Renting an apartment is a must for international students coming to Australia, especially for those who just set foot in Australia, the moment they landed on the ground with their luggage, they have to think about how to rent an apartment, and how to rent an apartment without being trapped. Here are some tips on how to rent an apartment for international students. These tips are applicable to various cities in Australia, such as student accommodation in Sydney, student accommodation Adelaide. If you choose the right city, you can use these experiences to rent an apartment, which can help you avoid the pitfalls.
There are 3 types of apartments for international students in Australia: student flats, renting through a regular agent and renting through a second landlord.
Student Accommodation
Advantages: Student flats are the safest! Usually it is very close to the school, all the people living with you are students, there is access control, and the bill is usually included in the rent.
Disadvantages: Student flats like urbanest and unilodge are more expensive and you need to apply in advance. The price-performance ratio is relatively low, the rent is high but the room is small, and there are a lot of dormitory management rules that need to be followed.
How to find out: mainly from school websites and agents
Renting through regular agents
Advantages: The route is formal, the listings are real, reliable and verified, and you can submit your application for renting a room directly in the internal application system of the website. You can submit your application directly in the internal application system of the website. The payment process, deposit and security deposit are all documented, so you don’t have to worry about the landlord’s non-refund of the deposit. With all the formalities in place, it is one of the most reliable ways to go about it.
The price of renting an apartment through an agent is also relatively reasonable and cost-effective. As it is for the whole Australia like student accommodation Melbourne, student accommodation Brisbane, it can largely avoid the situation of exclusively pitting international students.
Disadvantages: less flexible in time, the contract period is usually one year, the bill may need to pay by yourself, and even the water, electricity and gas network need to be opened by yourself, which is more troublesome.
The Process of Renting an Apartment with an Agent
1.Field inspection – inspection
Call the agent to make an appointment to see the room, because the Australian rental market is very competitive, sometimes you may need to compete with other tenants, it is also very common to be rejected. During the viewing, take the opportunity to ask questions about the property, such as when you are sure you will move in, whether the landlord pays the water bill, whether you can keep pets, how many car parking spaces are available, and how new or old the property is.
2.Fill out a rental application
When you see an apartment you are happy with, ask the agent for a rental application form. Generally, you will be asked to provide your previous rental history, and you may be required to provide proof of income, prove that you can afford it & have good credit, etc.
3.Sign a rental contract
Agency-managed rentals usually require a minimum of a 6-month lease. When you sign the contract, you will be asked to fill out a “Condition Report” – this is to record the condition of the property when you arrive and to make sure that the property is in good condition when you check out. When you get this report, make sure you double check the condition of the house. For example, if there is a hole in the carpet or a stain on the wall, you must be proactive in adding to it to avoid disputes. After all the work is done, the contract should be written in duplicate, one copy to be kept by the agent and one copy to be retrieved and kept by yourself.
4. Bond/Deposit
Unlike in China, in Australia, the rental agent does not charge the tenant any fees. The agent takes a percentage from the landlord, but does not ask the tenant for a service fee. So students don’t need to worry about the extra cost of finding an agent and renting an apartment in an unorthodox way.
After signing the contract, you are usually required to pay one month’s deposit, known as “Bond”. According to Australian law, this deposit must be deposited in Fair Trading, a government-regulated fund, and cannot be given directly to the landlord or agent, but once you receive the deposit, a Receipt will be sent to you! Please be sure! To! Deposit! Good! Renting in Australia is a bit different from China, the rent is usually calculated by week, and usually marked as $xx/week on the website. after the contract expires, both the landlord and the tenant need to sign the contract before the deposit can be returned.
5. Bill
Whether you are renting a single room or a whole room, you will have different bills. Single room rentals are all inclusive of all bills – all utilities are included as long as you pay the weekly rent. However, in the case of agency rentals and landlords, basically the water bill is borne by the agent/landlord, and in most cases, the electricity, internet and gas bills are not included, and each person pays for their own bills every month. You can choose according to your own situation, whether the agent unified connection to the house of the electrical company and account number. In addition, the installation of the network will require the tenant to contact the network company themselves. As for student flats, some of them are water, electricity and internet fees are already included in the rent, but you need to know the amount of the package bill in advance.
Renting Through a Second Landlord
Advantages: The procedure is very simple, suitable for short-term rent for a period of time and then find their own partners. The process is simple, only need to confirm the intention, the fastest you can move in the same day.
Disadvantages: the authenticity of the source is not high, and there is no legal protection, very much the possibility of the second landlord to escape with the money. Most of the second landlord’s rent is actually not legal, unless the landlord’s consent, once found illegal subletting or subletting may take legal action. Partners who choose a second landlord must consider carefully!