Gold Coast mayor asks homeowners to consider offering rooms to international students

Gold Coast homeowners are encouraged to rent out their spare rooms to international students for extra cash amid the rental crisis.

It is estimated that around 32,000 international students will travel to the Queensland city to study this year.

‘Host of the Coast’ has been launched to help students find accommodation during their stay due to a critical shortage of available rental properties.

The initiative was launched by the city’s main educational body, Study Gold Coast, in partnership with the local government.

Local homeowners have received letters encouraging them to open their doors to international students.

There has also been support from the state government, Study Match, Tyler International and the Australian Homestay Network.

Residents who raise their hands can earn $250 to $315 per week to allow a student to rent a spare room.

They can also choose how long they are willing to rent a room to a student.

Gold Coast homeowners have received letters from the mayor’s office encouraging them to consider renting a spare room.

Study Gold Coast chief executive Jennine Tax said last month: “A letter will be sent to 55,000 households and those areas have been identified based on their proximity to educational institutions.”

On the Study Gold Coast website, the initiative says: “International students enrich the quality of our lives and have much to offer.”

‘You can broaden your horizons and bring the world into your home by opening your doors to students from more than 130 different countries.’

Study Gold Coast CEO Jennine Tax (pictured) has spearheaded the initiative, ‘Host for the Coast’

The Gold Coast has one of the worst rental shortages in the country with a current vacancy rate of 0.7 percent.

Study Gold Coast adds that there is “an accommodation shortage around the world and by opening the door to an international student you can help alleviate the current crisis here on the coast.”

In return, he says, owners can take advantage of “the opportunity to learn a new language or create a cultural experience while being paid to provide much-needed accommodation.”

There is a shortage of rental properties in every major city in the country, and the Gold Coast has one of the worst shortages in the country.

The city’s rental vacancy rate is currently 0.7 percent and the Gold Coast’s median rental price has risen 30 percent since 2020.

Council figures reveal there are more than 300 detached houses listed as short-term accommodation on the Gold Coast, ABC reports.

If you own property on the Gold Coast near a university, you can apply to host an international student. here.