Weknow that many international students preparing to return to Australia right now are desperately searching for a place to live. The rental market can be summed up in one word:

It’s not just Sydney and Melbourne — cities popular with international students — where rentals are scarce and sky-high. Across all of Australia, housing is incredibly hard to find and expensive.

Australian media compiled the median weekly rents for major cities last December:Canberra was the most expensive city in Australia, with a median weekly rent of AU$681.

Second wasSydney— median weekly rentAU$679

Darwin — AU$594 per week

Brisbane — AU$588 per week

Perth — AU$553 per week

Hobart — AU$552 per week

Adelaide — AU$518 per week

Melbourne — AU$507 per week

Not only is rent expensive and supply critically low — for first-time arrivals who have never been to Australia, there’s an extra challenge:Not knowing where to even start looking???

We’ve also put together a list of property-search websites for students arriving in Australia for the first time.

Newstars Regional Rental Information Groups

State/Territory-based groupsdedicated to rental listings

Choose the group matching your study location

Long-press the QR code to add our customer service contact and note: Rental

to apply to join the group!

Our assistant will share third-party rental listings in the group — landlords looking to rent out their properties are also welcome to post!

Friendly Reminder:

When searching for rental listings, every channel has its pros and cons. We urge students toalways verify the legitimacy of any listing before acting — ask questions and do your research. It never hurts to be thorough.

rent

Major Australian property listing websites

Domain / Realestate / Allhomes, etc.

These websites aggregate rental listings from licensed agents across all cities and regions. When you spot a suitable property (they also have apps), contacting the agent directly is usually the fastest route. Applicants will need to provide income, employment, and background information, and the process typically involves submitting an Expression of Interest (EOI), attending an inspection, lodging a formal application, and negotiating lease terms through the agent.

Pros:Higher level of trustworthiness

Cons:Process and documentation requirements can be complex; competition for each listing is fierce, and applicants still overseas and unable to attend in-person inspections are at a significant disadvantage; whole-property rentals only

rent

Agency websites

Building on the major listing platforms, you can also go directly to the agencies themselves.Many agencies have their own websites and maintain their own property databases.

Large national agencies like Ray White and LJ Hooker cover properties across all of Australia, while smaller boutique agencies tend to focus on specific suburbs or regions. Agency websites sometimes list properties that haven’t been uploaded to the major portals. When you’re in touch with an agent,it’s always worth asking whether they have any other listings, or whether they run any off-market property groups.

Pros:Can narrow your search, more direct communication, may reduce some process steps, and many areas have Chinese-speaking agency websites

Cons:Standard process and documentation requirements still apply; competition remains fierce; most listings are whole-property rentals

rent

Fackbook Marketplace

Facebook Marketplace also has a wide range of rental listings.Both room shares and whole-property rentals are available — some posted directly by owners, and others listed by agents who ask owners to cross-post for extra reach. You can search terms likeRent/Room for rent/Apartment for rent/House for rentand so on. One handy tip: use the location filter in the top right to narrow your search —you can search by city, or zoom right in to a specific suburb or a radius of a few kilometres.

When browsing a listing, read the description first — it will usually give you the essential details. For any other questions, contact the person who posted the listing directly (if the property has been handed to an agent, their contact details will be included).

Pros:Wide selection, and you can pinpoint exactly where you want to live

Cons:Time-consuming, and you must be vigilant about verifying listings — scams do exist

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Student accommodation

This category is split intouniversity-managed student residences and purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) provided by third-party operators.

Most Australian universities offer on-campus student accommodation, but supply is limited and can only house a small proportion of students. Costs are typically a little lower than renting a room off-campus, and information and applications can be found through each university’s official website.

Third-party PBSA providers also cater specifically to students. Well-known operators include Iglu and Scape, among others. Prices may be slightly higher than on-campus options, but there is usually a wider choice of locations.

Pros:Close to campus, great location with good transport links, and relatively affordable

Cons:Also highly competitive

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Local community and social media groups

This is probably the first channel international students think of, and the easiest to find — we won’t go into detail here.You are also welcome to join the regional rental information groups that Newstars has set up.

All in all, rental availability is tight right across Australia, and rents are… well, o(╥︟╥)o…

Some tips:

1. Demand is outstripping supply on virtually every platform and channel — it’s firmly a landlord’s market.If you “luckily” stumble across a listing that seems like a steal, that’s actually a reason to be extra cautious — the property may not live up to its description.

2. When enquiring about a property, go beyond the room or property itself and ask: are bills included? How many people currently live there? Who are the other tenants? Are pets allowed?

3. Most properties require a bond upfront. The standard practice is for the bond to equal four weeks’ rent, paid to the relevant state or territory authority for safekeeping — you will receive an official receipt. As soon as you move in, check the condition of the property thoroughly and report any damage to the agent or landlord immediately.

3. If you’re not entirely happy with a property, try negotiating a short-term lease first. Or, if you have the budget and really want to secure a place, offering a slightly higher rent can be a competitive advantage.

Wishing everyone a smooth search — may you all find a great place to call home!

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