Sweta*, a 20-year-old international student, recently opened up about her housing crisis in an exclusive interview, shedding light on the horrible conditions her has endured in the past months.
Pursuing an undergraduate degree in Melbourne, Sweta has faced challenges with her housing due to mold growth and water damage in her apartment which she shares with her flatmate.
After contacting her agent about the situation when she and her flatmate returned from their home country, the solution provided was extremely slow.
Cleaning the noxious puddle of water was just a temporary solution to the issue of mold that was spreading on multiple areas around the apartment.
“We pay a hefty amount of rent to have a decent living; even then, if the minimal maintenance is not taken care of and we have to spend so much of our time and energy on these issues rather than studies and our goals, … then what’s the use?”
Being a hardworking and dedicated student, she further talks about how frequently and rapidly the living conditions within these months affected her physical health and the mental turmoil it caused, which in turn disrupted her rigorous study routine.
“Imagine, it took them one day to fix an issue that they kept on delaying for four months.”
However, the mold problem is still not completely resolved. Concerns by her friends and acquaintances who have witnessed this situation and urge her to move out. Pointing to the fact that the smell, which she has got used to is unbearable; she adds
“Even now, when my friends come over to hang out, the first thing that they mention is the horrendous smell as soon as the walk in the apartment.”
A significant amount of money goes towards the rent, yet basic utilities such as water, gas, laundry and Wi-Fi are not included – which is causes the whole living costs to soar. The question that arises here is, whether the owners or the agents would have stayed in the same conditions as Sweta and her flatmate do. Lack of solutions, delays and postponing something that should have been fixed immediately was not just inadequate but negligent.
“I’ve seen people who pay less than I do, but they are living in worse conditions – overcrowded rooms or dealing with bad flatmates.”
This housing crisis affecting Sweta is a part of a broader issue facing students in Melbourne, where many are struggling to find safe, affordable, and well maintained housing. Sweta’s housing problems highlight growing concerns about the responsibility of property owners and agents and Melbourne’s rental market.
The unfairness of this situation expands even more with issues regarding breaking the lease to find a better place and not getting the bond back, despite the obvious nature of this current circumstance.
Waiting for the lease to end and finding another place that does not burn the pocket, justifies the rent, has more responsive owners and agents is truly a hassle, all while managing the load of her bachelor’s degree. Now, as Sweta faces the dilemma of choosing between substandard living conditions or moving towards cheaper place that may bring it’s own set of problems; she claims “the whole process is frustrating and exhausting”.
*Name changed to protect identity.
Contributing Author: Aarushi Sharma, a Master’s student in Communications at Deakin University, specialises in Digital Media, Journalism, and Public Relations. She is currently a trainee journalist with The Australia Today.
Support Our Journalism
The global Indian Diaspora and Australia’s multicultural communities need fair, non-hyphenated, and questioning journalism, packed with on-ground reporting. The Australia Today—with exceptional reporters, columnists, and editors—is doing just that. Sustaining this requires support from wonderful readers like you.
Whether you live in Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States of America, or India you can take a paid subscription by clicking Patreon