Nightmare rentals

Finally, I'm in Melbourne again, with all my hopes and dreams dashed, well, when it comes to transferring to Melbourne Uni anyway. On hindsight, when I recall friends and acquaintances talking about the culture at Melbourne Uni, I felt much better. I've always been exposed to a somewhat stuffy culture at school, having studied at prestigious schools in my younger days. But I've enjoyed my studies at RMIT tremendously, as most of the lecturers proved to be dedicated, intelligent and great. I've heard otherwise of Melbourne Uni. Suffice to say, the idea of young, complacent and uninterested lecturers put me off. I was prepared to deal with the stuffiness of the students, as I am somewhat of an introvert myself, but I guess, since my mum doesn't want to loan me the fees for an additional half year in Melbourne Uni, I'll have to put it behind.


Actually, I wanted to gush about my new rental apartment in Melbourne. I've been through quite a few nightmare  units when I first arrived here last year. The first was Lestudent8 and the second was Unilodge@Flinders. Both are somewhat expensive and have poor service. I thought Lestudent8 was the better of the two, since the room (although small) was self contained with a bathroom. However, had I settled for the first room they gave me, I would have to content with a dead cockroach in the room + more noise. After I kicked up a fuss, I was transferred to another room on a higher floor, which was cleaner and slightly quieter.

Anyway, I had a few problems with Lestudent8, which was firstly, it was expensive, at approx $280 a week, and far away. Plus, the bathroom (really just a small shower stall) had no lights (I swear!). You have to depend on the room lights to see what you are touching, and this is virtually impossible with the shower curtain closed. They didn't provide any toiletries or amenities of course, and you had to get everything yourself. There was a microwave + fridge provided, but the stove is communal. My biggest grouse was being locked out of my room because I failed to keep my rent two weeks ahead of time. Meaning, if I had rented it for five weeks (which I did), and paid up for three weeks, after the first week, I am bound to make additional payment to keep my rent at least two weeks afloat at all times. This wasn't made known to me when they went over my contract. Worst, they didn't even give me a copy of the contract, and after locking me out of my room, they charged me a late fee of $15 for not fulfilling rent obligations.

The next place I stayed at was Unilodge @ Flinders (see above), which wasn't too bad physically. But conditions were nowhere near pristine. Scratches on walls and doors. Cook top not working, and servicing was only done a few weeks later. Paper thin walls and thumping from the ceiling caused by running children every morning. Everything on the street could be heard inside my room, there was no air conditioning or heater provided in bedrooms (although there was a heater in the living room). No kitchen appliances, cutlery or dustbin provided. The shower stall was in a bathtub and water pressure was erratic. It was $500/wk for a two bedroom unit. But with no privacy (cardboard walls) and no electricity included (bill adds up to $100 a month), I reckon I could do much better. Plus having to share just 1 bathroom with two other people isn't exactly ideal. 

I tried to find another place, and came across O'Connell Residence near Victoria Market, which was small at $900+ and had no kitchen, electricity, or internet. The room was much more cramped than my Unilodge bedroom and frankly I didn't think it was conducive for studying. Then I fell in love with Metro Student Accommodation (see above), which was really far away at Plenty road (an hour by tram), but spacious and seems to include everything except a stove, which was communal. There were a few things I wasn't impressed with, such as the uncomfortable looking study table, and the lack of a microwave (which they stated was included), but it seems like a good deal at $750+ a month. Unfortunately, the agent, an Arthur Koff that I had contacted many times by phone and email, refused to correspond civilly and treated me like an idiot. He kept sending me the same promotional brochures and application forms over and over again (after I have viewed the place with him), despite me telling him I have already filled out an application form and sent it to him. And he kept insisting that I should view the place first (Which I had already!). And he kept telling me month after month, then I was applying too early and should apply next month. So after ding donging with him from December to February, I gave up on him and his impoliteness, lack of civility, general unresponsiveness and unwillingness to help.

My current new place at Holmes (above) includes 7GB Internet on a Lan line, which was a pleasant surprise. Basically it's a bit pricey at $250/wk but I'm loving every single bit of it. It's just right for one person, though I can't wait to share it with someone special. Everything is included (electricity, gas, water), as you can see, and there are little creature comforts thoughtfully provided, such as cooking equipment, pots and pans, cutlery, reverse cycle air conditioning, and there is even a joint agreement thingy with Mcdonalds next door, which opens till 1am. The area is quiet and peaceful, yet little cafes and shops and grocery shops line the street (lygon) down the road. It's not too far from school (approx a 20 min tram ride) and what can I say. The study table is huge. There's a phone provided. A comfortable study chair and two chairs and a dining table for guests is tops. The the bathroom is gorgeous and the water pressure is just right. Heater is fast and in place, and there's even a heater in the bathroom which you can switch on if you get cold after a shower. What more can I ask for? Love love. Lol. 


*not all apartments are the same, but i got the better one.