Here are some rental tips for those who are looking to find a place in Australia.
- Before you sign the contract or make any payment, please contact the owner first and inspect the property to avoid any misunderstanding. Do not hesitate to ask any questions regarding the property.
- Read the contract thoroughly before signing. Make sure both the owner and the tenant have the same copy of the contract and sign the contract before witnesses.
- Try to rent a place that will include utility bills as part of the rental. This is to avoid additional costs especially during the winter seasons as extra heating will be required.
- If possible, do duplicate your house and room keys. It may cost you $150 – $200 to obtain locksmith services.
- Most of the property in Australia are installed with smoke detectors. Avoid accidental trigger of the smoke detector as you will be penalized for around $1000 – $2000 by the Fire Department for the false alarm.
- Try to rent place that is provided with wifi. However, if there is no wifi, you have two options. Firstly, you can use your 3G internet connection. This will cost you around $10 (1GB) to $65 (12GB) limited data per month (Yes Optus, Vodafone and Lebara are recommended). Secondly, you can installed broadband plans (ADSL2+) in the property with the owner’s permission. This may cost you around $300 for the installation and $79 for unlimited internet per month.