Accommodation

In this section:
• where to live
• accommodation on arrival
• recommended hostels
• share or rental accommodation
• furniture and appliances

Students from interstate or overseas will require temporary accommodation when they first arrive, prior to finding longer-term rental accommodation.

Key suburbs close to the International Film School Sydney include Alexandria, Bondi, Coogee, Newtown and Randwick. Sydney Buses website can assist in route-planning. Information is available at: http://www.sydneybuses.info

Where to live

Redfern, Newtown and Surry Hills are probably the most vibrant city quarters; Randwick, Erskinville and Alexandria are quiet yet interesting suburbs; Coogee and Bondi are Sydney's most energetic beach suburbs.

The following maps in PDF format display the location of the school, the four major bus routes that intersect with Rosebery, and the key suburbs served by these routes:

Potential students are advised to get hold of the following books which will give you a strong sense of city life:

• The Rough Guide to Sydney
• The Lonely Planet Guide to Sydney

Good street maps are:

• Gregory's
• UBD
• WhereIs.com.au

Accommodation on arrival

There are several options available to you on arrival in Australia.

Homestay Australia

http://www.homestay-australia.com
Students can choose to stay for a short time in a Homestay, a placement service providing accommodation for overseas students with selected Australian families. All properties are assessed to ensure they are suitable for international students. Prices vary between $165.00 per week (accommodation only) and $225 (Full Board). All students have their own room and placements can be requested in suburbs close to The International Film School Sydney.

Boarding Hostels

Another good short-term option. Students can stay in suburbs close to The International Film School Sydney while they find rental accommodation. Generally, accommodation at hostels will cost between $80-$135 per week.

The following contacts can assist with a search for boarding hostels:

• TNT Magazine (Australia and New Zealand)
  A free magazine published every Monday, with information on travel, accommodation, jobs, and entertainment.
  http://www.tntmagazine.com.au
• Aussie Backpacker
  'Aussie Backpacker National Magazine' and 'Aussie Backpacker Attractions and Accommodation Guide' are published every 60 days.
  http://www.aussiebackpacker.com.au
• Hostelworld.com
  Provides on-line confirmed bookings for hostels and budget accommodation throughout Sydney and Australia, as well as providing comprehensive city guides.
  http://www.hostelworld.com

Recommended Hostels

The following are recommended hostels in suburbs within easy reach of The International Film School Sydney:

Bondi Sands

252 Campbell Parade, Bondi Beach
http://www.bondisands.com
Students can choose to stay for a short time in a Homestay, a placement service providing accommodation for overseas students with selected Australian families. All properties are assessed to ensure they are suitable for international students. Prices vary between $165.00 per week (accommodation only) and $225 (Full Board). All students have their own room and placements can be requested in suburbs close to The International Film School Sydney.

Accommodation costs between $18 and $25 per night.

Tokyo Village

243-247 Cleveland Street, Surry Hills
http://www.tokyovillage.com.au
Tokyo Village is a small quirky hostel with 65 beds. Internet access, laundry, breakfast cereals, tea, coffee and steamed rice are supplied free of charge and it has a swimming pool. Tokyo Village is very close to The International Film School Sydney.

Accommodation costs between $22.50 and $30 per night.

Surfside/Indy's Backpackers

186 Arden Street, Coogee
http://www.surfsidebackpackers.com.au
Surfside Backpackers is on Coogee beach and has a bar & restaurant attached. Facilities include private rooms, shared rooms and dormitory accommodation. The hostel has internet access, car parking is available and they have airport shuttles available to guests.

Accommodation costs between $28 and $37 per night.

Share Or Rental Accommodation

After arriving in Australia and settling into short-term accommodation, the next stage is finding share or rental accommodation.

The International Film School Sydney recommends that students always inspect accommodation, before taking out rental contracts. This is to assess both property and the area, and to ensure of its proximity to The International Film School Sydney.

After selecting a property, students are required to put in an application and in some cases, a holding deposit (which will be forfeited if students change their mind about the property).

Once an application is accepted, students must sign a Residential Tenancy Agreement and provide between 1-2 weeks advance rent and a rental bond (varying between 4-6 weeks rent). Students will be issued with a copy of the Residential Tenancy Agreement and condition report, and it is essential they counter-sign this document. It is also important that students keep receipts for all rental payments in case of any possible disputes.

Generally, a 2 bedroom rented apartment will cost approximately $300-$350 a week (depending on the property’s location and condition). Share accommodation is cheaper, ranging from $65-$120 a week.

The following is a useful website to assist with share accommodation:

The Australian Flatmates Directory

http://www.flatmates.com.au
Has over 60,000 members. Australia's first on-line directory to find flatmates for shared accommodation, with free membership. The service provides residences and seekers of share and rental accommodation with a comprehensive online matching service. It also advertises rental property and vacant rooms for share accommodation.

There are several websites to assist with a search for rental accommodation:

Domain

http://www.domain.com.au
A comprehensive guide to sales, rentals and shared accommodation. It is linked to Australia's leading real estate agents and Fairfax publications.

realestate.com.au

http://www.realestate.com.au
An Australian company providing online property listings and related services.

homehound.com

http://www.homehound.com
homehound.com is a service provided by local real estate agents, providing comprehensive and up to date real sales and rental listings.

Real Estate Agents

The following real estate agents can help students find accommodation:

School Arranged Shared Accommodation

For students who have difficulty arranging accommodation, and who wish to live in and around Rosebery, convenient shared furnished accommodation can be arranged by the school -- but with availability strictly subject to demand.

Furniture And Appliances

Rented accommodation in Sydney is rarely furnished. The following stores and centre will provide rented or retail furniture and household appliances.

Furniture & appliances to rent:

Argyle Rentals

http://www.argyle-rentals.com.au
Argyle Rentals offers a large range of high quality rental appliances at low rental rates to most Sydney suburbs with deliveries 7 days per week – and can do evening deliveries in some suburbs.

Renta Centre

http://www.rentacentre.com.au
Renta Centre supplies rental furniture and appliances, including fridges, washing machines, dryers, televisions, sofas, coffee tables, dining tables and beds. They can provide a range of package deals for students.

Ben’s Rent-a-Centre

http://www.bens.com.au
Offers appliance and furniture hire, and has a good range of used and second hand furniture and appliances for sale. They rent furniture and appliances to most suburbs in Sydney and will also do package deals for students.

Furniture & appliances to buy:

Fantastic Furniture

http://www.fantasticfurniture.com.au
Fantastic Furniture sells furniture packages at reduced prices, with products including sofas, beds, dining tables and chairs. They are open 7 days a week and there are branches at both Moore Park and Stanmore.

Trading Post

http://www.tradingpost.com.au
Trading Post is a newspaper published every Thursday for buying and selling goods, with a wide range of second-hand products and appliances. They also have an on-line search engine.

St Vincent de Paul

Sells clothing, books and other household items. Goods are donated and all profits go to helping disadvantaged people.

Branches are available at: