Everything you need to know about the WHV in Sydney

Sydney is one of the most expensive cities in the world, so you need to plan a substantial accommodation budget.

To get started, we recommend you read:

• Finding accommodation in Australia
• 7 Tips for finding housing during your working holiday abroad

The main accommodation sites in Sydney are Domain.com.au and Realestate.com.au. For flat sharing, you can use Gumtree or Flatmates. You can also look on local Facebook pages: search for Sydney + the type of accommodation you need (e.g. Sydney flatmates, Sydney sublets, Sydney houseshares, etc.)

Shared accommodation is very common in Sydney, even for couples and young professionals. The high cost of living makes it harder for people to rent entire apartments or houses. You will find rooms to rent that are advertised towards students or working holiday makers, but beware of scams. Some owners take advantage of the high demand, for example renting a shared room to multiple people to make more money.

You should be able to find a private room in a sharehouse for around AU$350-AU$400 per week. To rent a one-bedroom apartment, you need at least AU$1,000-AU$1,500 per week.

Top tips

• It is rare to find furnished accommodation in Sydney, so be prepared to budget for purchasing furniture.
• In Australia, rent is often paid weekly, so the prices you see are per week and not per month.
• The deposit (called “bond” in Australia) is generally the equivalent of 4 weeks’ rent.
• Many students leave their accommodation in early December to spend the summer holidays elsewhere. It may be easier for you to find a room at this time (however, this is also a popular time for people to start their WHV, so there are pros and cons to arriving at the start of summer).
• If you are wanting to sleep in your car or van to save money while you search for a more permanent home, make sure you have researched the area first. In Sydney (and most cities in Australia), there are many parts of the city where it is illegal to free camp.
• Campsites or hostels are a great place to stay temporarily while you secure a longer-term option, especially if you want to make friends with other travellers!
• Couchsurfing is another option for short-term accommodation on a budget. For more info about couchsurfing and other ways to stay in Sydney for free, read Five ways to get free accommodation when travelling.