Useful links
Student accommodation
A variety of high standard student accommodation is available to suit your budget and needs.
If you are a secondary school student, you must live in a homestay with an Australian family or in the school’s boarding facilities. If you are 18-years-of-age or older, you can choose to live on-campus, in a homestay or in a shared rental house/apartment with other students or friends.
Your Western Australian educational institution will provide you with help in finding accommodation and understanding contracts such as leases and tenancy agreements.
Student noticeboards and newspapers often advertise rooms, apartments and houses for rent. Some institutions also post accommodation vacancies on their website.
Homestay
Homestay is where you live with an Australian family for all or part of your study period. It is a great opportunity for you to learn conversational English, and experience first-hand the friendly Western Australian lifestyle and culture.
Single or shared rooms are available. Meals are usually included, but cheaper self-catering homestay is available. As you will be living in someone else’s home, you will be expected to clean up after yourself, especially in shared areas.
Boarding schools
Many private secondary schools provide accommodation, meals and laundry services for international students. Tuition fees are in addition to the boarding fees. You will live in a dormitory with other students of the same sex and will be supervised by adults.
On-campus accommodation
Western Australia’s five universities and some vocational institutions offer full-time students a variety of accommodation such as apartments, residential colleges or halls of residence.
Halls of residence are located on or near the campus grounds. They usually consist of up to six rooms per unit with a communal living room and kitchen. Your board will include some cleaning services, with some residences also providing meals.
Residential colleges are slightly more expensive and provide accommodation with meals. They may also have sporting and social facilities, tutoring, libraries and computer facilities.
Links to our university on-campus accommodation:
- Curtin University
- Edith Cowan University
- Murdoch University
- The University of Notre Dame Australia
- The University of Western Australia
Rent a house or apartment
If you want to be independent, you can rent a property and share living expenses with other students or friends. Rental properties are advertised on the Real Estate Institute of Western Australia (REIWA) website and in Perth’s local newspapers.
As most properties are unfurnished, you will need to purchase electrical items, furniture, bedding and kitchen utensils. You will also need to pay four weeks rent upfront (known as bond) as well as cover costs for connecting the electricity, gas and telephone land line.
If you cannot afford the upfront costs of renting a property, you may want to consider renting a room. Students and families often rent furnished spare rooms within their established homes.
Youth hostels
Hostels are either privately-owned or run by organisations such as Youth Hostels Australia (YHA) and the YMCA. Single and shared rooms are available, with communal kitchen and bathroom facilities. Search for privately-owned youth hostels in Perth.
Women-only or men-only accommodation
In boarding schools and university halls of residence you will only share rooms with people of the same sex. With all other types of accommodation, you will need to specify if you prefer to share with either men-only or women-only.
