To help you find good accommodation on the island, MT has put together the following list of accommodation houses who are very affordable and happy to have Schoolies stay with them.

Picnic Bay

Dunoon Beachfront Apartments - (07) 47 785 161 email: dunoon@austarnet.com.au
A $300 bond is required up-front, $149 p/night, sleeps 4.
Ring for good weekly rate

Nelly Bay
Surfside Palms - (07) 47 785 855
$77 p/night, sleeps 5.
Ring for weekly rate

Island Leisure Resort - (07) 47 785 000
email: islandleisure@bigpond.com
$150 p/night, sleeps 5

Beachside Palms - (07) 47 785 810
email: beachsidepalms@telstra.com
$85 p/night upstairs, $70 p/night downstairs

Arcadia

Forest Haven Guest House - (07) 47 785 153
email: foresthaven@bigpond.com
Fully furn 2 b/rm units from $70 & dorm accom from $15, TV laundry, BBQ, pool
Weekly rates available

Centaur Guest House - (07) 47 785 668
email: centaurhouse@hotkey.net.au
$18 p/night, stay 5 nights, get 5th night FREE
Kitchen with tea, coffee, sugar, salt, herbs, spices, cooking oil, etc all included, as well as linen.

Horseshoe Bay

Geoff's Place - (07) 47 785 577
email: geoffsplace@beyond.net.au
web: www.geoffsplace.com.au
Extensive Camping available, cabins, pool, outdoor eating

Sharing accommodation - bags the top bunk!:
Sharing accommodation is a Schoolies tradition. With some help from the Office of Fair Trading MT has compiled some handy hints on how to look after your best interests and understand your responsibilities in the accommodation game. Here goes:

If you are planning to share accommodation at Schoolies, it is important to discuss costs and agree on some house rules BEFORE you go.

Collect everyone's contributions towards food and rent in advance and put the money in a special bank account. At the end of the week there will be a bill and you don't want to be the one left with it!

Receipts - I'll keep that, thanks!:
Receipts are very important written evidence of who you have paid, exactly what you have paid for, how much you paid, when you paid, your method of payment eg. credit card, cheque.

Make sure you get a receipt for anything you pay for and check the receipt to make sure it is correct.

Damage Control - OK, who did it?!: If you accidentally cause any damage to your apartment, you are liable for repair or replacement costs.

Make sure you know:
How many people you are allowed to have in your room, noise regulations, after hours use of the swimming pool, rules about items thrown from the balcony, rules about clothing or towels draped over the balcony.

You should inspect the apartment carefully when you move in and report any damage immediately so you are not blamed for causing it.

It is also a good idea to ask the owner/agent to inspect the apartment before you leave. If you are having difficulty retrieving your bond, make a written request. By law, bonds have to be returned fourteen days after a written request.

Remember - courtesy and good manners help a lot in resolving potential conflicts.

Discrimination - Fair's fair!:
It is against the law for real estate agents to discriminate against you because of your age. Normally young people renting holiday apartments for short periods are not asked to pay a security bond. An agent or property owner can only ask you for a bond if every other prospective tenant is asked for a bond.