our information on Homestay for more details. Renting or LeasingSome students rent or lease a flat/unit or house, either on their own or with friends. This involves signing a lease with a Real Estate Agent or the owner of the property, normally for a period of at least six months. Costs vary depending on the location and condition of the property. A one bedroom flat close to the University can cost between $260 and $400 per week. A two bedroom unit would be around $320-$500 per week. The ingoing costs normally include two weeks rent in advance, four weeks rent as bond and connection fees for electricity, gas and telephone. The tenant is also liable to pay usage charges for these utilities. The Department of Commerce (previously DOCEP) provides useful information on renting. Their publication ‘Renting a home in Western Australia’ is available on their website. Share AccommodationThis can be a flat, unit or house, either sharing with other students or the owner of the property. Students usually have their own room, either furnished or unfurnished, with the use of the house/flat facilities. Costs can range between $100 and $250 per week, depending on the size, type and location of the accommodation. Payment of bond money is usually required and it is a good idea to sign an agreement with the accommodation provider before moving into the property. If you are considering looking for share accommodation please read the pamphlet ‘Boarders and lodgers’ produced by the Department of Consumer and Employment Protection, available on their website and from the Housing Office. For more information visit our living off-campus webpage and for more information on shared accommodation, legal issues and prevention of disputes view our page on Sharing Accommodation. |
ISSUES TO CONSIDER BEFORE YOU LOOK FOR ACCOMMODATIONCost: Is the accommodation affordable? The set up costs can be quite expensive as you may have to pay a bond (usually equivalent to 4 weeks rent) and two weeks rent in advance at the time you sign a lease (i.e. total of six weeks rent). In addition you will need to budget for other expenses such as gas, water, electricity, transport, telephone, on-going rent and food. Location: Is it close to the University, shops and transport? Cheaper accommodation may be found further from campus, but transport costs and travel time need to be considered. Public transport timetables are available on campus from the UWA Student Guild Centre. You may also find the “Journey Planner” in the Transperth website very useful to assess the convenience of a particular property. This service can be accessed at: www.transperth.wa.gov.au/ The public transport system in Perth is excellent. There are regular buses to and from the University. You should visit the Transperth website for full details of buses and trains. Public Transport information can also be found on the UWA website. Co-Tenants: Can I live comfortably sharing with other people? Will we get along? Will they respect my need for peace, quiet and privacy? Condition: Has a “Property Condition Report” been completed? Is the property in good order? Is it clean and secure? Are major repairs needed? Does everything work? Is there a smoke alarm? Furniture/Facilities: Is it partly furnished or unfurnished? Will you have to buy furniture? What facilities are available? Does it have a laundry? If you are sharing, what is communal property and what isn’t? |
WHERE TO LOOK FOR OFF-CAMPUS ACCOMMODATIONThe following steps are a guide to where to look to find off campus accommodation: The Housing Office maintains an online database of available off campus accommodation. For instructions on how to register go the Housing Office website which is accessible through the Student Services website. The West Australian newspaper on Saturday and Wednesday has a "To Let section" in the Real Estate section. Or visit their website. The Quokka is an advertising paper published on Thursdays. Or visit their website. Local papers can be an excellent source of information on rental properties. The Post published weekly, covers the areas of Nedlands, Claremont and Subiaco. The Community newspaper The Southern Gazette covers the areas of South Perth and Como. Both papers are free and normally available in cafes and real estate offices etc. Local Real Estate Agents have details of available rental properties. A list of these agents is available on the Housing website. There are some excellent external websites to visit when looking for rental accommodation. Try these out for size: www.reiwa.com, www.realestate.com.au, www.property.com.au and www.domain.com.au The Housing website has links to other accommodation services. You should check noticeboards around the University campus to see if anyone has listed details of a room or property to let. |
Making Contact
Note: Sometimes agents will give you a key to a property for inspection, but will require you to leave a deposit (often $50) at their office. Questions to Ask
