Top Broadband and Bundling Plans for Renters

There are plenty of advantages to renting: the freedom to move wherever you want, less responsibility and no mortgage hanging over your head. For a long time however, you were at a serious disadvantage when it came to broadband plans with lengthy contracts being a restriction. But not anymore.

What is the Best Internet Connection for me as a Renter?

These days, getting the internet connected is about as important as electricity, water and gas. Broadband contracts will usually attach to your address. They tend to have a long duration and will sometimes include penalties if you need to terminate the contract early.

This can be a real problem. In our wide brown land, not all homes are connected to the NBN. In many cases you won’t be able to move your plan to another address; and even if you can, you might encounter difficulties along the way. Connection fees will also apply in some cases – even where your home connects to the NBN.

Even more problematic is that with a minimal notice period on most leases, you’re not going to have a great deal of time to sort out your broadband contract while everything else is up in the air. While sometimes you’ll be able to switch, this tends to be at the discretion of the telco – which doesn’t fill most tenants with a whole lot of confidence.

Then there’s broadband bundling, which means putting all of your telecommunications services – i.e. home and mobile phone, internet and television services – into the same, you guessed it, bundle. This will be more convenient, but generally speaking might be less suited to individuals who will want some aspects of the bundle but not others.

What are the Best Broadband Plan Options for Renters?

Choosing a broadband plan can be tough at the best of times. In order to take just a little bit of pain out of the process, we’ve compiled a list of the top five broadband internet plans for renters.

Before we get into the list, there’s always the option of contract-free plans. These might sound good, particularly for renters, however you’ll sometimes pay a premium for the ‘freedom’ of not having a contract, which can mean you lose out in the long term. Companies are aware of the difficulties that some customers will face when having to move and have responded by producing so-called ‘casual plans’. These, like all of the listed plans, will have some advantages and some disadvantages, so consult the list to see which plan is right for you.

The Top Broadband Plans and Bundles for Renters

Southern Phone

Southern Phone might not have the name recognition of some of the larger players who have been on the landscape for a bit longer, but they’ve become popular in recent years – and with good reason. Southern Phone’s NBN plans come without connection fees or contracts – a huge advantage for renters. Their NBN lineup is one of the cheapest, while their phone support team is completely based in Australia. The NBN Standard plan offers unlimited data at $65/month on the NBN25 speed tier. Add $10 more per month and you get yourself unlimited data on the NBN50 speed tier. Speed boost to the NBN100 Max speed is at $95/month. These standalone plans are on a month-to-month term, which makes them ideal for renters.

Last audited 8th of May 2023

Dodo

All of Dodo’s broadband plans are now on a month-to-month term, which is good news to renters out there. From $65 per month, you can get connected with Dodo’s Unlimited NBN25 plan. If you want to get to the next available speed tier, that’d be the Unlimited 50/20Mbps plan at $75. For faster speeds, you can score the 100/40Mbps plan at $85. All plans can come with an included landline connection with pay-as-you-go calls and with the first month free, placing remarkable value on whatever plan you end up getting. New customers can also get monthly discounts of up to $16.10/month when signing up for the higher speed plans. Fond of watching shows and movies? You can easily add entertainment by adding Fetch TV to your internet plan.

Last audited 30th of November 2023

iPrimus

iPrimus definitely offers the best broadband options in terms of flexibility and value-packed NBN plans. If you’re a renter who moves a lot, you’ll easily appreciate the telco’s no lock-in contract option. From $75/month, you score unlimited data on the NBN50 speed tier. Just add $15 more per month and you get to the next speed tier of NBN100. If there’s lots of HD streaming and gaming involved, you might want to boost your speed to NBN250 for $135/month if your connection allows it. For added value, all of these plans have an included landline connection with pay as you go calls, plus the option to add Fetch TV from only $10/month!

Telstra

Telstra’s standalone internet plans no longer have their usual 24-month contract requirement. There are three unlimited plans to choose from — Standard Speed + Unlimited Data at $80/month, Standard Plus Speed + Unlimited Data at $90/month, and Premium Speed + Unlimited at $110/month, all on a month-to-month term. The Premium plan also gets you $20/month off for six months. There’s still the dreaded $99 connection fee, although for now that is being waived if you sign up online. You also get the modem for free if you stay connected for 24 months. On top of that, Telstra is also offering three months of free BINGE subscription and one month of Foxtel Now also free.

All Telstra internet plans come with a home phone line that includes unlimited calls to anywhere in Australia – including calls to mobile phones and 13 numbers. While there are plenty of internet providers offering a home phone with your internet connection, Telstra is one of the only ones to bundle unlimited calls in with it – which makes it amazing value for anyone who relies on the home phone being around to keep in touch.

Choosing an Internet Plan is easier than you think

So you see, it’s really not that hard to plan your broadband connection setup for when you move or are just renting out. Some of Australia’s top internet providers have made it very easy for you to choose from their plans that reflect the way you use the internet, not the way they think you should.