Short-term and private accommodation

If you'd prefer to live off-campus, there are various short-term/temporary and private accommodation options available.

Short term/temporary accommodation may be suitable if you are looking for somewhere to stay while you are in Adelaide for placement, an intensive topic, or for a week or so while you are looking for long-term accommodation.

Alternatively, you may be looking for accommodation in the private rental market — we advise starting your search early.

It’s important that you find the right accommodation for you – ensuring that you inspect a property, meet your housemates and feel comfortable is important to making sure you have a good experience.

We would also suggest viewing a range of properties to see where you feel most comfortable. 

This means that you may need to find some short-term accommodation, so you can take your time finding the right long-term home for you. 

With Flinders University’s convenient location and so many transport and accommodation options available, living off campus is easy.

Suburbs close to Flinders University, Bedford Park campus and accessible by public transport are Bedford Park, Clovelly Park, Edwardstown, Melrose Park, St Marys, Mitchell Park, Flagstaff Hill, Panorama, Pasadena and Sturt. Some students choose to buy a car, which broadens their options. The beachside suburbs of Brighton and Glenelg are popular. Suburbs between Bedford Park and Victoria Square campus are Mile End, Plympton, Cumberland Park, Goodwood and Camden Park.

Tips and tricks for finding private accommodation

• If you have not already done so, you should register with real estate websites (e.g. www.realestate.com.au, www.domain.com.au).  These have the facility to create a tenant profile, so that your basic information is completed before you want to apply for a property – making the process faster. Whilst most questions are factual, the key section is the personal statement or equivalent. This is your chance to sell yourself and stand out from the other applicants – tell them about your hobbies and interests, in a way that shows you to be responsible.  
  
• Set email alerts for the type of property you are looking for in your areas of choice – this means that you will get to see the latest listings without having to search all the time
• When you see a property that you think is suitable, you should apply for it as soon as possible, making sure you provide ALL the information required. This means that your application will be ready to be assessed by the property manager as soon as you have attended an inspection of the property. If you are unable to attend the inspection yourself, you could ask someone you know in Adelaide to attend on your behalf
• If you have rental references, you should speak to your landlord / property manager and ask their permission to give their details for a reference check
• If you do not have rental references, you should think about who you can ask for a character reference – employers, university professors, people who have known you for some time but are not related to you. Again, it is important to ask their permission to use them for a reference
• The landlord’s main concerns are that prospective tenants are able to pay the rent and look after the property. Any references should address these points
• Landlords will require a bond and two weeks’ rent in advance. In South Australia the bond can be no more than 4 weeks’ rent if the weekly rent is $800.00 or less, or 6 weeks’ rent if the weekly rent is $800.01 or more
• Bear in mind that when you sign a lease (or tenancy agreement), you will be committing to a contract, and if you should leave early (or not move in at all), you will be liable for significant costs
• When you sign a lease, you will be given two copies of an Inspection Report. It is very important that, preferably before you move any of your belongings into the property, you inspect the property yourself and note any issues on the report – these could be things like damage (even small chips and scratches), stains on walls, flooring or fittings, window coverings listed on the report but not there – anything that you think is not recorded accurately on the report. This is important because, at the end of your lease, the property manager will conduct another inspection and compare the condition of the property with what is shown on the report. If you have not noted issues (and returned one copy of the amended report to the property manager) at the beginning of the tenancy, you may have part or all of your bond withheld at the end of it. It is also a good idea to take photographs at this time
• Finally, remember that it is likely to take some time to find a property – in the current market, there are many more people looking for accommodation than there are properties. However, new properties come on to the market every day, and just because your first few applications are not successful doesn’t mean your next one won’t be!