The rental market in Canberra is competitive. Students and full-time workers from local areas and interstate compete for the same properties, driving prices high. When planning where to live, you may consider living on campus or alternatively living off campus in a share house or your own rental, and there are many resources to help
your search.

On-campus vs off-campus accommodation

Before you start looking for properties, you should decide if you want to live on-campus or off-campus.

If you would prefer to live on-campus, apply early! You should lodge an application with ANU Accommodation as soon as possible, even as early as the semester before your studies start. Applying early may increase your chances of securing a room or help you avoid being put on the waiting list.

If you prefer off-campus accommodation, you should first consider the map below. ANU is located in Acton, west of the city centre, and if you want to live close to ANU/Acton, you may pay higher rent. The suburbs just north of the city centre are popular with students because public transport is more frequent and walking or cycling to ANU is easier. Some students also live in the south, just across the Commonwealth Bridge, but the closer you get to Capital Circle, the more expensive rent will be.

On average, weekly rent for a room in a share house might cost:
Ainslie: $200-$300
Braddon: $180-$450
Campbell: $320-$325
Dickson: $180-$375
Downer: $160-$250
Hackett: $200-$315
Lyneham: $180-$300
O’Connor: $190-$350
Turner: $200-$450
Watson: $220-$395

Note: these are indicative prices only. There are many factors that impact rent prices, such as number of housemates, furnished/unfurnished, private/shared bathroom, age of the house, etc

Off-campus options: Share houses vs your own rental
If you’re unsure about whether you want to live alone or in a shared house, it would be worth weighing up the pros and cons to both.

If you decide to live in a share house, you (the sub-lessor) may rent a room from someone whose name is on the lease, or you may become a tenant listed on the lease. Generally, the rent for shared properties is cheaper than having your own rental, and you may not need furniture or appliances if the person you rent from already owns
these. You may benefit from sharing the utility bills (electricity, gas and the internet) and the household chores may also be shared between you and your housemates.

If you find your own rental property, you will have to sign a lease on your own. The rent and bills might be more expensive and you may have to buy your own furniture and appliances. However, if you are able to afford the rent
and value your independence, a rental property might be more suitable for you than a share house.

Property search sites
There is a plethora of online sources with rental and share house listings.
Here are a few to get you started:

• Flatmates
• Flatmate Finders
• AllHomes
• RealEstate.com.au
• Zango
• ANU Housing Online (great for student listings)
• Student Accommodation ACT
• Gumtree
• Facebook groups: Canberra Share Housing & Rooms for Rent, Queer Housing Canberra

Tips if you’re having trouble finding housing

• Have you expanded your search? Understandably, most students wish to live near the campus but if you can’t find housing nearby, you may have to expand your search to include properties in further-out suburbs.
• Have you looked for short-term housing? If you’re worried about living a little further from campus, look for short-term agreements for properties that are close to campus. There are some rental properties that are available for 3-6 months. You can time your lease to coincide with events, such as graduation and when other students vacate properties, to find the property that you’re after!
• Wait-listed? Be patient! It’s not uncommon for students to get accommodation notices a few weeks before the semester begins. However, it is also a good idea to keep searching while waiting, just in case.