Accommodation has always been a major problem for most international students. On-campus housing can sometimes be hard to secure as spaces are limited. Fees will vary depending on which school you attend, and most provide meals and some furniture. If on-campus housing is not available, students are booked into a motel. After that, students initially look for accommodation near the university, but because of accommodation shortage or high cost of accommodation, they are forced to move further into the suburbs.

However, securing accommodation as part of a lease can only be the beginning of other challenges.  Due to high cost in accommodation, there are many cases where students share accommodation with too many people. A lot of students especially from Asian countries end up living together. This is viewed as unfortunate by students who want to integrate into the local community, improve their English language skills and meet Australian people.

Language and cultural barriers, a lack of knowledge about the rental market and how it works plus unfamiliarity with tenancy regulations creates additional difficulties for students. Students also reported a lack of assistance in finding accommodation, with their expectations being that their universities would assist them with finding suitable accommodation. Most simply referred the students to the rental websites or the notice boards with no further assistance.