Accommodation in Sydney

Homestay accommodation offers a unique living-in-Australia experience. You will stay in the home of an Australian family. Many UEC students tell us that living with an English-speaking host family helped them learn English much faster and they get to experience Australian customs and culture more naturally. Many students stay with a homestay family for so long they become like a second family – for some they develop a relationship that lasts a lifetime!

You’ll be able to choose if you live in a house with children or not, with pets or not, and so on – there is a lot of choice. While Sydney-siders usually live further out of the city than might be common where you are from, we ensure that the homestay is not too far from the college.

Things to know:

• Carefully selected families, all homes are inspected regularly
• A great way to know more about the Australian way of life.
• Speak English in an everyday context.
• Homestay includes 2 meals a day Monday to Friday and 3 meals a day on weekends.
• Airport transfer is available on request
• Transport information and map provided before arrival
• Homestays located near public transport
• Homestay families are located 30-60 minutes from the college. Please note, there are no homestays in the city centre as most Australian families don’t live in the city centre, they live 30 to 90 minutes away by public transport.

For students who are more comfortable living more independently, a purpose build student accommodation option might be the best choice. Here you can live with other international students from around the world studying English, vocational courses, or at university in Sydney. The accommodation options are very modern and have a range of facilities that have been developed and designed specifically for international students.

There are a range of packages to choose from, but UEC only works with high quality providers who have years of excellent service records. Here are a few things about the residences we work with:

• Secure swipe card access to each bedroom and entry door
• Individually air-conditioned bedrooms
• Free, fast wi-fi
• Shared living room with Plasma TV, leather lounges
• Modern bathroom facilities
• Coin-operated laundry
• Full house cleaning 3 times per week.
• Welcome pack and personal induction service to help you settle in quickly
• 24/7 access to management support
• Within 15 minutes’ walk to UEC campus

For students who are more comfortable living more independently and want a longer term, high-quality, purpose-built student accommodation option there are some great choices to consider. These offer the opportunity of living with other international students from around the world who are studying English, vocational courses, or at university.

Below are some accommodation providers which are suitable for students who want long-term student accommodation.  The minimum booking time is usually six months, but 3-month bookings are occasionally possible.

• Unilodge – Offers a variety of apartment styles and sizes approx. 15-20 minutes’ walk from the college
• Urbanest – Shared accommodation for students near major educational institutions
• Iglu – Contemporary shared apartments or private studios. All apartments feature private ensuite bathrooms
• Scape – All-inclusive, fully furnished, safe and secure apartments in multiple locations in Sydney

Serviced apartments are a great choice for families travelling with children or couples on short courses who prefer not to worry about cleaning.

• Meriton Apartments – Meriton offers luxury serviced apartments in the centre of the city
• Waldorf Apartments – Serviced apartments located throughout Sydney and surrounding suburbs
• Adina Apartment – Offers hotel services such as 24-hour reception, room service, fully equipped gyms.

Booking a hotel or a hostel can be a good idea if you will be arriving in Sydney before your homestay or student residence accommodation is available and you need accommodation for a few days or a week.

There are many hotels in Sydney ranging from five-star, luxury hotels to much more affordable hotels in and around the CBD. Using a search and booking app like www.tripadvisor.com or www.wotif.com are good ways to find a hotel to suit your needs.

For hostels, you can get much more affordable options by looking at the websites below.

• Youth Hostel Association Australia (YHA) – There are 5 YHAs in Sydney and many more throughout Australia
• Sydney Harbour YHA – The nearest hostel to the college with amazing views of Sydney Harbour
• Wake Up – Large modern hostel 2 minutes’ walk from Central Station

If you want to be fully independent, then you might be best to find an apartment to rent – alone or with ‘flatmates’. This generally means signing a contract to guarantee that you’ll stay and pay rent for a specific period of time. Please be aware though – it can be hard to find an apartment in Sydney and some owners won’t rent to people on temporary visas such as student visas.

Unless you know someone already living here in Sydney who you can live with, we normally recommend you chose homestay or student residence for your first 4 weeks in Sydney. This helps you to learn about the city and settle in more easily. Then you can move into a shared apartment with other students once you know how things work and what to expect.

You should know that there are a lot of laws in Australia to protect the rights of people renting an apartment or house – you should make sure you know a little about this before you book in and pay any rent or deposit.

Often the students you meet when you start at UEC are the best source of information on available apartments and rooms to rent. These websites can also help you find a rental or shared apartment or house:

• Domain – lists rental and share accommodation across Sydney
• RealEstate.com – lists rental and share accommodation across Sydney
• Flatmates.com – a free online service for finding flatmates or rooms in Australia