Book a tour of Journal.

Who can live at Journal?

Students who are enrolled at an Australian educational institution are eligible to live at Journal.

How old do I need to be?

Journal accommodates students under 18 years of age. Journal works closely with institutional partners to assist them with any guardianship responsibilities they provide.

Is there 24 hour support?

Journal provides 24 hour/7 day a week on-site management. There is always a member of staff from our friendly team available to assist you and answer questions.

What security arrangements are in place?

Safety is a number one priority at Journal.

Access to all lifts, accommodation floors and all common areas is restricted to residents of Journal and management.

Students enter the building and bedrooms through a Bluetooth enabled feature on their own individual phones, accessed through the Journal App.

Studios have their own unique lock, accessed via Bluetooth. Apartments have a common door lock to the apartment entry and individual locks for each bedroom within the apartment. These are also all Bluetooth enabled.

Each building has extensive CCTV coverage – covering all entry points, common areas and every corridor.

Do you have a community life program?

Journal runs an engaging residential life program called Journal Life.

Journal Life is a carefully considered, full program of activities with a focus on health, culture, community, studying and leadership.

Through the Journal Life program, you will be introduced to other students, university life and the city of Melbourne.

How do I book?

Booking a room is easy, you can do it all in four steps when booking on this site:

1. Make a room and lease length selection
2. Register your personal details
3. Pay for a holding deposit equal to one week of rent
4. Accept all legal documents and pay for a second week of rent

When these four steps are complete your room is booked

Watch the quick how-to book video

Depending on when you apply, you may have up to seven days after paying your holding deposit to accept all legal documents and make the second payment. Alternatively, you can complete all stages at once.

Our team is available to assist you during the process if you need any help.

What are the different room classes?

Journal ranks rooms by classes based on overall view and outlook.

Depending on the room type, Journal Uni Place offers three classes for students to choose from. Classes with a superior outlook attract an additional fee on top of the base weekly room rate.

Journal Uni Place Room Classes:

Regular: Rooms located with a courtyard or lower level view

View: Rooms located with an extended view across the city, the university precinct or the suburbs

Corner: Rooms located on upper levels with multiple windows looking in different directions, all with extended views.

Can I choose who I live with?

Once you’ve secured a room please email your request to us and we’ll try our best to accommodate it.

Can I live with my partner?

We do have limited availability for couples to live together so please contact us to see if there is any availability.

What contract lengths do you offer?

Leases covering 12 months (52 weeks) and 6 months (26 weeks) are the standard lease lengths and can be booked directly on the website.

What dates do contracts start?

Depending on the lease you select you may have up to three start dates to choose from. Available lease start dates are shown during the application process.

If you need to arrive before your lease starts, please contact us and we’ll confirm availability and cost.

You can check-in after the contract start date, however you are responsible for rental from the contract start date.

What is included in rent?

Rental includes all utilities, unlimited high-speed internet, full access to common areas and participation in the Journal Life program.

What is not included in the rent?

While Journal offers one handy rental charge, laundry is not included in your rent. Every Journal facility has a well-equipped on-site laundry. Payments for the laundry can be made electronically, through the Journal App.

We also offer convenient extras (such as linen and kitchen packs) to make moving in a little simpler. These can be purchased online, or through the Journal App or portal.

Are the contracts per person or per room?

The prices on our website and associated contracts are per person.

What type of contract will I be signing when I make a booking?

You will be asked to sign a fixed term lease, also called a residential tenancy agreement. This is a legal contract that complies with the Residential Tenancies Act 1997.

It is your responsibility to read the tenancy agreement thoroughly before entering into this agreement and ask questions if needed.

What is your cancellation and refunds policy?

Please refer to the Terms and Conditions page  which explains the general cancellation policy and also our COVID risk-free booking policy.

Do I have to pay a bond? When do I get it back?

You must pay a bond equal to four weeks rent before your contract starts.

Journal will lodge your bond with the Residential Tenancies Bond Authority (RTBA) where it will be held until after your lease ends.

The bond will be refunded by the RTBA in full after you vacate the property providing there is no damage or outstanding charges such as unpaid rent.

How frequently do I pay my rent?

You have a few options to pay your rent: fortnightly, annually, or biannually.

