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Renting in Brisbane - Bayside area

Renting in Brisbane - Bayside area

Old Apr 7th 2008, 12:24 am
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Question Renting in Brisbane - Bayside area

Hi

We are looking to rent in the Bayside area of Brisbane......but I am a complete novice at renting!!

Please can someone tell me whether we will be able to get a 6 month lease or whether they have to be 12 months please. We would like to buy, but want the balance of having time to look around for a place to live, but not being tied in for the next 12 months.

Also, how easy is it to rent with pets? I have been told that we might have a better chance if we offer to pay 6 months rent in advance - does anyone know if this is possible?

What do we need to be able to rent? We have citizenship here, and my hubby has been in his job for a while. I am assuming I need some sort of reference? Who do I need this from?

I am sure there are other things I need to know, so if someone could give me the idiots guide to renting that would be great

Thanks

Viyada
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Old Apr 7th 2008, 1:11 am
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Default Re: Renting in Brisbane - Bayside area

Rental market is HARD in Brisbane. Most houses will be pursued by lots of potential tennants so you have to do whatever you can to make yourself look like the most responsible candidates.

Given that you have no Australian rental history you are going to be up against it - One advantage you might be able to counter that with is the ability to put down LOTS of rent in advance AND sign a longer contract. Having said that a 6 month lease would be more normal in the Brisbane market - its just that you need to find ways of making yourselves look like exceptional tennants!

References would ideally be from previous landlords - but given that you wont have them then perhaps a reference from OH's employers stating salary and how long he's been in the job.

oh - and where to look?

http://www.realestate.com.au

If you do find somewhere then theres a whole bunch of things you'll need to do to avoid being compeltely screwed over by the landlord (or more precisely the agents). The name of the game is protecting your 'bond' (deposit). The bond is held byu a thrid party authority and retruned to you at teh end of the lease once the landlord has returned paperwork saying everything was shipshape. They will try and get this money back for themsleves to cover 'cleaning and repairs' costs. In order to avoid this you need to be totaly neurotic and OCD about recording every speck of dust in the place before you move in. Go around with a camcorder and take extensive notes about damage , stains or anything slightly off-clolour... When you leave (and after cleaning) you'll need to do the same again and be prepared to argue with the agents if they refuse to return your bond.

I had a rental agent threaten to take me to court because I refused to acknowledge that the flat I left needed cleaning. It was only when I offered to show him the video tapes I had of the flat before I moved in and after I moved out that he backed down and I got my bond back..

BUT first you have to find a place!!! Good luck
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Old Apr 7th 2008, 1:20 am
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Default Re: Renting in Brisbane - Bayside area

Hi DadAgain

Thanks for that info. I was just having a look on Relaestate.com and there seemed to be HEAPS of properties available - maybe they are all crap and no one wants them!!!

How about a letter from Westpac to say we have always paid our mortgage on time etc? Would that be a suitable reference?

Thanks

Viyada
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Old Apr 7th 2008, 1:24 am
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Default Re: Renting in Brisbane - Bayside area

How about a letter from Westpac to say we have always paid our mortgage on time etc?
Couldnt hurt! Ultimately the decision to lease a property to you is in the hands of the agent, some will be more sympathetic to your situation and will be flexible, others will be frustratingly obtuse since you dont fit into their little bureacratic boxes and dont satisfy ALL the red tape requirements! (Get used to this attitude its a widespread Australian thing)

Many of the properties on realestate.com will already be leased (others will, as you suggest, be unlivable rats-nests). The agents are not only advertising to attract tennants for their properties - but also trying to show that they have 'market share' in the hope that other landlords will chose them to be their agents. Dont be fooled by extensive listings! the only way to really find out whats going on is to get yourself out on the streets and looking. The website really just gives you a 'flavour' of the sorts of things that do show up and how much you might expect to pay.

Last edited by DadAgain; Apr 7th 2008 at 1:28 am.
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Old Apr 7th 2008, 1:29 am
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Default Re: Renting in Brisbane - Bayside area

Originally Posted by DadAgain
Couldnt hurt! Ultimately the decision to lease a property to you is in the hands of the agent, some will be more sympathetic to your situation and will be flexible, others will be frustratingly obtuse since you dont fit into their little bureacratic boxes and dont satisfy ALL the red tape requirements! (Get used to this attitude its a widespread Australian thing)
Thanks again!

Have to say that I've not come across too much bureaucracy in the 5 years we've been here, but then again, I've never had to rent a house!!! LOL!

I just called up an agent and she seemed to think that if I provided a rates notice and contract of sale to prove we had owned our own home here in Sydney then that would cover the reference thing.

