Semester on the Gold Coast Housing

Here are some general rules, tips, and expectations to help you become accustomed to your new home!

Please note that although CISabroad makes every effort to provide your preferred form of housing, we cannot guarantee that all personal preferences are met. We have carefully selected safe and adequate housing for each student and each living arrangement is distinct and special in its own way.

On-Campus

Amenities:

• Twin (shared) or single room that includes a bed, desk, chair, lights, phone, and bookshelves, with bed linens and blankets provided
• Shared bathrooms with fellow students on the hall
• Access to free laundry facilities
• A meal plan with ten meals per week is included for students living on the campus
• Students will need to bring/purchase their own towels and hangers

Your room will include wardrobe, chest of drawers, bookshelves, and bedside table, desk, chair, lights, and phone, with bed linens and blankets provided. You will receive a duvet, duvet cover, pillow, pillowcase, mattress protector, but students will be responsible for purchasing or providing their own towels and clothes hangers. You will share bathrooms with fellow students on the hall and will have access to internet and coin operated laundry facilities. Students will learn their roommate upon arrival on the Gold Coast.

Please note: Lots of activities are held on campus, such as Res Wars, an inter-campus battle of sporting activities. This is held every semester for 8 weeks for all on-campus residents.

Off Campus

Students who were assigned to live off campus will stay in the Varsity Shores townhouses, The Cape apartments or The Reserve apartments will have their own rooms inside the townhouse and live with other international or Australian students. All off campus housing is less than half a mile from campus, with a bus stop out front. Walking or taking the bus to campus is possible. 

Varsity Shores:

Amenities:

• Budget single-room studio apartments, fully furnished and come with cutlery, crockery, cookware, and air conditioning in central living area
• Shared living room with other international students (potentially co-ed)
• Coin-operated laundry facilities
• A few minutes walking distance from campus
• This is a self-catering option, meal plan not included

The townhouses are fully furnished and come with cutlery, crockery, cookware, telephone and internet, as well as a bed, desk, and other basic furniture. Bedding is included, but students are responsible for purchasing or providing their own towels and clothes hangers. 

The Reserve:

Amenities:

• Single-room in shared apartments are fully furnished and come with cutlery, crockery, cookware, and air conditioning
• Shared living room CISabroad students or with other international students (potentially co-ed)
• Outdoor luxury pool with sand floor
• Exclusive work out facility
• Coin-operated laundry facilities and a pool on site
• Central AC in shared living room
• A few minutes walking distance from campus
• This is a self-catering option, meal plan not included

The Reserve is also located very close to campus. The apartments in the Reserve can hold 2, 3, or 4 people and include a kitchen, living room area, and bed linens. The apartments are also fully furnished and come with cooking and eating utensils. A towel, as well as clothes hangers, are the responsibility of the student.

The Cape:

Amenities:

• Single-room in shared apartments, fully furnished with air conditioning
• Full kitchen space with cutlery, crockery, cookware
• Large open plan living areas
• Laundry facilities
• Expansive covered balconies
• Most with outstanding waterfront views over Lake Orr
• Air Conditioning in living room
• Shared living room with other international students
• A few minutes walking distance from campus
• This is a self-catering option, meal plan not included

The Cape is also located very close to campus. The apartments in the Reserve can hold 2 or 3 people and include a kitchen, living room area, and bed linens. The apartments are also fully furnished and come with cooking and eating utensils. A towel, as well as clothes hangers, are the responsibility of the student.

Utilities and use:

• Utilities are included.
• There are water restrictions throughout Australia, and short showers are expected. 
• Students will need to be aware that internet is on a limited amount, so they should be aware of their downloads. If they go over the amount of data, students will have slow internet.The cap is quite high, but not enough to sustain constant downloading or streaming. 
• Heating and air conditioning should be used sparingly. NEVER leave heating or air conditioning units while you are not home. If you must have them on when you are sleeping, keep them low.
• Always turn off the lights when you leave the apartment and when you are not in the room.

Safety:

• You should lock the apartment/house/dorm door at all times. Also, when leaving, make sure the windows are closed and locked. Neither the study abroad company nor the housing company will be responsible for any stolen items.
• If the keys are left inside the apartment/bedroom and the locksmith has to open the door for you, you will have to pay for this service.
• It is strictly forbidden to throw any object or substance from windows, balconies, terraces or roofs. This includes keys, cigarette butts or anything else big or small.

Guests and Alcohol Policies:

• Disrespectful behavior related to alcohol consumption will end in dismissal from the housing and you will have to find your own housing at your own expense.
• Smoking is not allowed anywhere inside the apartment.
• The consumption of drugs, as well as keeping or dealing them, is absolutely prohibited.

Financial Liability:

• You will have to pay for any damage done to the accommodation (doors, walls, floors, furniture, kitchen supplies, washing machine, etc.).
• If extra time is needed to clean the apartment, or if items are damaged or missing, you will be charged and those charges will be deducted from your housing deposit. Housing deposits will be returned 8-12 weeks after the program has ended.

Helpful tips for living with other people:

• Respect your hosts and the other people who live in the building.
• Remember that you are not on a college campus and not in your own home. Respect the property and get out of the “college campus” mentality.
• Talk to your roommates if they do something that bothers you. Talking it through is the easiest way to solve a small problem before it gets bigger.
• Talk to the staff if a problem arises and you cannot work it out with your roommates.

Warning process:

• If any of the above rules are broken, you will first receive a verbal warning. The second warning is written and will also be sent to your home school.
• The third infraction of any of the above rules will result in you being evicted from your apartment. You will need to find a new place to live at your own expense. For a major breach of the above rules, such as taking or storing drugs, could result in eviction without prior warning. CISabroad and the housing providers maintain the right to skip any of the warnings if the situation warrants. 
• Please read through all of our behavior policies noted in the CISabroad Policy Handbook, linked inside of the attachment to your acceptance email.