Wonig Posted May 21, 2007 Report Share Posted May 21, 2007 Hi All,We are flying to Sydney the 11th June and coming over ona 457 VISA. I have been reading through all the posts on the website, but would like to know if anyone has had particular luck with certain estate agents when looking for a propoerty to rent?Also, did you arrange meetings prior to leaving SA? Do the rentals also require a 1month deposit or what expenses to I need to look at when renting a place?We have temporary accomodation for 3 weeks before we need to find our own place.Thanks,Wilhelm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chester Posted May 21, 2007 Report Share Posted May 21, 2007 Hi Woniq, When renting you need a 4 week deposit and 2 weeks rental in advance. Deposit goes to the Bondboard, only after you leave Unit/house do they send you a cheque, but you sign a release form at the real estate when you hand in your keys and they done an inspection. R/Estates have a renting list which you get from their offices, then check it out by driving past and then arranging to view inside, complete the application forms. They let you know if you got it. Might be an idea to check out where you would like to be and then email them, just to get the ball rolling. Do a few emails. Ray White, LJ hooker, Century 21, & Raine & Horne just to name a few. Hope that helps Happy house hunting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sa2auz Posted May 22, 2007 Report Share Posted May 22, 2007 Hi thereThe rental market is very different in Aus and a huge percentage of people are actually renters and the market is quite competitive.Have a look at realestate.com.au and click on the rental section and have a look at the areas, types of houses etc.The houses here are very different and you can't judge a book by its cover either. When you contact an agent they will give you time that the house is open for inspection. If you are lucky they might see you on your own or else you might arrive with a ton of other possible tenants. I suggest you have a copy of your 457 visa and passport, copy of your offer of employment so they know you have a job and are good for the money. Also have copies of your references, from friends, estate agent, church, employer etc so they know you are a decent guy. If you hand over a pack of everything they need and are organised you might get in ahead of the game when it comes to being accepted. We were lucky we got the first house we applied for but we were organised.Good Luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wonig Posted May 22, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 22, 2007 Thanks for the info ... hunting starts the 13th June Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
australian Posted May 22, 2007 Report Share Posted May 22, 2007 Hi thereThe rental market is very different in Aus and a huge percentage of people are actually renters and the market is quite competitive.Have a look at realestate.com.au and click on the rental section and have a look at the areas, types of houses etc.The houses here are very different and you can't judge a book by its cover either. When you contact an agent they will give you time that the house is open for inspection. If you are lucky they might see you on your own or else you might arrive with a ton of other possible tenants. I suggest you have a copy of your 457 visa and passport, copy of your offer of employment so they know you have a job and are good for the money. Also have copies of your references, from friends, estate agent, church, employer etc so they know you are a decent guy. If you hand over a pack of everything they need and are organised you might get in ahead of the game when it comes to being accepted. We were lucky we got the first house we applied for but we were organised.Good LuckHi thereThe rental market is very different in Aus and a huge percentage of people are actually renters and the market is quite competitive.Have a look at realestate.com.au and click on the rental section and have a look at the areas, types of houses etc.The houses here are very different and you can't judge a book by its cover either. When you contact an agent they will give you time that the house is open for inspection. If you are lucky they might see you on your own or else you might arrive with a ton of other possible tenants. I suggest you have a copy of your 457 visa and passport, copy of your offer of employment so they know you have a job and are good for the money. Also have copies of your references, from friends, estate agent, church, employer etc so they know you are a decent guy. If you hand over a pack of everything they need and are organised you might get in ahead of the game when it comes to being accepted. We were lucky we got the first house we applied for but we were organised.Hi sa2auzJust to confirm, what you have listed above is all the documents we will need to get a rental. My husband will be leaving as soon as he secures a job. I am busy putting together all relevant paperwork so that he has the packs of documents when he arrives!! We have never rented, but I believe a letter from the estate agent who sells us will be sufficient??ThanksRobynGood Luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodag Posted May 22, 2007 Report Share Posted May 22, 2007 . . .The rental market is very different in Aus and a huge percentage of people are actually renters and the market is quite competitive.. . .I have not investigated the rental market for a long time, but I have seen several articles in the press saying that rental properties are scarce in Sydney. Here is a personal observation:A few months ago I arrived home and could not understand why there was a crowd of about 10 people standing outside in the street. After a while I realised that they were waiting for the unit (flat) opposite us to be opened for inspection by potential renters. There is nothing special about this unit. It was open for maybe half an hour and I would guess that 30 or more people came to look at. A few years ago there would never have been people lining up like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sa2auz Posted May 23, 2007 Report Share Posted May 23, 2007 Hi there AustralianAs a first time renter with no australian credit references etc it could be a bit more difficult to find a rental if you are competiting with someone who has been renting for along period with no problems. When my brother in law was looking and didn't have a job they wanted copies of his SA bank accounts etc. They also wanted to know that he was legally in the country hence copies of the passport. Remember that the landlords will get given all the applications and then get to choose their tenant so the more you can prove that you are a decent person the better. Our estate agent gave us a letter saying our home was well maintained and looked after and that our rates, taxes, electricity etc was all paid up. You could get a letter from your neighbour saying your weren't noisy and didn't have wild parties etc. As long as you have one or two things you will be fine but have copies ready for the agent so there are no delays. If your husband gets a job a employment contract would be great or a reference letter.I am sure you will be fine but the more prepared you are the better.Good Luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johan Swanepoel Posted May 23, 2007 Report Share Posted May 23, 2007 Hi...We looked on the www.domain.com.au and www.realestate.com.au and set-up alerts. So when a place came in an area that we liked it would alert us. Then we phoned the agents and tried to get viewing times. We also payed 4 weeks rent in advance.Another thing that helped us was that my wife was not working and could look at houses during the week.Some tips... 1. Decide how far you want to be from the station and bus routes2. Get a letter from your employer giving reference to what a nice person you are and how well you looked after your place in SA. Also that you will care for the rental property as if it was your own. This could be from other people as well.3. If you like the place... Try and get them to take a holding deposit. This means that they cannot consider other options until they have given you a yes or no. (This is how I understand it)4. You are renting, so you might not want to try and find your dream house. Once you are here and settled you can start looking around at other places. I am not saying live in a hole but do not be as picky as you would be when buying.5. Have the paperwork ready. Reference letter, employee contract, copies of passports ect. RegardsJohan Swanepoel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saffer2 Posted May 23, 2007 Report Share Posted May 23, 2007 Thanks for the great posts, will definately help when we arrive in Sydney!!!Thanks, Reid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn Posted March 31, 2008 Report Share Posted March 31, 2008 Our experience has been that no agents are really better than others. With the shortage in rentals you deal with any agent that has a property that is suitable. Be prepared to react quickly to properties you are interested in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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