buzz

Hi, our moving date is getting closer (aagh!) and I'm starting to think about renting once we get to Sydney. Neither myself or my partner will have work when we get there. Could someone please let me know what documentation we will need in order to rent a house? I'm thinking bank statements (we have set up an Oz bank account, but it's only been open a few months), mortgage statements? Should we bring references from our UK banks? Or from our current employers?
Thanks for any help,
Buzz

DrWho

Hi, and good luck with the move...

When we were looking we got application forms from several of the rental agencies and all seemed similar in what they asked...

They seemed to work on a points system with 100 being the amount you need to get to... If I remember you got 40 points each for passport and NSW driving licence plus 20 points for a bank statement. But there's other stuff as well just can't remember... No one was in the slightest interested in anything from the UK. Offering to pay 3 months in advance will get everyone's notice...

Getting a NSW driving licence is a must asap... so many places ask for it... Even the golf clubs want it when paying a green fee...!

Have you worked out where you want to live yet...? Checked out the property websites...?

The Bloke

You just need photo ID - Drivers Licence, Passport OK and a reference contact details from previous landlord, thats all, though you will have to convert DL at some stage. Oh, and rent now normally paid by Bpay.
They ask the Oh for her DL but as she doesn't drive they have to settle for passport, especially at one branch of Australia Post which staff continuously tell her that passports are NOT valid ID.
So by your comment, [If I remember you got 40 points each for passport and NSW driving licence], what if one person does not drive and therefore does not have any drivers licence? Does that mean we could not rent a place in NSW as the OH has no DL?

This might also sound stupid, but WHY would they want to see a private document like a bank statement? I have always been under the impression that 100 point system is used for opening a bank account? If the OP's account has only been active for a short time, what earthly use would it be to show savings, if that is what it is for? Or will credit card statement do?

northerner

Hi Buzz,

We arrived in Oz less than 2 weeks ago and have got a rental sorted out in Balmain and were in a similar position to you. We were lucky in that we secured work within the first week so I had a letter confirming my wage etc. but I'm not sure if that's a deciding factor if you've got capital from your house sale. The property we saw (the first and only one ) there was about 10-12 other people looking and all very interested so we weren't too confident in getting it to be honest.

On the application form we just provided as much information as possible - passports, copies of bank statements etc. We also wrote a nice letter to go with the application explaining our situation and also offering to pay several months rent up front (they ended up not asking for this).

I think the way it works (certainly with the estate agency we were going through) is that the agent gets all the applications in and basically comes up with a top 2 or 3 which she then goes and presents to the landlord with her recommendations. So it's the agent you've got to be buddys with.

Hope this helps a bit, good luck with it all.

Graham

DrWho

They only wanted these details from me not my wife so I guess it doesn't matter if your OH hasn't a licence... I think from memory that a credit card statement was fine as well... Also previous utility bills... It seemed to me at the time to be more of an identity check than a good credit thing... Having said that don't people run credit checks against drivers licence numbers over here...? I remember asking Optus about converting our prepaid phones to monthly contract ones and being told it's no problem, just need a drivers licence and credit/debit card number...

buzz

Thanks to you all for replying, and for the good luck wishes.
Not sure exactly where we're going yet - probably Hornsby or thereabouts, as my brother and his family are there. And yes, spent a LOT of time looking at property websites! It's a bit worrying to hear that there is so much demand for rental properties, but all the information you've given me will help.
Thanks again,
Buzz