Frequently asked questions

Before looking at rentals/student accommodation make sure you do a budget on your income and expenses. Study Australia provide useful information on studying, working and living in Australia. There is also a Living Costs Calculator that can help with your preparations. Apart from the rent, there will be other household expenses, such as electricity, internet, food, phone, clothes, fuel, entertainment etc.

Once you have organised your budget and are sure of your weekly budget, check in with individual real estate agents, www.realestate.com.au, newspaper The NT News (Wednesdays and Saturday editions), CDU StudyStays, Gumtree, and various Facebook rental/lease breaks pages to look at your options for accommodation.

To combat the high costs associated with moving out/renting you may choose to share a house/room with other people. You may want to lease an entire house or unit and advertise for other tenants to fill the other rooms, or you may choose to rent a room/bed in an already established house or unit. 

Before you move into a new place or have other people move into your place have a think about the type of people you would like to live with. For example: Would you like to live with other students? Would you prefer someone who is a local? You will also need to decide how the household costs will be shared, who is responsible for paying the bills, and what the consequences are for not keeping up with the rental payments. Most importantly, make sure your housemates have a regular income so that you wont be put in a situation where you have to make up the difference in rent if they one month can't pay their half.

At the beginning of a tenancy you are usually required to pay a security deposit (bond) equivalent to four weeks of rent, and you will also be required to pay a fortnight's rent in advance. This bond money is held by the landlord as security against damage caused by the tenant, unpaid rent etc.

Contact the Accommodation Officer on accommodation.assistance@cdu.edu.au if you have any other questions!

No - Accommodation Services do not check any properties listed on CDU StudyStays.

CDU Off-Campus Accommodation Officers can provide students with the resources to find and inspect properties independently. We can check your lease, application forms, and provide advice if you experience any tenancy problems. Unfortunately, we can’t find, inspect or submit applications for properties on your behalf, as it is important that you inspect the properties to find the one that is right for you.

It is vital that you inspect, IN PERSON, any property you are considering renting before you move in or sign any agreements. It is up to you to ensure that the property is suitable and is a place where you would be happy to live. CDU StudyStays is offered as a resource to assist students finding accommodation only. Any lease or other housing arrangement entered into are at the discretion of the student and the accommodation provider. Students should advise the CDU Off-Campus Accommodation Officer if they have encountered any issues with accommodation they have found on our database.

Students are welcome to make an appointment (either in-person or over the phone) with the Off-Campus Accommodation Officer to discuss accommodation options. Please contact them on (08)8946 6288 or accommodation.assistance@cdu.edu.au .

Providers sometimes forget to let us know their vacancy has been filled. The property may also have just been rented so providers have not had a chance to tell us or take down the advertisement. If you do come across a property that has been filled, but is still on our site as vacant please let us know!

You should always do as much research as you can about your rights and responsibilities before you sign a lease agreement or related documents.

If you need general, non-urgent advice about renting including your responsibilities, rights and the laws relating to renting and accommodation in Darwin, you can reach out to NT Consumer Affairs and Darwin Community Legal Service 

Queries such as: visitors staying, internet/phone connections, pets and food arrangements will need to be discussed with the landlord and/or other tenants before signing any agreement.

Legal rights and responsibilities for both the tenant and landlord can be found at https://consumeraffairs.nt.gov.au/for-consumers/residential-tenancies

For more information contact the accommodation officer on accommodation.assistance@cdu.edu.au

CDU StudyStays is an information service that helps connect students and staff with accommodation providers and landlords. The contact details of the accommodation provider are only available to staff and students at CDU through their log in. The general public can only view the basic information of the property that you have chosen to display. International students will already have obtained the relevant student visa to study in Australia. Therefore, they have met the vigorous requirements of the Australian Government before being granted acceptance to study in Australia. As an accommodation provider you will be able to advertise directly to the student and staff population at CDU.

Most students and staff seek accommodation that is clean, safe and close to the university campus and/or has good access to public transport. Staff usually have their own vehicle so may choose to live anywhere in and around Darwin. Price can be a big factor for students so cost effective accommodation is generally popular. If renting out a room, you may obtain a higher rental price if you provide a bed, desk and wardrobe. Anti-discrimination laws prevent discrimination on the grounds of race, religion, gender or parental status. Sometimes these laws do not apply to rooms being offered in a share property. However, CDU will not approve any discriminatory advertisements.

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Charles Darwin University is unable to provide advice on the pricing of individual listings. We do recommend that you have a look at similar listings on the off-campus accommodation database and external rental websites. This will help you to assess the features in your accommodation against other comparable properties.

The best way to set your rent is to research the market. The NT News (Wednesday and Saturday’s editions) or the internet provide a good guide for setting the price. How to charge for bills is completely up to the accommodation provider. Some find it easier to include in the price, others like to leave it as a separate cost.

The process is simple and easy.
You’ll first need to register as a provider. Then, just click 'add a listing' and fill out the form.

Before advertisements go ‘live’, they require the approval on the CDU Off-Campus Accommodation Officer. This will be updated in a timely manner. Occasionally a member from our team might need to contact you to clarify your listing.

Each advertisement will remain live on StudyStays for 2 months unless you close the listing when you have found a tenant. You will receive an email prior to the expiry date, so that if the premises have not been leased you have the opportunity to renew the advertisement.

Once you are logged in, bring up your property. You should see a small edit buttom on the right hand side of the heading of your advertisement. By clicking this you will be able to go in and edit any part of your advert.

Locate the listing to be reactivated from your dashboard. Click on the ‘relist’ link. Click on ‘available from’ box and enter date. Select ‘preview’ box and make any changes. Select ‘Ok, submit this listing’. Once approved by the Accommodation Officer you will receive a notification email.

Once you are logged into your dashboard, go to your property, and on the right hand side bar (about halfway down) there is a 'close this listing' button. This will stop your accommodation being listed but retain the information in case you want to re-advertise in the future.

Please read over the Australian Tax Office’s guide on how to treat rental income and expenses, including how to treat many residential rental property assets and items.  

For further information on rights and responsibilities please refer to: https://consumeraffairs.nt.gov.au/for-consumers/residential-tenancies

Or contact the Off-Campus Accommodation Officer at CDU at accommodation.assistance@cdu.edu.au