Here is a collection of our most asked accommodation questions received from students, agents and parents.

Frequently Asked Questions

A bond is an amount of money you pay at the start of a lease in addition to your rent. Most rental lease agreements you enter into will require you to leave a bond.
It's a one-off payment and is usually equivalent to four weeks of rent.

You pay this amount to your landlord, but it is held by the NSW Department of Fair Trading.

You must pay the bond as a guarantee to the landlord against any damage you may cause to their property, or in case you miss any rent payments.

If you don't cause any damage to the property and you've paid all your rent on time, you will get your bond money back.

If disputes arise over getting your bond refunded, you can speak to the UTS Legal Service. This is a free service open to UTS and College students.

This will depend on you! What do you enjoy doing? What environments do you like? What is your budget?

If you want to live close to the campus, and you love a buzzing city environment, be prepared to spend more on your rent. If you prefer a slower pace, there are plenty of quiet suburbs in Sydney where you might feel more comfortable. If you enjoy outdoor activities, a room in a beach-side apartment might be the best option for you.

Sydney is a safe city, but it's important to live in a suburb where you feel safe. Choose a room or flat to live in that's easy to reach by public transport. Then, you won’t have to walk long distances or through dark streets to get home in the evenings. 

It's a good idea to do some research before deciding which suburb you want to live in.

You can explore Sydney suburbs online via realestate.com.au or Domain.

  • Most lease agreements will have a minimum notice period, which you must meet.
  • Homestay requires a minimum two weeks’ notice of departure. 
  • For private rentals, you need to check the terms of your lease. This will tell you how much notice you need to give your landlord or agent that you're moving out. 
  • Some lease agreements will require you to find substitute tenants before you can end your lease and move out.
  • In any case, you need to know what's in your lease agreement. If you have any doubts or would like your lease agreement reviewed before you sign it, you can take it to the UTS Student Legal Service. As a UTS College student, you have access to UTS services, including the Student Legal Service. The legal professionals in this office will be happy to review, clarify and advise you on your rental agreement.
  • Make sure you're moving into new accommodation that's safe and comfortable for you.
  • You should leave your previous accommodation in the same condition that you leased it in. Then, you can receive a full refund of your bond money. You need to make sure that you've paid all your rent and returned any sets of keys issued to you. Do not keep copies of keys.
  • You'll need to change your address with UTS College within 7 days of moving. You can log on to e-student to update your personal details.
  • You should also change your address with all other organisations you're registered with, for example, your bank, employer, doctor or health insurance provider. Then, they can send your mail to the correct address.

Under the terms of the Confirmation of Appropriate Accommodation and Welfare (CAAW), international students under 18 are required to reside at the address of their approved accommodation at all times and may not stay overnight at any other address without prior approval from UTS College.

Students will only be allowed to be absent from their approved accommodation for a short stay if they are staying with their parents/legal guardians (for example when parents/legal guardians are in Australia for a visit). Please complete a short stay form to apply. 

Under the terms of the Confirmation of Appropriate Accommodation and Welfare (CAAW), international students under 18 are required to reside at the address of their approved accommodation at all times and may not stay overnight at any other address without prior approval from UTS.

Please complete a holiday application form when requesting to travel back to home country during a recognised holiday period. Overseas travel to a different destination is not allowed unless the student travels with their parents
 
All international students under 18 years of age are required to use a UTS College approved transport service when arriving in Sydney for the first time, as part of the Under 18s policy, unless they are accompanied by their parents.

Please complete Request to Waive UTS College Approved Transport when requesting to waive the UTS College approved transport service from the airport. This application is subject to approval by the UTS College Student Success Team.