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ONCE YOU HAVE FOUND A PLACE THAT IS SUITABLEApplying for TenancyOnly apply for one property at a time! Be very sure you want the property before you leave any money or sign an “Application for Tenancy” form. If you change your mind after filling in the application form, even if you never move in, you won’t get your option fee returned. If you don’t already have an Australian bank account, it is a good idea to open one with a local bank as your rent can be paid directly from your account in most cases. Westpac has a branch on the UWA campus, but you can choose which bank you prefer. Legal IssuesIf you are renting a house, flat or unit, you will be required to sign a LEASE - read it carefully. If you don't understand it, ask for assistance or come and see the Housing Officer. It is expensive to break a lease - so be sure you are happy with the accommodation. Request a Property Condition Report. Make sure it is signed and witnessed. This protects you against any loss of bond money at the end of your tenancy for damage or losses for which you were not responsible. If the owner/agent does not give you a Property Condition Report you may complete one for yourself. Always keep a copy for yourself with a copy to the owner/agent. The bond is usually equivalent to a maximum of four weeks rent. This must be deposited into a joint account (owner/agent and tenant/s) or with the Bond Administrator. You must get a full receipt of the bond money paid. This is a strict legal requirement. You should get your bond back at the end of the tenancy, provided you leave the property in the same state as it was when you moved in. Information sheets and example forms are available on our website. Connection of UtilitiesYou may need to contact SYNERGY (13 1353) to have the electricity account put in your name and ALINTA (13 1358) to have the gas account put in your name. There may be a charge for this. If you want a telephone service, you need to contact TELSTRA (13 2200). If there is already a telephone connection through Telstra in the property, a reconnection fee will be charged. If there is no connection, contact your agent/property owner. You will need to negotiate with the agent or owner how the water account will be paid. You will be required to pay what you use. The owner may pay for it in part especially if there are gardens/lawns to maintain. This should be specified in your lease. Take a reading of the water meter at the beginning and end of the tenancy. Water accounts are sent out every six months to the owner or agent. Remember to keep all receipts for any money that you have paid e.g. bond, rent, connection fees. Also keep all letters, copies of the lease and any written agreement that is relevant as you may need them at a later date. If you are renting a unit or flat, there may be a submeter on the premises. This means that you will be sharing costs of water, gas and electricity with others in the complex. It is a good idea to check what the 'usual' accounts are for the unit from the owner/agent before signing up. Contents InsuranceYou may want to consider insuring your possessions against theft and vandalism. This is known as contents insurance. It is a good idea to get several quotes, although you may find it difficult to insure for amounts under $20,000. The ‘Yellow Pages’ telephone directory lists companies which provide such insurance. Sharing IssuesIf you are moving into share accommodation, it is preferable to have some written agreement with the other tenants regarding issues of daily living and how the household is to function. Important information is contained in the booklet entitled 'Share Housing and the Law' and also in the pamphlet titled 'Sharing Accommodation' available from the Housing Office. |
PERTH SUBURBSSome students find it convenient to live south of the river in suburbs such as South Perth, Como and East Victoria Park. Many students who reside in these areas choose to cycle to campus via the dedicated cycle ways that border the Swan River. There are also good bus services to UWA from many areas. Visit the Department for Planning and Infrastructure website for more information about travelling to University by foot, cycle or public transport. The main campus of UWA is located in the suburb of Crawley. The next closest suburbs to campus are Nedlands, Claremont, Dalkeith, Shenton Park, Subiaco and Daglish, all of which are approx within a 5-kilometre radius of the campus. Other suburbs and distancesThese are some of the suburbs surrounding Perth. Distances to UWA Crawley campus are approximate: |
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With train lines running between Perth and Armadale, Midland, Joondalup, Fremantle and Mandurah, accommodation doesn't have to be on the doorstep of UWA if you live near a train station. Google Maps can be helpful when finding out how far a suburb is from UWA. Whereis.com is also a good site to help you find out how to get from one place to another, but we recommend that you purchase a Perth street directory to help you find your way around. This map of Perth suburbs may help you when looking at where suburbs are in relation to UWA. UWA Crawley campus is highlighted. |
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