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For many international students and working holidaymakers, renting in Australia is an entirely different experience from renting in their home countries. You will be asked to pay some upfront fees when you rent in Australia: a deposit and a bond. Where can I find a place to rent in Australia? What is a deposit? What is a bond? How are they different? How to do the bond refund? I’ll answer all questions you have about renting in this article.
Where do I find a place to rent in Australia?
There are a few options for international students when it comes to accommodation.
On-campus Student Accommodation
This is the first choice that comes to mind when talking about international students renting in Australia. However, not every university has its own on-campus accommodations for students, so you’d better contact your university to confirm if it is an option for you!
The renting prices range from $200- $700 per week.
Student Accommodation
There are heaps of student accommodations you can choose from in Australia. They are actually independent companies running these huge businesses in Australia. They are often located in the centre of big cities, very convenient locations. Therefore, student accommodations are one of the most common options for international students renting in Australia.
The renting prices range from $260- $700 per week. The price range is huge depending on what type of room you choose.
Some of the biggest student accommodation operators in Australia:
- UniLodge
- Iglu
- Student One
- Scape
Private Rentals
Private rentals might not be common when international students first come to Australia, but many international students decide to rent a place with friends after staying at student accommodation for a while. There are two sites that people use a lot for renting in Australia.
What is a rental bond?
In most cases, you will be asked to pay a bond when renting in Australia. You need to pay a certain amount upfront as financial security for damage or unpaid rent when you rent a place. The bond is usually equivalent to 2- 4 weeks of your rent.
The landlord or property manager should lodge the bond with the state government in the state you are renting. The bond is refundable. When your lease ends, the landlord or property manager will inform the state government that the lease has ended, and the tenants are able to request a refund for their bond.
What is a rental deposit?
A deposit is a money you pay to secure the place you are interested in renting. Unlike the bond, the deposit is not refundable but usually counts towards your future rent. As for the amount of your deposit, it usually equals to 1- 2 weeks of your rent, but the landlord can request the deposit to up to 4 weeks of your rent.
Remember to ask for a receipt when you pay your deposit, and please make sure that the following information is mentioned in the receipt:
- The tenant’s, landlord’s or property manager’s names
- The amount of the deposit
- The date the landlord or property manager receives your deposit payment
- The address of the place you are renting
What is the difference between a Rental bond and a rental deposit?
The main difference is if it is refundable.
A bond is a refundable security fund that ensures no major damage to the property and that you have paid all the rent during the lease period. On the other hand, the deposit is the money you pay upfront to reserve a property you are interested in renting. It is a non-refundable fund and will be part of your future rent.
How to get a bond refund in Queensland?
The different states will have different institutions that handle the rental bond. The institution that handles bond refunds in Queensland is Residential Tenancies Authority (RTA). After finishing your rental lease in Queensland, you will receive an email from RTA that requires you to update your details, and this is an action required to get your bond refund.
There are two ways to request for a bond refund: online and manually. Most international students will have trouble doing the refund online through QGOV account since it requires a 100-point ID check. I, just like many international students, don’t have sufficient ID documentation to do the ID check, so I chose to do it manually.
Below is a preview of how the bond refund form looks like, it could be downloaded on the RTA’s website. After completing the form, email it to [email protected], or post it to RTA, GPO Box 390, Brisbane QLD 4001.
