Brisbane's best student accommodation:
Where to stay as a student
Looking for your new home-away-from-home while you study in Brisbane? Brisbane is a student-friendly city with various accommodation options, from purpose-built student accommodation to rentals and homestay options.
We've rounded up the top student-specific accommodation providers and the alternatives to help you find accommodation for your stay in Brisbane.
Purpose-built student accommodation
Brisbane has a large range of purpose-built student accommodation in and around the CBD and the university hubs across the city.
Purpose-built student accommodation is exactly what it sounds like – these are rooms set up to satisfy student requirements. Generally the providers offer a mixture of studio, double or shared room options, which vary in size and cost. Budget options include a private bedroom in a shared five-bedroom suite with shared kitchen and living room, while a more expensive option would be a studio apartment with your own kitchenette and living space.
Purpose-built student accommodation provider Scape has all your amenities sorted at its six residences across Toowong, St Lucia, Woolloongabba and South Brisbane. All of its locations are in prime locations with an abundance of cafes, restaurants, shops and other amenities nearby.
Scape has a great mix of shared and private apartment options, multiple social communal spaces including a rooftop area and cinema, 24/7 private gym and plenty of study spaces, and offers students a full events program and support from the 24/7 Scape team on hand. Check out the individual residences for specific details.
One of Brisbane’s premium student accommodation providers, Student One is in the city with three locations on Adelaide Street, Wharf Street and Elizabeth Street. Students will enjoy this inner-city location with access to shops, cafes, food and events at your doorstep. Single or share apartments are available, with the option to be collected at the airport if you pre-organise your accommodation before arriving.
UniLodge is home to more than 1,700 Brisbane students and has lodges across 11 locations, including Brisbane City, South Bank, Kelvin Grove, Kangaroo Point or St Lucia. The digs are modern and sleek, and are super convenient if you need to spend a lot of time at your campus.
Live in a single or shared student apartment and have shops, cafes and restaurants at your doorstep with Iglu Brisbane City or Kelvin Grove residences. The Iglu residences are in prime positions for QUT Gardens Point or Kelvin Grove students.
The communal living space for the Kelvin Grove campus is a beauty, equipped with a pool table, Foxtel, couches and study space – or you can work up a sweat in the free gym after class.
On-campus and university accommodation
Keen to experience that classic, on-campus student life? Each of the major universities in Brisbane host a range of on-campus and university-associated accommodation nearby.
Costs vary but are generally comparable to other student accommodation options.
Check out the individual university websites to get to know the options.
Independent or share accommodation
Keen to get your own place or settle in with other local students? Independent rentals or share accommodation options are plentiful in Brisbane, but there are a few things you’ll need to consider.
To get your own independent rental in Brisbane, whether it’s an apartment or a house, you need to apply through the Residential Tenancy Authority. Usually, you need a rental history in Australia in order to secure a rental, which can be a big barrier for students newly arriving to the city.
The alternative to this is to rent a single room within a large independent rental. Peer-to-peer services such as Flatmates, Facebook marketplace and Gumtree are the places where you can find these.
Domain is a local real estate portal where you can find apartments or rooms to rent independently.
Find independent accommodation across Brisbane using Australia’s biggest real estate portal.
This site’s search function allows you to filter by suburb, price and room specifications (furnished or unfurnished), and provides a simple and easy-to-use platform to connect with potential housemates.
Find a room in a share house on Gumtree, Australia’s buy, swap and sell website. Sharing a house is great if you’re here for a short stay and don’t want the hassle of an official lease. Find out more about sharing a house in Brisbane.
Home stay
If you're keen to experience a real Australian family culture during your study in Brisbane, homestay is a great option. With homestay accommodation, students are usually provided access to a furnished bedroom, meals and facilities such as the laundry and other common areas of the home.
This is generally quite an affordable option for students. Check with individual providers to find out what’s included with your accommodation.
Live like an Aussie and feel right at home with an Australian family through the Australian Homestay Network. You have the option of having your daily meals included or not, and sharing a room or having your own.
ASAP Homestay families provide in-home accommodation for students with a private bedroom with bed, bedding, bed linen and storage, access to bathroom facilities (private or shared), access to a kitchen and full use of facilities, prepared meals where applicable (this is subject to your prearranged package) and a key to the property for personal access.
Study Vision also connects students with homestay options. Students and other guests are usually provided access to a furnished bedroom, meals and facilities such as the laundry and other common areas of the home. Choose between single and twin share options, with or without meals provided.
