Every Room

The Canberra Student Housing Co-operative believes that a place to live while studying can be much so more than a share house!! We seek to create a home that fosters opportunity for personal expression and shared learning; a home where people share responsibility and can learn from and support each other. We operate across five units in Havelock House, each with 4-7 rooms, and we are a group of 29 students

Scroll down to see some photos and be provided with answers to the basic FAQs

Example of a standard room with furnishings and individual personality added!

Example of a standard room with furnishings and individual personality added!

standard blank canvas room!

standard blank canvas room!

blank canvas room pt. 2

blank canvas room pt. 2

standard kitchen!

standard kitchen!

view of the co-op from Moore St.

view of the co-op from Moore St.

example of a living room

example of a living room

example of a dining area

example of a dining area

standard toilets

standard toilets

standard showers

standard showers

co-op garden circa 2021

co-op garden circa 2021

locked mailboxes

locked mailboxes

locked students-only bike shed!

locked students-only bike shed!

bath!

bath!

internal courtyard with an event on!

internal courtyard with an event on!

Every Resident and Every Room

  • Every room comes with a large window and a built-in wardrobe. 26 of our 29 rooms has a built-in sink (which is very convenient for tooth-brushing). You can choose if you would like it furnished or if you would like to bring your own furniture! Feel free to decorate it as you wish.

  • Every resident lives in a unit with 3-6 other people, and each unit comes with:

    • A kitchen

    • A living room

    • dining area

    • A bathroom (4 of 5 units have separate toilets and showers)

    • a storage area

  • Everyone at the co-op has access to:

    • each other's units, but not individual's rooms

    • a free laundry facility

    • an outdoor courtyard area just for students

    • a designated study room

    • a community garden

    • a locked students-only bike storage shed

    • an internal courtyard accessible by all residents of HH

A cozy bedroom with a bed covered in a striped blanket and cushions, a wooden bookshelf filled with books, a bedside table with a pink lamp, and a gray upholstered chair. There is a window with a view of trees outside, a radiator beneath the window, and various plants on the windowsill. The room has a warm, inviting atmosphere with soft lighting.

The Basics

  • Rent is paid to Havelock Housing Ltd, and is 373.09 / fortnight. This includes utilities like water, heating, and electricity.

    Kitty is a compulsory financial contribution that must be paid monthly to the Co-operative Bank Account. Kitty is important because it pays for our communal resources i.e., toilet paper, facilities, internet, etc., empty room fees, events, home improvement budgets, etc. This is where we receive almost all of our funds - for us to work as a functional co-operative kitty must be paid. Kitty is $60 a month, and is due on the first Sunday of every month. This is calculated on a weekly basis ($15/week of month).

    This makes the total rent just over $200 / week! That's the best you're gonna get with this location ...

  • With 29 residents, co-op occupies five units at Havelock House. All co-op residents have access to the common spaces of other co-op units, but every resident has exclusive access to their own locked room.

    Each unit has its own kitchen, bathroom, dining and living areas, storage, private bedrooms, and an extra room!

    There is secure bike parking. Car parks are available at a $10/week cost (subject to availability).

    The location is a big selling point! We are 3 mins from Lonsdale St, directly opposite the Eloura St. Tram, and approx 5-10 mins from both the city and the uni!

Close-up of a salad with sliced radishes, leafy greens, and a creamy dressing.

Co-op Benefits

  • A benefit of living in such a diverse, welcoming, and affordable space is the ability to learn how to be an independent adult without the worry of mucking it up. As part of living in the co-op, residents will learn various skills depending on which roles they choose, as well as basic skills like sharehousing experience, cooking, managing budgets, and cleaning!

  • Alongside skill development, there are numerous daily blessings we offer our residents, such as:

    • Bulk Food Supplies ($2000 / Semester)

    • Bulk Cleaning Supplies ($900 / Semester)

    • Internet

    • Commie (communal dinner mon-thurs weekly)

    • A variety of study spaces

    • Community!!

Two musicians playing acoustic guitars and singing on a small stage with a colorful, artistic mural background.

Also …

  • The average weekly cost of on-campus accommodation is $415 / week. We offer student housing for $400 a fortnight. We believe in providing affordable accomodation for students - even if we have to do it ourselves! We are entirely self-run and funded, and are passionate about housing affordability and equity in opportunity for all students.

  • We run our own events; they can be as little or as big as we want. We've held parties, craft nights, consistent study nights, open mic nights ... seemingly most events occur at night. We also do gardening bees and general and reality TV watch parties!