Ah well will keep working at it.

Thanks

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Old Apr 7th 2008, 2:42 am
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Default Re: Renting in Brisbane - Bayside area

Just wondering if anyone else has experience of the rental market in Brissy - specifically the Bayside area. Maybe I'm being completely naive, but there are pages and pages of rentals on Domain and Realestate. Are these real or are estate agents putting up dummy ads to make it seem like there are heaps of rentals available?

Thanks

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Old Apr 7th 2008, 2:44 am
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Default Re: Renting in Brisbane - Bayside area

I should have gone back and re-read your posting - it didn't say that the first time!!! It kind of answers the question I just posted!!

Viyada

Originally Posted by DadAgain
Couldnt hurt! Ultimately the decision to lease a property to you is in the hands of the agent, some will be more sympathetic to your situation and will be flexible, others will be frustratingly obtuse since you dont fit into their little bureacratic boxes and dont satisfy ALL the red tape requirements! (Get used to this attitude its a widespread Australian thing)

Many of the properties on realestate.com will already be leased (others will, as you suggest, be unlivable rats-nests). The agents are not only advertising to attract tennants for their properties - but also trying to show that they have 'market share' in the hope that other landlords will chose them to be their agents. Dont be fooled by extensive listings! the only way to really find out whats going on is to get yourself out on the streets and looking. The website really just gives you a 'flavour' of the sorts of things that do show up and how much you might expect to pay.
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Old Apr 7th 2008, 3:31 am
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Default Re: Renting in Brisbane - Bayside area

As far as I have seen most people find a rental within 2 weeks of arriving. Its not the nicest of processes but soon over and done with. Some agents are bad but there are good ones - Kandi Barry at Wellington Point's Ray White was very professional. Use Real Estate to look at new listings but better to visit all the agents, get their rental lists (think new ones come out on a Tuesday) and ask if any are about to come on. If you're already in OZ the paperwork won't be a problem - we came from the UK no jobs no Oz paperwork so offered to pay 3 months upfront and were fine. Just be flexible about areas and types of house - if you have very set ideas of what you want it will be more difficult. Have all available paperwork with you and get any applications in quickly. It will be slightly more difficult with pets - our rental allowed cats and small dogs though.
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Old Apr 7th 2008, 3:37 am
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Default Re: Renting in Brisbane - Bayside area

Originally Posted by rebnatoli
As far as I have seen most people find a rental within 2 weeks of arriving. Its not the nicest of processes but soon over and done with. Some agents are bad but there are good ones - Kandi Barry at Wellington Point's Ray White was very professional. Use Real Estate to look at new listings but better to visit all the agents, get their rental lists (think new ones come out on a Tuesday) and ask if any are about to come on. If you're already in OZ the paperwork won't be a problem - we came from the UK no jobs no Oz paperwork so offered to pay 3 months upfront and were fine. Just be flexible about areas and types of house - if you have very set ideas of what you want it will be more difficult. Have all available paperwork with you and get any applications in quickly. It will be slightly more difficult with pets - our rental allowed cats and small dogs though.
Hi Rebnatoli

Thanks for that info. We are only looking to rent for 6 months or so, so I am not too fussed on things, so hopefully that gives us more scope. We plan to buy up there fairly soon, but don't want to be rushed into buying the wrong place just because we have no where to live!!! The rents seem very cheap compared to Sydney, but maybe the places I am looking at on the net are completely crap!!!!

When you say "have all available paperwork with you" what exactly do we need? I need to make sure we don't pack it on the lorry!!!

I see you live in Thornlands - that's one of the areas we are interested in buying a house. Do you like Thornlands? Would it be a suburb you would recommend to others? How about schools - do you have children? I'm looking for info on both primary and high schools.

Thanks again for your help

Viyada
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Old Apr 7th 2008, 3:48 am
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Default Re: Renting in Brisbane - Bayside area

I second what DadAgain said... I also have found in the past that when I've phoned about rentals on realestate.com they were already processing applications for properties and so they weren't doing any more viewings in the meantime.

And then when I have been able to go and view them, I've found at least 10 other couples there with prefilled applications ready to hand them in as soon as they have viewed Competition can be fierce and as I was a student at the time, every place we applied for came back and said that the owner had preferred another applicant.

