I was supposed to receive my bond back by 12 December, but as of today it still hasn’t been returned and my messages are being ignored.
The bond was never lodged with the RTBA, which is illegal in Victoria. I’ve now had to escalate the matter to Consumer Affairs and VCAT.
After commenting on their Instagram, multiple other tenants reached out to me privately with similar experiences.
I also signed a minimum 90-night lease, but the landlord later claimed they could take the property back whenever they wanted, which contradicts the agreement I signed.
Based on my experience, I would strongly caution anyone considering renting from this company. Please do your own research and protect yourself.
AN
Agny N.
Goodluck
Goodluck, they won’t give back your bond, for international student beware, bad reviews are everywhere.
I am bringing attention to a concerning practice that is contributing to the rental crisis in Australia. A group or entity is renting entire apartments and illegally subletting individual rooms without the landlord’s consent. They are not based in Australia, do not hold a valid license, and operate outside the scope of Australian rental regulations. Their business model involves leasing properties at relatively low rates, then charging exorbitant prices for each room—often far above market value. This not only violates tenancy laws but also exacerbates housing affordability issues for genuine renters. I intend to report this activity to the relevant authorities in the coming days
Response from aurentJan 19, 2026
Hi Agny Nureza, thank you for sharing your concerns.
We understand deposit-related topics are especially important for international students, so we want to clarify this upfront:
aurent does not collect or hold the Guarantee Deposit. It is held and refunded by the Host, under the applicable agreement and house rules.
That said, Guests are covered by aurent’s Guarantee Deposit Protection Policy, which applies if the Host fails to refund an eligible amount within the required process and timeframes.
At the time this review was posted, the required steps to complete the refund process had not yet been finalised, so the case was still ongoing under the agreed terms.
If you would like us to review your specific situation, please contact our support team directly and we will assist you.
The aurent Team
ZM
zach M.
Best of luck getting bond back!
Moved out on the 3rd of november and still waiting to get my deposit back. Theyve told me that I won't get it back until the 3rd of February. Throughout my stay they also organised viewings with little to no notice. Also during winter when there was vacant rooms on multiple occasions they didnt pay for intenet(it was cut off) and water(unpaid notices arrived by mail). Would not recommend
Response from aurentJan 19, 2026
Hi Zach Meade, thank you for sharing your feedback.
We’re sorry to hear that your experience didn’t meet expectations — we understand how stressful deposit-related concerns can be.
First, just to clarify: aurent does not collect or hold the Guarantee Deposit. The Guarantee Deposit is held and refunded by the Host, and the process follows the Terms agreed at booking.
In your case, we can confirm that your Guarantee Deposit was refunded on 19 December 2025, in line with the applicable timeframe.
Regarding property viewings and the utility interruptions you mentioned, we take this feedback seriously. We continuously work with Hosts and property managers to improve communication, notice periods, and service continuity.
Thank you again for taking the time to share your experience.
The aurent Team
KE
Kent
Great customer service specially Uma.
Great customer service specially Uma.
PD
Pawas D.
Aurent has been very helpful and…
Aurent has been very helpful and accommodating. We are having a pleasant stay so far.
CO
Consumer
REALLY BAD EXPERIENCE
I had a very disappointing experience with Aurent.
The property I rented was delivered in unacceptable condition: there was visible mold on the walls, holes in the wall surfaces, cockroaches everywhere and the bedding provided was dirty. Even basic essentials such as clean sheets and a blanket were missing.
When I raised these issues, I was told to buy my own bedding with a capped budget — which is completely unreasonable for a paid rental. The response from Aurent was dismissive, and they refused to take responsibility for the mold and property damage, claiming “this is the current condition of the property”. Also the last two days the wifi wasn’t working at all and they didn’t help me out with that either.
SH
Silvia H.
I am bringing attention to a concerning…
Answer: a total scam . Rental is rental and has to align with the law. They present themselves as a platform that connects “Guests with Hosts,” but in reality, they lease several properties and sublet the rooms directly. If issues arise, they shift responsibility onto the so-called “host” and avoid accountability—particularly regarding bond refunds and tenancy obligations. Ridiculous and greedy.
You guys should start getting a real job instead of always trying to leech off others
I am bringing attention to a concerning practice that is contributing to the rental crisis in Australia. A group or entity is renting entire apartments and illegally subletting individual rooms without the landlord’s consent.
They are not based in Australia, do not hold a valid license, and operate outside the scope of Australian rental regulations. Their business model involves leasing properties at relatively low rates, then charging exorbitant prices for each room—often far above market value.
This not only violates tenancy laws but also exacerbates housing affordability issues for genuine renters. I intend to report this activity to the relevant authorities in the coming days.
Response from aurentSep 8, 2025
Hi Silvia,
First, we must clarify that we have no record of you in our database as a customer, host, or Guest. We used Trustpilot's 'Request Information' tool to verify your identity, but you did not respond to provide any booking details or proof of experience.
Regarding your claims, we take these kinds of allegations very seriously. aurent is a company that operates transparently. We do not “illegally sublet” properties — every property on our platform is published with the host’s knowledge and consent.
Our team works closely with local property owners and partners in Australia, and our goal is to provide affordable, flexible, and community-driven housing options, particularly for international students who often struggle to access the traditional rental market.
In addition, aurent is designed as a triple-impact platform:
Economic: making underutilised housing more efficient and accessible.
Social: creating safe, community-oriented spaces for students and young professionals who would otherwise face barriers to finding a home.
Environmental: optimising existing housing stock to reduce waste and unnecessary new developments.
Our vision is not to contribute to the housing crisis, but to be part of the solution through technology and responsible management. If you would like more information about how our agreements work, we are happy to share documentation or direct you to the relevant sections of our Terms & Conditions.
— The aurent Team
LC
Leo C.
Worst agency
My experience with Aurent was terrible. From the first moment I tried to contact them to resolve my questions regarding the rent, their answers were very vague, but I decided to ignore that red flag. Once I arrived at the room, it was clean, but the common areas (which are supposed to be cleaned constantly) had layers of dust that showed they had never been cleaned. Then, when I made my first payment, they charged me twice because they had debited the payment to a card I never authorized. In order to resolve the problem, they behaved rudely and took a month to resolve the issue. Even when I demanded compensation, they did so reluctantly. Finally, it took almost two months to return my deposit because they couldn't contact the landlord. I also want to mention that during my stay, I was locked out of the apartment for hours on end because their locks weren't working. Although it was more a building issue, it's unbelievable that they wouldn't take action on the matter.
Response from aurentSep 8, 2025
Respuesta sugerida:
Hi Leo,
We’re sorry to read about your experience and we appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback. We’d like to clarify a few important points regarding how aurent works:
- Role of aurent: aurent is an intermediary platform. Hosts own and manage their properties, while aurent provides booking, secure payments, deposit handling, and guest support. Issues such as building locks or daily cleaning are outside of our direct control.
- Cleaning of common areas: As stated in our listings and agreements, the responsibility for keeping shared spaces clean belongs to the guests living in the property. Neither the host nor aurent includes professional cleaning in the standard fees, although we do encourage all guests to respect the shared living environment.
- Your case: We regret the delay you experienced with the duplicate charge and deposit return. While the funds were refunded and the deposit returned, it took longer than we expect, and we’ve since strengthened our follow-up procedures to avoid this in the future.
Our mission is to make mid-term stays transparent and reliable. Feedback like yours helps us improve.
The aurent Team