Griffith University

Payments must be made through Griffith’s Convera account by credit card (Visa and MasterCard) or wire transfer.

For more information about how this system works, please visit Paying by Western Union.

#OzTREKKTip: OzTREKK does NOT recommend paying by bank draft or cheque.

If you plan to pay your acceptance deposit via credit card, contact the credit card company and advise them that a large payment will soon be processed in Australia in Australian dollars, as it may be deemed a possible fraud attempt.

These residences are student-specific but privately owned and independently run.

Gold Coast
There are 3 “university village: style accommodation complexes close to the university. These offer 3-bedroom apartments with each bedroom containing a “king” single-sized bed, ensuite, study desk and chair, phone line and internet access. They are all fully furnished and self-contained with rent starting from AUD$245 per week. Linen is not provided; however, you can purchase a “linen pack” for an additional cost. Each complex offers a parking space at an additional cost. Be aware of internet limitations in some these options!

• University Square
• University Village
• Metro On Central

Nexus Place – Gold Coast
These furnished student apartments offer 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, with a common kitchen, lounge, and dining areas. They are situated in the suburb of Ashmore, which is within walking distance to Griffith University.

Sphere Apartments – Gold Coast
Sphere Apartments offer the luxury of living in a lush green oasis right in the heart of Southport, adjacent to Griffith University and the new Gold Coast University Hospital. Choose from a selection of 1-, 2- or 3-bedroom apartments.

Griffith University Residential Colleges – Nathan & Mt Gravatt Campuses, Brisbane
Flat-style college accommodation available for postgrad and undergrad students. Individual rooms are arranged as 8-, 7-, 6- or 4-bedroom fully furnished. College members share bathroom facilities and common rooms. Three meals a day are provided in the college’s dining room.

University Park – Brisbane
Situated within a short walking distance to Griffith University Nathan Campus and 2 bus stops from Mt Gravatt Campus. Apartments are rented by the room. Each furnished apartment has 3 bedrooms, and students share the lounge, dining room, and kitchen. Not a “party place.” University Park claims to be “quiet and clean.” Included is a pool, spa, tennis court, library, video library, and laundromat on site.

Genesis 1 – Mt Gravatt
Located in Upper Mount Gravatt and is on a bus route and near all shops and the busway. All international and Australian students are welcome. The complex offers security + intercom, on-site management, undercover parking, pool, gym, library, and pool table.

UniResort – Upper Mt Gravatt
UniResort is a short walk to the southeast busway, connecting students easily to Mt Gravatt, Nathan, and South Bank campuses. UniResort has 4- or 6-bedroom apartments, with different types of rooms for varying student budgets: classic, deluxe, studio, and superior rooms. Each room has a private bathroom, ensemble bed, air conditioning, built-in wardrobe, study desk, and internet.

UniLodge Shafston at Kangaroo Point – Brisbane
Studio apartments with air conditioning; electricity and water included in rent. Cooking facilities including hot plates, microwave, kettle, and toaster. Free access to City/South Bank via City Hopper Ferry. Bicycle path passes by building.

UniLodge on Margaret – Brisbane
UniLodge on Margaret provides modern and safe student accommodation in Brisbane CBD. The common facilities include a Business Centre, an outdoor pool with spa jets and a BBQ area, a student lounge with free WIFI and Foxtel TV, a dining/group study area, and a large modern communal kitchen. There is also a coin-operated laundry, licensed café, and convenience store on the premises.

UniLodge – South Bank
UniLodge South Bank has private and shared apartments for students to choose from.

Semester in Australia – Gold Coast
Semester in Australia offers furnished apartments in the Gold Coast, with rates starting at AUD$4,500 per trimester (February to mid-June; mid-June to end of October). Approximately 20-minute train ride to Griffith.

If you’d like to live off campus, but still want a student-specific/managed accommodation, check out UniRentals.

Reviews from 2023 Intake

Speech pathology student
Private rental. Southport, Smith Collective. Arranged before arrival. Currently $345 ($330 is just weekly rent); It’s going up to $345 in November so it will increase again by February. It’s a good option if you can afford the rent. It’s pricey and rent is continuously being increased. There is a grocery store, and some restaurants in the Smith Collective. The biggest pro is that it is right by uni and the tram station. I actually stayed in the Uni Village for 2 weeks, and it was not for me. I moved out as soon as I found a girl looking for a roommate at Smith Collective. I would say that unless you don’t mind noise and are willing to take a gamble on how clean your roommates will be; it may not be the best option. Also, Australia has spiders and cockroaches, which personally I’m not a fan of but some of my roommates were okay with. There are other accommodation options but you would need to come here to figure it out as far as I’m aware.