The past two places I have lived I actually found in the rentals section in the Courier Mail on a Saturday. We have a beautiful 2 b/room private rental with amazing city views and there's no way we would have been able to afford or compete with the number of applicants had it been through an agency. The key both times was getting the paper first thing Saturday morning and phoning all the properties we were interested in and making sure we were the first to view. We were lucky in that both landlords didn't require any form of reference, they just wanted the bond upfront. Both times it was a rush to the bank to get the money ready and back to sign the lease before the next people were due to view the unit. Not sure if we were just lucky both times but both landlords have been amazing and issued us with all the required documents and we've had no issues at all. We might need to move again for my work in a few months and I'm almost certain we'll look in the Courier Mail again. Way too many letdowns and disappointments having dealt with agencies

Oh and back to your other original questions... I have found both times going private they wanted to start off with a 6 month lease and both times we then were sent an automatic contract in the post for another 6 months for us to sign if we wanted.

And pets... harder to find but I do know someone who rented when he had his dog with him. He was actually able to move into a new house (through an agency) that stated NO PETS as his previous landlord wrote a reference stating that although he had a dog, there was no damage etc.

I'm sure you'll find something - the key I guess is being flexible and also giving yourself plenty of time to look.

Good luck
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Old Apr 7th 2008, 4:10 am
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Default Re: Renting in Brisbane - Bayside area

Originally Posted by Viyada
Hi Rebnatoli

Thanks for that info. We are only looking to rent for 6 months or so, so I am not too fussed on things, so hopefully that gives us more scope. We plan to buy up there fairly soon, but don't want to be rushed into buying the wrong place just because we have no where to live!!! The rents seem very cheap compared to Sydney, but maybe the places I am looking at on the net are completely crap!!!!

When you say "have all available paperwork with you" what exactly do we need? I need to make sure we don't pack it on the lorry!!!

I see you live in Thornlands - that's one of the areas we are interested in buying a house. Do you like Thornlands? Would it be a suburb you would recommend to others? How about schools - do you have children? I'm looking for info on both primary and high schools.

Thanks again for your help

Viyada
The rents will be cheap compared to Sydney and the more you are prepared to pay the easier it is to find a property - for a 4 bed house it will be 450 - 600 for a decent place so you can use that to guage the quality of those on Realestate.

Paperwork is Driving Licence/passport - references - payslips/reference from employer - agencies vary in what they require so take a folder with what you have with you. You can ring up a couple of rental agencies and ask them what they need.

We love Thornlands but to be honest would have been happy with any of the Bayside suburbs they are all pretty similar it just happened that the house we liked was here at first we looked at Ormiston, Wellington Point and Birkdale. Manly, Lota, Redland Bay and Victoria Point are also really great. Each suburb also has a mix of housing styles - new estates, older ones and acreage so have a good look around when it comes to buying. There are lots of schools around opinions vary - ours go to private school so I don't know what the state schools are like - I've met people happy and unhappy with them - best to visit and makeup your own mind. I don't think there are any really bad ones.
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Old Apr 7th 2008, 4:13 am
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Default Re: Renting in Brisbane - Bayside area

Do you mind if I ask what private school? PM me if you don't want to reply here. We are considering Ormiston College (awaiting the outcome of the scholarship examination), although I know there is a waiting list. Moreton Bay is another place we are considering.

Thanks

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Old Apr 7th 2008, 4:30 am
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Default Re: Renting in Brisbane - Bayside area

I have pm'd you!
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Old Apr 7th 2008, 7:17 am
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Default Re: Renting in Brisbane - Bayside area

Originally Posted by rebnatoli
The rents will be cheap compared to Sydney and the more you are prepared to pay the easier it is to find a property - for a 4 bed house it will be 450 - 600 for a decent place so you can use that to guage the quality of those on Realestate.

Paperwork is Driving Licence/passport - references - payslips/reference from employer - agencies vary in what they require so take a folder with what you have with you. You can ring up a couple of rental agencies and ask them what they need.

We love Thornlands but to be honest would have been happy with any of the Bayside suburbs they are all pretty similar it just happened that the house we liked was here at first we looked at Ormiston, Wellington Point and Birkdale. Manly, Lota, Redland Bay and Victoria Point are also really great. Each suburb also has a mix of housing styles - new estates, older ones and acreage so have a good look around when it comes to buying. There are lots of schools around opinions vary - ours go to private school so I don't know what the state schools are like - I've met people happy and unhappy with them - best to visit and makeup your own mind. I don't think there are any really bad ones.
Anything wrong with Cleveland
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Old Apr 7th 2008, 7:29 am
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Default Re: Renting in Brisbane - Bayside area

Originally Posted by bobbyftm
Anything wrong with Cleveland
Apart from the fact you live there No just forgot it really - of course its great too - nowhere better than the harbour to have a coffee or beer
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