The Curtin Student Guild condemns the cruel and unjustifiable rent increases being imposed on students in Curtin University accommodation.
Since 2023, some student rents have increased by more than 300%. These massive hikes are reckless and completely out of step with reality — especially when many residences still lack air conditioning, have broken or poorly maintained facilities, and have been the subject of serious safety concerns reported in The West Australian. On top of that, students are charged extra for washing and parking, making the true cost even higher.
Rent for 2026:
- UniLodge Vickery House | Over $14,412 per year
- UniLodge Erica Underwood House | Over $17,168 per year
- UniLodge Guild House | Over $17,480 per year (single) / $21,796 (double)
- UniLodge Kurrajong Village | Over $22,836 per year (single) / $27,152 (double)
- UniLodge Twin Dolphin Hall | Over $26,580 per year (single) / $34,640 (double)
- St Catherine's College | Over $32,456 per year
- Zamia Apartments | Over $38,072 per year for a 3-bed apartment
The Curtin Student Guild condemns the latest rent hikes in student accommodation as unjustifiable, unsafe, and cruel.
In 2026, Curtin accommodation is charging up to 23% more for so-called “refreshed” rooms at Guild House, Erica Underwood and Vickery House. Refreshed does not mean new kitchens, bathrooms, or furniture. It does not mean air conditioning or better security. It simply means the walls have been repainted. Charging students thousands more for a coat of paint is grossly unjustified, and the fact this was not disclosed to the Guild at the outset shows a deliberate attempt to cover it up.
While rents climb, conditions remain unsafe. Guild temperature monitors recorded rooms staying above 30°C for weeks on end during summer, a direct breach of WHO health guidelines. Students are being forced to live in unsafe, uninhabitable conditions while paying luxury-level rents.
For the first time, accommodation providers are also charging different rents for year-long and semester-long leases. Students will now be paying at least $370 a week to live in a share house with no air conditioning, outdated bathrooms, old furniture and poor security.
At a time of severe cost-of-living pressure, these rent hikes are exploitation. Students are being priced out of their education and pushed into unsafe housing. The Curtin Student Guild calls on Curtin University and its accommodation providers to reverse the 2026 increases, freeze and reduce rents going forward, and urgently fix safety, security and liveability issues.
Quotes attributable to Guild President Dylan Storer:
“Students are being pushed to the breaking point. Rents keep going up but the conditions keep going down; no air con, outdated facilities, poor security. This isn’t about providing safe and affordable housing, it’s about squeezing every last dollar out of students who are already struggling to make ends meet.”
“The so-called ‘refreshed rooms’ are a perfect example of how students are being ripped off: noting more than a coat of paint dressed up as an upgrade worthy of thousands of dollars a year. It’s cynical, dishonest, and shows exactly how little respect UniLodge and Curtin University have for the students who live on campus.”
“This is the worst cost of living crisis in a generation, and instead of helping Curtin’s accommodation providers are piling on. Students are being priced out of their own education, forced into unsafe housing and treated like second-class citizens. It’s cruel, it’s unfair and it has to stop.”
“Students shouldn’t be paying the price for dodgy business deals made years ago. Curtin can’t just shrug its shoulders while money-hungry providers exploit its own students. The University has stepped in before, and it must do so again. Vice Chancellor Harlene Hayne has a duty to stand up for Curtin students, not stand by while they’re bled dry. This is cruel, it’s indefensible, and Curtin needs to act.”
Media Contact: Dylan Storer Guild President | president@guild.curtin.edu.au