Undergraduate medical student
University Village, $415. Close to university, stay away from the pool side rooms, lots of seniors in the campus, good place to live. Walking distance to the store is more than 20 min. Select what is best for your purpose .. everybody has different opinion about residence. Arranged before arrival.

Undergraduate medical student
Private rental, Southport, $700/week. Less than one week to find.

Medical student
Smith Collective, $390/week. Very close to campus, very close to groceries and tram. It’s hard to get a meeting until you are here, and if Smith isn’t responding digitally, meet with them at their office. Took 2 – 3 weeks to find.

Medical student
Surfers Paradise Boulevard 3355, $600/week shared by my wife and I. Very close to tram. [Live] anywhere along tram. It’s only about 30 minutes and you can easily study on the tram. Touristy but that makes it kind of fun to people watch. Start EARLY, hire someone online through Airtasker to look at units for you. Most need to be seen in person before getting on application list. It’s better to pay a month without living in the place than relying on airbnb for a few days since they’re so expensive. Took 3+ weeks to find.

Dental student
Smith Collective in Southport, $350/week. It is convenient but pricy. It it right next to the supermarket, so I haven’t needed to purchase a car, but the rent has been increasing. Figure it out as soon as possible and negotiate a 9 month lease. Took 2 – 3 weeks to find.

Dental student
Southport, Gold Coast (Smith Collective) $400/week. Arranged before arrival.  It is excellent in terms of being in close proximity to Griffith University (10 minute walk). However, it is quite expensive, and neighbours can be very noisy (ex. loud music) which is annoying. The public transport (bus + tram) is excellent. There is a very good community (smith collective community), with a grocery store, variety of restaurants, barber nearby. Prioritize close proximity to university and staying within budget.

Dental student
Southport, Gold Coast (Smith Collective) $400 per week. Arranged before arrival.  Very clean and close to campus. Near stores such as Woolworths and walking distance to campus. Look for accommodation early!

Dental student
I live in Parkwood, QLD. $300/week. Arranged before arrival. I like how close it is. Get at it early, network with students beforehand and where they live so that you do not end up with subpar housing.

Medical student
Coomera, Gold Coast, $600 / week. I lived at Smith Collective first, which has its pros and cons. Pros: walking distance to grocery store, restaurants, team station, lots of other students live here, and Griffith University is at a walking distance; cons: expensive compared to other places and be careful to do the entry condition report with as much detail as possible because they will try to charge you for everything when you move out, so you want to be safe by covering your grounds right from the beginning. Also, they ask for proof of Australian bank statements even before you arrive in Australia (which is impossible), so the only options you have are: 1) tell them you can pay the entire lease’s rent up front, or 2) if you have a relative in Australia who is willing to be your guarantor, you can add them along and show their bank/financial details to help your application.

The place where I live now in Coomera, I really like – it’s much more affordable and homey. However, commute to school would be hard without a car, so unless you have a car, it might not be ideal to rent here. I like how it’s a quiet neighborhood with families settled here. It’s also a newer area, with new houses.

Also, when commencing your lease, you will be provided with an entry condition report to fill. Please do this with as much detail as possible to prevent Smith Collective (or any other realtor) from keeping your bond/security deposit money at the end of your lease. They will find any and every reason possible to keep your money, if you don’t cover the damage that was already done to the property, prior to the start of your lease. I really mean, include every scratch, every dent, every tiny stain on the carpet, etc.

Psychology student
Private rental, Biggera Waters $500 per week. Took about 2 – 3 weeks to find. I live near Harbourtown, so I would definitely recommend this suburb, as it is close to the Griffith Gold Coast Campus. It’s close to transit, close to shops and markets, and it’s safe. Use the different accommodation sites that OzTREKK and Griffith recommends to find a place (like realestate.com.au, flatmates.com.au, etc.). I would also recommend finding a place somewhere along the G-Link tram line stops, so you’re right next to transit. This next part is entirely personal preference, but if you prefer peace and quiet, don’t look for a place in Surfers Paradise, it can get quite noisy as all of the most popular nightclubs and bars are located there. If you want to be closer to the nightlife, Surfers and Southport are close suburbs to choose from. Otherwise, many students also live at Parkwood or at Helensvale, which are close to tram stops and tend to be quieter.

Undergraduate medical student
Smith Collective, Southport, $300. Has a grocery store and pool. No soccer nets in the park. Do not live at Griffith University Village. Live at Smith Collective. Arranged before arrival.

