CDA ColivingMove-In Guide
Requirements, check-in day, your Incoming Condition Report — and a checklist that keeps track for you.
Requirements & Payments
Read What to Ask Before You Move In first — locks, cleaning, lease terms and the things worth checking at the inspection.
What to provide before moving in. Minimum term for all CDA agreements: 3 months.
Documents you need to provide
- Valid ID or passport
- Proof of address
- Proof of your right to live in Australia
- Proof of funds
Advance rent & security deposit
| Agreement type | Advance rent | Security deposit |
|---|---|---|
| Occupancy Agreement Room in a shared coliving house | 2 weeks | 2 weeks |
| Residential Tenancy Agreement Studio or whole house | 1 week | 4 weeks |
We only ask for one after your application is approved, and it's capped at one week's rent. Once you pay it we won't offer the room or property to anyone else for 7 days. When you sign, the whole amount comes off your rent. If you change your mind and don't sign, we may keep it — unless we misrepresented the property or didn't tell you something material, in which case you get it back. More on how this works.
Always pay your deposit directly to CDA's official bank account. Never transfer money to an individual, even if they present themselves as a previous tenant or room transferee.
Check-In Day
Official check-in time: 4:00 PM. Early access is never guaranteed — coordinate with the move-in team.
Submit your ID, proof of address, proof of your right to live in Australia, and proof of funds.
Send confirmation of your holding deposit and security deposit.
Occupancy Agreement or Residential Tenancy Agreement, depending on what you rent.
By 3:00 PM on move-in day you'll get an email with access details, house rules and your Incoming Condition Report (ICR).
If your access email hasn't arrived by 3 PM, first check your inbox and your spam folder. Still nothing — or the code doesn't work? Contact us immediately on the company WhatsApp (+61 410 069 034, "Andy") and message the sales specialist who handled your process, so we can check what's happened.
Receiving your access
Your access code or keys are provided once payment is received, the agreement is signed, and the room is ready. Access may be via door code, a video-assisted handover, or key collection from our office — check your email on the day.
Incoming Condition Report (ICR)
The ICR records the state of your room at the start of your tenancy — the single most important step of your move-in.
- Take photos and videos of the room immediately upon arrival
- Review the ICR sent to you by email
- Report any damage, dirt or missing items the same day to [email protected]
- Confirm or dispute the report within 7 calendar days
If nothing is reported within 7 days, we rely on the ICR as the record of the room's state — unless you can show otherwise. Anything undocumented may be charged to you at move-out, so report early. The same applies if you receive the room via lease transfer.
Good to know
Coordinate directly with the move-in team. Additional charges may apply depending on your case.
Not all rooms allow two people. Verify with the team beforehand — an additional cost applies.
CDA doesn't provide bedding, blankets or pillows for hygiene reasons. Bring your own linen.
What's included in your room
- Basic furnished room: bed frame, mattress, wardrobe, desk, chair
- Wi-Fi internet for communication, work and study — supplied by an outside provider, so speed and uptime can't be guaranteed and fixes depend on their timeframes
- Bills covered at standard, reasonable usage levels
⚡ High-consumption appliances need approval first — portable A/Cs, personal fridges, non-approved heaters, even fixed A/C units already in the room.
Most appliance requests are declined, and it's worth knowing why before you spend the money. Portable heaters and air conditioners are a leading cause of house fires, and in a shared home several people draw power from the same circuit at once — a 2,000-watt heater in one bedroom while another runs down the hall will overload it. Only two appliances are approved: pedestal fans for cooling and oil-column heaters for heating. Anything else is removed and stored until you ask for it back, and maintenance caused by it is charged to you. Photos of what's permitted are in the House Rules.
My Move-In Checklist
Tick items off as you go — progress is saved on this device.
- Send ID/passport, proof of address, proof of your right to live in Australia and proof of funds
- Pay holding deposit and security deposit (to CDA's official account only)
- Sign your agreement
- Pack your own bedding, blankets and pillows
- Confirm your arrival time with the move-in team (check-in from 4 PM)
- Check your email by 3 PM for access details and the ICR
- Collect keys / use your access code as instructed
- Take photos and videos of every corner of your room
- Report any damage, dirt or missing items the same day
- Confirm or dispute your ICR (7-day deadline!)
- Check your bed and room for bed bugs and report anything (7-day deadline)
- Check for damp, musty smells or mould — window corners, wardrobe, bathroom ceiling — and report via the maintenance form (7-day deadline)
- Have an e-bike or e-scooter? Never charge it in your bedroom — ask us where your charging spot is
- Walk the house: find the exits and the smoke alarms
- Save 000 (emergency) and 131 444 (police non-emergency)
- Read the House Rules
- Learn your house's bin schedule and cleaning roster
- Save key contacts: [email protected] · (02) 8188 1605 · WhatsApp "Andy" (CDA's official account)
- Bookmark the maintenance form: cdacoliving.info/Maintenance
Frequently Asked Questions
The most common move-in questions, answered.