myrtle1

We are currently researching a range of areas surrounding Brisbane and plan to rent for around a year or so. We haven't rented though for many years and this will be the first time in Australia. Is there anything specific we need to know? Anything in particular we should be looking out for in a rental property? Appreciate any help ....

ABCDiamond

If anywhere near a school, check the area at 2.55pm, see where everyone parks !!
This applies to buyers as well.

I've not rented for years, so can't think of anything specific.

spalen

Try and find something that is a long term rental - ask if the owners are likely to put it on the market - Rental contracts allow the agents to show the home - that means they can do "open houses" as many times as they like if the property goes on the market. This means you have to get yourself out the house for them to do it and they only have to give you 24hrs notice or something silly - its awful for tenants extremely invasive of privacy.

Be very finicky about the entry report and inspection - tiniest scuff marks can end up costing 500$ for "painting" - in 4yrs renting on every single rental we had to have a huge fight over the inspection/entry/exit reports. Different people do the entry/exit report so things that were "ah she'll be right" ended up being "paint of garage required = 1000$" :-)

Check if things like lawn maintenance, pool maintenance, etc are included if it has a lawn or pool.

The main thing to be wary of is the deposit loss, its almost worth expecting to lose it and budgeting that its gone and then if you get any back its a nice surprise - Im not kidding ! check the threads on here about deposits and rental bonds.

Bernieboy

Sound advice

Alfresco

You're scaring me now.

Pollyana

Its very accurate actually - especially if you go for a new place, white paint etc - yep, they paint whole houses white, let them to families with kids and then complain when the walls get marked. My place is old, tatty and wooden built, I can get away with far more and its so much more relaxing.
Big money here in cleaning rentals - I usually reckon that the best thing to do is ask the agent who they recommend for cleaning, cos then the cleaners know the level expected and they do it right or they don't get future recommendations. And you can usually reckon to get the place cleaned by a professional company to the acceptable level for the cost of the bond..........so accept "losing" the bond, it'll go on cleaning. You don't want to do it yourself, not when it comes down to "remove all light fittings, clean and replace" "scrub floor of balcony" "remove and clean all flyscreens" (which are screwed into the window frames).

Always take a camera round with you for the entry report and photograph EVERYTHING, could save you breakage money later.

If you do better than that, well done, but its nowhere near as laid back as the UK.

Keith Moon

A bit of advice, 1) Pollyanna is correct.

2) I will when i take up my next rental............... video record on Camcorder the whole house, carpets to walls to ceilings to inside the friggin cooker...........!


I tell you, record the lot, burn it to disc, and give a copy to the owner, one to the agent, and one to Gillard!

That way, you may stand a chance in leaving with all your bond minus cleaning costs.

Its a nightmare, cleaning carpets, they came to our house, the friggin machine needed three seperate sockets, on three seperate fuses, and it still blew the lot, shrunk the carpets, and the guy; lets say all the cowboys ain't on the prarie!!


Keith

spalen

You know that is the best advice - use their cleaners. They rip you off but at least you pay once because guaranteed even if you get professionals in - they wont be up to the random standard that the 95 year old battleaxe of a letting agent has deemed to be good enough and will bear no relation to the status report that you signed

oh , touched a nerve :-)

myrtle1

Thanks folks - one of those questions you wished you hadn't asked but knew you had to really I was sort of prepared - having read most of the horror stories about keeping hold of the bond on exiting the property! Oh the joys to come .....

myrtle1

We are looking all around Brissy .... can anyone comment on any particularly good agents or those that I shouldn't touch with a barge-pole??

Antney

What areas of Brisbane are you looking at (or did I miss that in an earlier post)?

myrtle1

Sort of all around really. We have already looked at and liked Manly & Wynnum. We also plan to look at Cooparoo, Morningside, Alderley, Gaythorne, Nundah, Wooloowin .... We are limited by the fact that hubby wants to be near a train-line so that I can have the car. We would also prefer to be less than 10k from the CBD! Think it's a bit like a pin in the map at the mo ... and see where it takes us

Alfresco

Yes I have taken note. I'll take pics and video of any place we move into. Got taken for a ride when we first moved to the UK and lost our money. This was before Assured Short Term tenancy agreements were in place.

So I'm not planning to make the same mistake twice.

Thanks for the advice.

mark213

They are generally all the same - to be honest its all about the property not the person who is touting it to rent.

Nowadays you really need to be quick if you see something nice you want as there could be 5 others putting an application in.

Huggkat

Hi Myrtle1,

Welcome to Brisbane. We are currently renting in Morningside. We also initially said we would just rent for 6 months to 1 year but have been in the same rental now for nearly 1 1/2 years. We really like living here as it is so convenient for the CBD without being too near. We have 3 bus routes and the train station literally less than 10 minutes walk away. The only downside - if your hubby works early mornings at the weekend, could be an issue - I start at 7am and cannot get to work on time on Sundays. The Citycat is also only about 30 mins walk away.

Other than that it is a nice place to live. Plenty of shops/restaurants/coffee shops nearby and all within walking distance.

Hope this helps a bit.

Kat xx