Medical student
Private rental in Coomera, Gold Coast. $250 per week. Arranged before arrival. It’s a shared townhouse with other Canadian students. If you can’t arrange a shared living arrangement in advance with other Canadians, try to get a short term rental and then seek out other students for a shared space once you arrive. Like: Costco just opened nearby! Quiet neighbourhood. supermarket nearby. Dislike: far from school and requires a car amongst one of the students. Try to find other friends you can get a joint space with. It may be easier to move somewhere close by in the beginning (even if you’re paying more) before seeking a more permanent place that’s more reasonably priced. Make use of Facebook marketplace as much as possible. Stay on the tram line if you can and if you don’t want to get a car.

Speech pathology student
Smith Collective. $315/week. Arranged before arrival.  Extremely accessible to transit. Clean and good amenities. The community complains about cost but everything in the area has increased in rent. I like being close to the campus and close to the tram line. These were key when I did not have a car. The suburb has a clean and safe area but also one you don’t want to go alone to at night. Our building allowed us to rent before arriving by signing a site unseen form. My roommate and I only did so because we heard good reviews from people we knew who lived here. They are well acquainted with the international student process so they knew exactly what instructions to give us. From that we learned you need to have an Australian bank account set up beforehand to sign the lease. I had friends who rented a short-term rental before committing to a lease and it worked out for them as well. It helps if someone is able to come with you for support (e.g. a parent, friend, partner).

Speech pathology student
Private rental in Southport $600/week. 3+ weeks to find. Fairly clean and organized. Owned by private company and charge way too much. There is a train to the beach. Dislike that it’s hard to navigate without a car if you aren’t going to the beach.

Law student
Burleigh Waters, private rental, $400/week. Transit is okay, live near a tram. Rentals are quite high. Roommates are common. I love being close to the beach and surf, but it takes a while to get to the uni. Facebook marketplace has many rentals, local roommates are helpful for making friends and finding things to do. Took less than 1 week to find.

Global public health student
Ashmore $230/week private rental. Took less than 1 week to find. It is a very nice area; however, public transportation is a little concern due to lack of availability of buses after a certain time of the day. The transportation is bit difficult. Always keep checking on social media platforms, rental apps, and university websites.

Pharmacy student
Private rental, Southport $500 per week. Clean, and a 10 minute walk from campus. Close to public transport and a grocery store. I would stay on campus the first year, and then look for a private rental property in 2nd year. Securing a rental unit can be stressful especially since you don’t know the city that well. Took 3+ weeks to find.

Reviews from 2022 Intake

Dental student
Southport. Active and engaged community. Brand new build, stellar amenities. $420 per week.

Dental student
Parkwood – University Village (tonga pl) $240 (per week) including wifi and utilities.  It’s quiet, a nice unit at a low price and there are rarely any issues. However, the building manager is very difficult to reach unless it’s a very urgent issue, and is rarely around.

Speech pathology student
Use flatmates to find a place to live! I got really lucky on flatmates and found some awesome people to live with in a pretty good area in Surfers Paradise/Bundall. $280 per week.

Speech pathology student
Metro on central in Labrador. $240 per week. Poor management and was being rented to non students which made it feel unsafe. Most of those people seem to be gone now. Close to a grocery store which is a saviour and has a nice pool.

Law student
University village, Parkwood for $240 weekly. I got very lucky finding a place like this as it is very hard to find accommodation. I am very happy with where I am, great location, great rental price, and good management + good roommates 🙂

Law student
Portia in Southport. I really like living here – it’s close to the tram, grocery stores, cafes, school, beach and restaurants. $400 per week.

Medical student
Southport (private rental market) at $500 per week. I like living here it is modern and clean also close to china town in the gold coast, along with being close to Griffith. The price is a bit high but it is worth it for the security.

Medical student
Smith Collective in Southport $250 per week. The buildings are pretty modern with good access to shops, tram and uni. The rental prices are increasing dramatically unfortunately and management is increasing our prices by up to $100 per month

Medical student
Smith Collective is the community village in which I live. I’m in building 6. 5 minute walk from campus. Yes. Very close to campus. Very clean and modern. I was able to get a furnished apartment from them so that took away the stress of having to get furniture and appliances. The community has its own grocery store, restaurants, hair dresser, doctors office, dentist, multiple gyms that are free for tenants as well as outdoor pools. There’s a large park in the community with a walking trail. They are also pet friendly here. Every room has a balcony and an underground car parking space. $460/week. My rent is higher because I have a furnished single bedroom apartment. Typically if you’re rooming with someone here in an unfurnished apartment, it’d be more like $250-350/week

Medical student
Sphere in Southport. convenient in terms of walking to school and getting grocery. $270 per week.