3.2 Types of accommodation
Homestay
Most of Lyndale’s international students live in Homestay arrangements. The Department of Education and Training in Victoria stipulate strict requirements to ensure Homestay residences are safe, comfortable places for all our students. Likewise, Homestay families often open their homes to international students in order to share culture and language. For this reasons they are reimbursement for expenses, not paid. The money paid by international students for accommodation is to cover this reimbursement, not to pay for services one might find in a hotel or similar accommodation.
Each Homestay residence will have their own rules around what is expected by students staying with them, but all Homestay residences will have the following rules in place:
- strictly no smoking or consumption of alcohol
- maintain the cleanliness of the areas of your Homestay you use
- be mindful of your water use – showers should take no more than 5 minutes
- respect the property of the residence
- adhere to the curfew the Homestay has set
- if there are any problems with your Homestay residence, talk to the International Student Coordinator
Staying with relatives
Some students and their families prefer that the student stay with a relative who already lives in Australia. If this will be the case for a student, the college asks that you consider the travelling distance to and from the college and the opportunity to engage with English in that home environment.
Rental accommodation
For parents/guardians who will stay with their son or daughter during their stay in Australia, whether this is for the duration of their stay or during the initial stages to help them settle, accommodation in a Homestay residence is not an option – this is for the student only. Thus, rental accommodation will need to be sought. Detailed information around locating and maintaining rental accommodation is detailed in the next section.
For those who intend to stay with their child for the duration of their stay in Australia in rental accommodation, they must be aware that their child will have limited exposure to English in this environment, which may affect their academic progress. Through staying in a Homestay arrangement, the student gains extra exposure to everyday English in communicating with their Homestay family, which ultimately places them in an optimal position to grapple with the advanced English used within college classes.
Where to Look for Accommodation:
The following is a list of websites where you can go to find rental accommodation, check to see if the place you want to rent/share is furnished: