moondust_frenzy

Sorry if this topic has been posted a million times.

Due to move to Rotorua in the next 3 - 4 weeks and am trying to organise property.

Initial plan is to rent a furnished place until belongings arrive. I have found some furnished rentals and emailed the estate agents but never heard anything back.

Are estate agents usually slow or is there another way to go about this.

Thanks

AndyEvs

Yes a few people have already commented here that the real estate agents don't seem to respond to emails from people currently outside the country. Seems they prefer to wait until you are actually here.
Most people seem to end up in a hotel or staying with people for a few days until they can get a rental sorted. We moved into ours the day we arrived BUT my principal had organised it all for us. If you have friends or an employer here you could ask them to make contact for you.

Tomsk

Hi, I'm in Rotorua, (there's quite a few UK expats here). Where you looking at? Can I help?

moonie2011

Hi, we arrive in 11 days, we have been emailing estate agents re properties, and we also have a film crew with us doing a documentary on moving to the other side of the world
We are asking for some viewings to be arranged and they can also have some free publicity being filmed for the documentary, good deal eh?
Most of them reply no sorry cant help you!!
Almost all say when you get here we can arrange something
And the most annoying they ask us to make contact when we arrive, not them sending us details, and also if you ask about a particular property that is the only one they discuss, despite having others on their books which match our requirements.

barnsleymat

They're all too busy pretending to be celebrities, they seem to live driving around in cars that are plastered with photos of themselves.

They're a strange bunch.

Bo-Jangles

There's the problem, what they have now won't be there in 3 or 4 weeks time if its a half decent place. You do not want to be even considering renting a place that you have not seen in the flesh; you just go and see what they have on the day.

Estate Agents here are not interested in 'selling' rentals and in my experience they're not keen on wasting time showing you a property until you've been and had a look from the outside yourself. It's very much a 'take it or leave it' attitude.

Do yourself a favour, book yourself into a motel and look when you get here.

LOL @ Barnsleymatt - so true!

Snap Shot

Yeah, we went through similar nonsense in Auckland a couple of years ago. I felt I got no credibility when I phoned to view a property to rent. Maybe because they seemed to think I was on holiday.

When we got to Christchurch three weeks later we went to one letting agent's office directly in person and we were taken seriously by them.

Same deal when we got to where we are living now. Go to the letting agent's office face to face. (Please resist the temptation to grab them by the lapels and say, 'now listen here, sonny'.)

RobDon

Hi there,
We are in Rotorua and prior to arriving we were able to book a furnished holiday home through here:
http://www.bookabach.co.nz/baches-an...ilability-view
Gave us some breathing space to find a longer term rental.
Any further info we can help with give us a shout.

moondust_frenzy

Thanks for all your advice, I have been on nights so that's why not been on. I will look at the link you put up Robdon.
Hopefully something will come up

shocked kiwi

Don't go through a real estate agent for a rental at all. They will charge all these extra fees. Look in trademe.co.nz under real estate and go through a private landlord if you can - much easier. The locals get rentals this way by negotiating their own deals and this way you are not signed up to some ridiculous lease etc.

Snap Shot

Really ?

moondust_frenzy

What about security if anything happens. Does a private landlord offer the same an estate agent would.
At the moment we are going to get a motel then rental search, seems like the easier option

RobDon

When u decide where you want to stay be cheeky and ask for a discount because A) you are staying for X amount of time, and B) it's "out of season"
We did this and got 6 weeks accommodation for the price of 4.

moondust_frenzy

Thanks for the tip we will get cheeky

BEVS

Please have a read of the DBH Tenancy webpage.

It will tell you about the types of tenancy agreements. How bonds work etc.

My suggestion would be that you only accept a Periodic Tenancy agreement. When you rent a place , you ensure you walk around the property with the landlord/ letting agent agreeing on the standard of the property. Any damages etc.
Make sure you know if you have to get the carpets professionally cleaned when you leave. Take photos of the section/garden and find out who is responsible for the maintenance.

Regardless of whether you go with a private landlord or a letting agent, your bond money should be lodged with the NZ Dept of Building and Housing. Make sure it is. There is a form you need to fill in .

In the event of any dispute & regardless of whether it is a letting agent or a private landlord, the DBH will arbitrate. Makes sense as they are independent and hold the bond monies.

When you look at a possible rental, look for damp, mold around window edges and what type, if any, heating there is. Check for how the house is angled for the sun . A cold house can be mighty miserable.

Holiday homes can be a reasonable bet out of season . Many are quality homes and so a good way to start off a new life in a new country.

As RobDon suggests, get cheeky with it. This is New Zealand . Bargaining is the norm here .