So you want to rent in Australia
How exciting. You have decided to move overseas and to Australia no less! There is a job lined up and your visa’s are in order. The question is, where do you live? Finding a rental property can be difficult regardless of whether you live in your home country or not. It’s not just finding a property that can be an issue it’s applying for utilities which can range from being connected to the internet to having running water. So the question is: what is the best way to go about obtaining a rental property?
First you need to understand the rental market. What are you looking for? Is it just you moving? Or are you moving with family or friends. There are also prerequisites to take into account as well, some real-estate agencies ask for credit statements, bank statements and/or referees to either vouch for your behaviour as a tenant or as proof of work. Yes this seems like a lot to think about especially when moving to a new country, fear not this is something that everyone has to go through, you are not alone!
Sometimes on the application to a rental property the agency will ask for some references of past landlords or fellow tenants to gage the applicant’s character. The problem that expats can face is more often than not the agencies will not call overseas if that is the only place where you have had tenancy. There are ways around this however; if you are coming to Australia via your company sending you on assignment then they can be used as both a referee and in some cases (if the rent is paid by them) they can also provide the bank statement that is also needed. However if you are not being sponsored by a company don’t not worry there are other avenues to go down.
If you have attained employment then that can be used as proof that you have a reliable income source and will make your application stronger. You can also include employment contracts or a reference from your employer or a company letter head, advising your job title, tenure and salary.
Sometimes real estate agents also accept your visa and work permit details. This might seem like a lot of paper work and jumping through hoops, unfortunately this is just a precaution ensure that whoever is granted tenancy has every legal right to renting a property and to reduce risk of people moving out before the tenancy agreement expires.
One last point, if you are moving with a pet it’s always a good idea to either have a reference to back up how well trained they are and/or it can sometimes sway the landlords decision if you include an extra weeks rent as part of the bond to show that you are prepared to cover any damages that might occur.
Finding a place to live can be stressful if you are unprepared for the requirements and documentation needed. Expat International doesn’t just help you apply for visas and arrange your flights we can also help you find a new place to live and help with all things logistics and moving. If you are still unsure about what you need in order to apply for rental a property give Expat International a call on 61-3-9670-755 or you can visit our website for any further enquires.
