About Brisbane
Brisbane is the heart of Queensland's sunshine state - welcoming, affordable, and ranked among the world's top student cities. With year-round sunshine, 50c public transport, and easy access to beaches, festivals, and cultural hotspots, it's the perfect place to live, study, and explore during your semester abroad.
Accommodation
QUT accommodation services
If you'd like the flexibility of sharing a house, renting your own apartment, or living with friends, our dedicated accommodation services team can guide you. They'll provide everything you need to know about moving to Brisbane and settling into life in Australia.
Semester in Australia (SiA)
Specifically designed for study abroad students, SiA has more than 25 years experience helping international students make the most of their semester in Australia. With fully furnished housing (utilities, bills, and internet included), you'll have a ready-made community of peers. You'll be introduced to your housemates before arrival and supported by an on-site resident director who will connect you with QUT, Brisbane, and student activities.
Places to live
Student complexes
Student complexes are apartment buildings designed for students, usually centrally located within walking distance from campuses, supermarkets and restaurants.
They offer facilities including a bed, a desk and some storage, and have private or shared spaces like a bathroom, kitchen and laundry. The size of your room and whether you share with other students will depend on your budget and the accommodation provider. Student complexes may also have facilities like a gym, a swimming pool and shared recreational spaces.
Check out the following student complexes close to QUT Gardens Point or Kelvin Grove campuses:
Rental accommodation
Rental accommodation is an affordable and flexible option for students who are confident organising their tenancy more independently. You can rent a room in a shared student home, rent a whole house or apartment with people you know, or rent a house or apartment on your own.
Before you apply, make sure you check:
- if it is furnished or unfurnished
- if utility bills (like water, gas and electricity) are included in rent or paid separately
- if you trust the people (housemates) you are signing a rental agreement with
- that the lessor is a trustworthy site or agency.
Visit QUT Accommodation Services or the Queensland Government Residential Tenancies Authority (RTA) for tips on how to protect your rights while renting.
The following sites offer student-specific housing, where you can rent a room in a shared student house that is managed by a trusted student accommodation provider.
The following sites list rental properties advertised by real estate agencies, private property owners and other organisations.
Discover student complexes
Explore Queensland
Brisbane is a gateway to Queensland, a state of stunning and diverse natural beauty.
We have hundreds of kilometres of beaches, tropical rainforests, islands, beautiful national parks and the Great Barrier Reef. Just an hour south of Brisbane is the famous Gold Coast with amazing beaches, amusement parks, and shopping. Just 1.5 hours north of Brisbane are the beautiful, quiet beaches of the Sunshine Coast.
There are endless things to explore in Queensland. You can use public transport to get to most beaches and attractions on the coast.
QUT has partnered with a range of local attractions to offer exclusive discounts to study abroad and exchange students - including Riverlife, Story Bridge Adventure Climb, Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, and the Brisbane Bullets basketball team - all to help you make the most of your time here in Brisbane.
Joining a QUT student club is also a fantastic way to broaden your experience of Queensland and meet like-minded people to go exploring with.
Brisbane is within easy travel distance of Australia's other major cities and attractions, as well as only being a short flight from international travel destinations like New Zealand, Bali, and South-East Asia.
Need more information?
If you have questions about studying in Brisbane, get in touch with the study abroad and exchange team.