Made for awaring international students to protect from deceptive landlord
International students are disproportionately targeted
New migrants and international students are three times more likely to fall for housing scams due to unfamiliarity with local laws, urgency, and language barriers (Consumer Affairs Victoria, 2020)
1 in 4 renters don’t get their full bond back
A significant number of students lose part or all of their bond unfairly because they don’t complete condition reports, or landlords refuse to lodge bonds properly (DMIRS, n.d.).
AUD $544,846 lost to rental scams in 2022
Australians reported over $540,000 in losses to rental scams in 2022 alone and these are just the reported cases (Scamwatch, 2023).

About this page

Moving to a new country for your studies is an exciting and life-changing experience – especially when it comes to securing safe and trustworthy housing conditions. For international students, going around the rental market in an unfamiliar environment poses unique challenges. These landlords may take advantage of our inexperience by including misleading terms in leases, charging illegal fees, refusing to return deposits, or even threatening eviction without legal grounds. This website is a small attempt to made them mindful about the common scams that happens and make them aware on how to deal them. 

What expert says

The combination of housing inexperience, language barriers, and financial vulnerability places students at a higher risk of being deceived. (Morris et al.,2019)

As Nygaard and Parkinson (2015) observe, “international students are frequently subjected to substandard housing conditions and exploitative landlord practices due to their lack of familiarity with tenancy rights in Australia” (p. 705). 

Common deceptions of landlord

Stories of deception

Get informed now!

1 / 3

Should you visit a property in person (or ask for a live virtual tour) before agreeing to rent, even if the pictures online look convincing?

2 / 3

Should you sign a rental contract even if you haven’t seen the full document or don’t know the rules about breaking the lease?

3 / 3

Is it okay to pay rent in cash without getting a receipt if the landlord says it’s more convenient?

Your score is

The average score is 53%

0%

Recommendation for International students

Before you arrive

Know more

When you are here

Know more

What to do

Know more

Support

1. Crisis Care WA: https://www.wa.gov.au/

2. WA Police – Report Fraud: https://www.police.wa.gov.au/report/fraud 

 

1. Accommodation: known your rights: https://www.studyaustralia.gov.au/en/tools-and-resources/tips-and-advice-for-students/accommodation-know-your-rights

2. Renting a home – consumer protection: https://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/consumer-protection/renting-home 


1. UWA Accommodation for students and staff: https://www.uwa.edu.au/study/student-life/accommodation

2. Emergency accommodation and support: https://www.uwa.edu.au/study/student-life/accommodation/contact-us/help

 

Reference

  1. Nygaard, C. A., & Parkinson, S. (2015). Rental discrimination and housing stress: The experience of international students in the Australian private rental sector. Housing Studies, 30(5), 694–710. https://doi.org/10.1080/02673037.2014.983524
  2. Morris, A., Hastings, C., Wilson, S., Mitchell, E., & Ramia, G. (2019). The experience of international students before and after the COVID-19 pandemic: Housing, work, and social protection. Journal of Sociology, 55(1), 83–100. https://doi.org/10.1177/1440783318805422
  1. Scamwatch (ACCC). (2023).
    Rental scams. https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/types-of-scams/buying-or-selling/rental-scams
  2. Consumer Affairs Victoria. (2020). Rental scams targeting migrants and international students. https://www.consumer.vic.gov.au/housing/renting/problems-with-renting/rental-scams.
  3. Tenancy WA. (2021). Renter’s rights and survey findings.
    https://www.tenancywa.org.au
  4. Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS). (n.d.). Bond administration: Renting in Western Australia. https://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/consumer-protection/bond-administration

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