What To Expect When Renting A Property
Roberta Duman writes from personal experience of relocating to Australia from London together with specific research into the regional job market in Australia and a background in business. Her aim is to reduce the stress involved in making the momentous decision to live / work in Australia and provides valuable advice to save the reader both time and money. CONTENTS:
WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN RENTING A PROPERTY
Bonds
All letting agents will require you to place a rental bond as a form of security against any potential breaches of the agreement or breakages. The amount varies but you should expect to pay at least four weeks’ rent.
During the tenancy, your bond is held by Renting and Strata Services, not by the agent. Once your tenancy comes to an end and after the property has been inspected, a Claim for Refund of Bond Money form should be filled out by the landlord or agent and given to the tenant to sign. Should there be any issues over deductions from the bond for carpet cleaning, damages etc they will be raised before the claim for refund of bond money is submitted.
Condition report
Before you move in, the agent will inspect the property and fill out a condition report. You will be given a copy of this and it is crucial that you check this to be a realistic account of what condition the premises are in. This report may be the only piece of evidence should there be any disputes at the end of the tenancy with regards to its condition.
Services
Unless stated otherwise to you, landlords are usually responsible for paying all service charges for water and sewerage issued by the local water supply authority.
Furnished or unfurnished
The majority of rental homes in Sydney and NSW are offered completely unfurnished. This is a huge point of difference between renting in the UK and in Australia. The chances are that you will need to purchase or rent everything you need for your home, including fridge, freezer, pots and pans, beds, sofas, not to mention all of your electrical equipment. This is a huge expense to incur as soon as you arrive but might unfortunately be a necessity. For places to shop and ways to save you considerable amounts of money please refer to Chapter 10.
WHEN YOU FIRST ARRIVE
Unless you are relocating with your company or moving in with family or friends, it’s unlikely that you will have an apartment already set up and ready to move into, so you may need somewhere to stay in the interim period. There are plenty of hotels you can check into which range from inexpensive to top of the market. The following sites offer good rates:
Serviced apartments
Serviced apartments offer a wonderful alternative to hotels for many reasons. They allow you the freedom to cater for yourself and do as you please whilst making less of a dent in your savings. If you are unsure of the properties’ locations then do some research and make sure they are convenient for your needs. The following websites cover a range of properties, from private short-term rental homes to longer-term serviced apartments offering extra facilities including gym, pool and internet access.
House sharing
If you would prefer to share your home with other people then there are some wonderful properties out there and some great sites dedicated to matching people. If you arrive on your own this can be a useful way of starting life out in Australia, save you lots of money and be a good way of meeting people. If you are interested in sharing then the following sites can help:
USEFUL TERMINOLOGY
- Units – you will see a lot of ‘units’ available for lease. This is an Australian term for an apartment or flat.
- Deck – if the property is listed as having a deck, this refers to an outside space which is usually wooden. Units can have decks on either a balcony or roof terrace, as can houses with courtyards.
- Body corporate – this term is generally only used in conjunction with apartments or units. It refers to a corporation of the owners of units within a building who have formed a self-elected council for the management of the building and common areas. For example, if you are renting a home and want to install cable or satellite you may not only have to ask permission from the landlord and or letting agent, you may need permission from the body corporate for the building as well.