Fortnightly rent must be paid a minimum of two weeks in advance throughout your lease.

Those who chose to pay rent annually in advance must make payment prior to the lease start date or rent payments will default to the fortnightly cycle.

The biannual option requires you to pay rent in two equal installments. The first installment is due prior to the lease start date and the second installment is due approximately halfway during your lease. If you miss the first installment your rent payments will default to the fortnightly cycle.

Do you offer any discounts on rent?

We offer a discount to those on a 12 month lease who make advance payment of rent annually or biannually. If you opt to pay rent annually you’ll receive a 3% discount. If you choose the biannual rent payment option, you’ll receive a 2% discount.

What types of payments are accepted?

We accept the following forms of payment online:

• Visa
• Mastercard
• Debit Card
• Flywire (only available for international students paying for the initial 2 week deposit or bond)

When paying in person we also accept China UnionPay.

All card payments are subject to a surcharge, and please note that we do not accept cash.

To make paying your fortnightly rent easy, we recommend you set up direct debit from an Australian bank account.

Please contact us if you need assistance with making a payment.

Do you have card surcharges?

All card payments are subject to a surcharge per below:

Visa and Mastercard – 1.8% surcharge (including Visa Debit and Mastercard Debit)

China UnionPay – 1.8% surcharge

Are there any other fees?

Other fees and changes may apply when things don’t go to plan, for example, if you damage your room. Please refer to the Fees and Other Charges list for further information.

Can I share a room?

Our Twin-Share Studios are the only shared room options.

We also offer apartments, where you have your own room and ensuite bathroom, but share a large kitchen, living and dining room.

What happens if something needs fixing in my room?

During you stay with Journal, you can submit a maintenance request through the Journal App or portal. The response will be attended to quickly by our-site facility maintenance team.

Does my room get cleaned?

Journal offers residents the option to purchase adhoc, regular and exit cleans from the housekeeping team. Cleaning services can be purchased by students on the Journal App or portal.

Residents will also have access to cleaning materials such as vacuums, mops, buckets, dust pans and brooms throughout their stay to undertake their own cleaning.

Do rooms have openable windows?

Yes, all windows within rooms are openable but we ensure they only open to a safe distance.

Can I have guests stay overnight?

Guests can stay for a limited time. All guests have to be registered with the Journal On-Site Support Team. They will not have their own key access and will need to abide by the Journal House Rules at all times.

Where can I store my belongings?

All Journal rooms have plenty of storage. This includes wardrobes and built in bookshelves. Every bed has built in storage draws and a space for suitcases and other bulky items, such as sporting equipment.

Are bed linen and towels included?

You can purchase a linen and towel pack when you are making your booking.

Are there kitchen appliances in the rooms?

Your studio or apartment kitchen will include a combination microwave grill, an induction cooktop, a sink, a full fridge/freezer and storage space for your food, plates. pots and pans. Apartments also include dishwashers and ovens.

Do I need to bring my own pots, pans and utensils?

You can bring kitchen equipment or you can purchase a kitchen pack from us which includes all the kitchen essentials and will be waiting for you on arrival. Or you can buy the packs when you arrive here.

Is there a gym?

Each Journal facility has a gym including a yoga studio, which overlook beautiful landscaped gardens. The gym is fully equipped with cardio machines, weights and everything else you need to stay fit and healthy.

Is there a laundry?

Every Journal facility has a well-equipped on-site laundry. Payments for the laundry can be made electronically through the Journal App.

Is there food available on-site?

All Journal facilities have an on-site café where students can purchase food.

Otherwise, all studios and apartments have full kitchens, where you can cook for yourself.

All Journal facilities also have large shared kitchens in the common areas, so you can cook and socialise with friends or large groups of people.

What common areas do I have access to?

There are multiple separate common areas for you to enjoy including, outdoor gardens, double-level study, Journal library, lounge area, entertainment zone and cinema, communal kitchen and dining facilities, two rooftop terraces and a 24/7 gym.

Do you provide bikes and bike store?

Each Journal facility has a number of shared bikes which students can borrow.

There is also bike storage on-site, so you can keep your own bike safe and secure.

What are the facility addresses?

Journal Uni Place – 18 Leicester Street, Carlton VIC 3053

Journal Central – 502 Swanston Street, Carlton VIC 3053