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Living away from home - Student Equity Unit

On-campus Accommodation

If you can afford it, living on campus is really the way to go for the first year or two at least, because it's a great way to meet people and an easy way to get used to living away from home. Visit the following website for more information on the range of accommodation available across all Australian campuses. Contact Monash Residential Services.

On Campus Student Accommodation at

Looking for off-campus accommodation yourself?

Here are some things you need to know and should take into consideration if you want to live off-campus:

Register with the Monash University Housing Advisory Service before you go anywhere else. Staff there can give you advice on where to start looking and can help you with any individual needs and difficulties. The service advertises all accommodation received by the office, newspapers, or local real estate agents. Website: mrs.monash.edu.au/

The Monash Student Welfare Service may also be able to provide you with some temporary housing assistance if necessary.

There are Housing Officers on five campuses, and the numbers to call are:

  • Clayton (03) 9905 3156
  • Caulfield (03) 9903 2525
  • Peninsula (03) 9783 4555
  • Gippsland (03) 5122 6425 or (03) 9902 6425
  • Berwick (03) 9904 7019.

If you want to go it alone, you can check the newspapers on Saturdays or go directly to a real estate agent in the areas you're interested in. Look in the Yellow Pages telephone book under Real Estate Agents, which lists the names of agents in different areas.

You will have to pay a bond, usually the value of one month's rent. It's worth checking with the Ministry of Housing and Construction on (03) 9669 1100 to see if you're eligible for assistance.

However, if you sign the lease, then you are responsible for paying the bond. So make sure that whoever shares the accommodation with you pays their percentage of the bond money. Check with your real estate agent.

Rent Assistance: Call Centrelink on 13 24 68 to see if you're eligible for Rent Assistance. Look in the White Pages telephone book to see where your nearest Centrelink office is located and talk to the people there.

Read the terms of the lease very carefully and double check if you don't understand anything. Never sign anything you are not sure about.

Have a checklist!

Before you sign a lease, CHECK these things:

  • Make sure that the toilet, taps, stove, heater and shower works (turn on some switches and taps to make sure); that there is hot water; that the windows and doors can be locked properly (security for you and your possessions); that the lights work, and take note of the condition of the carpet, ceilings, walls (ie whether there are any carpet stains, holes in the walls, paint peeling off, etc).
  • Write down anything that's wrong, no matter how small, on a Conditions Report and return it to the agent. This ensures that money can't be taken off your bond for damage that you didn't do.
  • You will have to sign an application form, and, if you are under 18 years of age, the agent might also want a guarantor (usually a parent).
  • Look after the house. You will be responsible for any repairs for damage made by you or others on the property.
  • There are some hidden costs in renting: bond money (as mentioned before); connection fee for the telephone and ongoing rental costs for the same, as well as paying for the phone calls; electricity and lighting; heating and cooling.
  • As well as paying the rent you will need furniture, cooking utensils, fridge, washing machine, etc.
  • Choose flatmates VERY carefully. There have been many occasions where one or two don't pull their weight with either the work or expenses, or their friends help themselves to your food from the fridge and leave you with having to pay extra costs. Once they're in it's hard to get them out if they don't do the right thing.
  • Make some firm rules to start with, otherwise your best friend who moves in may not be your best friend for very long!
  • All costs, eg rent, phone, electricity and gas, etc should be shared between those living in the flat or house.
  • Don't forget to turn off lights when leaving rooms; turn off computers and the TV when you're not using them; get an STD lock on your phone (a must if your name is on the bill), use a phone card at a phone booth then put some money away for yourself so that you'll have enough to pay your share of local calls; only have the heater on when necessary, and don't forget to turn it off at night; don't have long showers.
  • Probably a better option to begin with is to share housing where you can observe the pitfalls, without having all the responsibility.
  • You will be expected to pay part of the total rent per week if you share, plus other expenses, such as telephone rental and calls, electricity, gas and water bills for a start. Check the total cost you will have to pay per week before you say you'll move in.
  • Write down everything you have to pay in bills each week, eg food, chemist, heating (try to put some money away each week to cover the bills) then see how much you've got left - but don't forget to leave some for socialising.

Will I starve?

Food

  • There are limited self-catering facilities in each Hall on Clayton campus. You will need to supply your own cooking utensils as well as crockery and cutlery for on campus units at Berwick Campus. At Gippsland and Peninsula campuses all units have access to fully equipped kitchens, except crockery and cutlery which you will have to supply.
  • If you've never had to cook for yourself before, ask the chief cook at home to give you some recipes and lessons on a few simple, nutritious dishes that you like to eat. Practise at home!
  • Cooking for yourself can be a good alternative to campus food or takeaways, as these can become expensive and very monotonous after a while.
  • If you want to cook for yourself, you'll find that supermarkets and mini food markets still offer "specials" at different times, so look for these before you buy!
  • Make a shopping list of the essentials first, before going to the supermarket, then stick to your budget. Don't forget you have to buy things to clean the house or flat as well and these can be quite costly, so make sure you add on these costs.