Student Accommodation

NMLS provides three range of accommodation options:

* Home stay with an Australian family, with full board or in lodgings

* International Student Residence, with full board or room only

* Renting an apartment or a house

* Home stay

Home stay accommodation is very popular, especially with students who are new to Australia, because it provides you with an opportunity to learn about Australia and Australians. You will be staying with an Australian family who will treat you as part of the family, with the use of living areas and facilities. However, you are expected to fit in with the family's lifestyle, meals and agreed house rules.

Full Board Home stay accommodation includes:
* a single room with bed, desk, cupboard
* laundry facilities
* 3 meals per day, with breakfast and dinner shared with family members, plus a packed lunch when you are attending classes.
Shared Home stay accommodation includes:
* a single room with bed, desk and cupboard
* laundry facilities
* access to the kitchen, where you can do your own cooking
The cost of Full Board Home stay varies from AUS$140 - AUS$200 per week, depending on the city and the host family. The cost of Shared Home stay is AUS$75 - AUS$125 per week. These prices do not include telephone calls and personal toiletries.

* International Student Residence

Australia's educational institutions can arrange accommodation in a range of International Student Residences. Usually these are close to public transport and shopping facilities. The main advantage of staying in an International Student Residence is that you will meet and make friends with people of your own age who are also studying, often in the same institution as you.

Standard accommodation in an International Student Residence includes:
* a single room with a bed, desk and cupboard
* access to a shared television lounge room
* a shared kitchen and dining area
* laundry facilities
* shared bathroom facilities
* access to public telephones
Full Board accommodation includes 3 meals per day in addition to the above.

International Student Residences charge from AUS$110 to AUS$200 for Full Board and from AUS$ 70 to AUS$ 100 for a single room. You will also have to pay a bond equivalent to 2 weeks accommodation, and in some cases one or more special charges such as a deposit for your room keys. These are refunded when you leave.

* Rental Accommodation

Renting an apartment or a house allows you to live with friends or on your own. This type of accommodation gives you independence, but it has the disadvantage that you will have to do all the housework yourself, including buying food and general household items, preparing your meals, keeping the house clean, doing your own laundry, etc etc.

A complication for many students is that you will be required to sign a lease of at least 6 months (and sometimes 12 months) and that you will have to pay a bond of 4 weeks rent, and provide references. Another complication is that rental accommodation in Australia is often "part-furnished", which means that you will have the expense of buying some of your own furniture. Fortunately, there are lots of second-hand furniture shops in Australia, which offer quite good furniture at quite reasonable prices.

The cost of rental accommodation varies greatly from one city to another and it is hard to generalize. Expect to pay anywhere between AUS $85 and AUS$165 per week, depending on the type of accommodation - studio, apartment, shared house - and depending on the standard and the location. Included in the rent is the cost of water usage and repairs, but not electricity and gas. A telephone is not provided, but getting a telephone connected takes just one day in Australia and costs only
AUS $50.

* Which option is best for me?

The answer depends on a number of things, such as your age, your past experience, your goals and the length of your stay in Australia. NMLS staff will discuss the various options with you and make a recommendation in the light of the information you provide. Most international students find that when they first arrive in Australia it is best to stay with a family to start with or to go into a Student Residence. These two options provide a secure, stable and friendly environment for you, which is important when you come to a new country and a different lifestyle. It also gives you time to talk to other students, find out what they are doing about accommodation and decide what you want to do yourself in the longer term.

If you decide to come and study in Melbourne, NMLS will assist in finding accommodation for you, not only for when you first arrive, but also later if you want to change to another type of accommodation. If you prefer to study elsewhere in Australia, the institution where you enrol will have an Accommodation Officer who will arrange appropriate accommodation for you.

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