It’s been about 5 years since I started living in Australia. When I first came to Australia, I lived in a share house listed on the Japanese website. However, since a share house shares a house with other people, there are basically many rules, and I began to wonder if I could rent a house myself. And rental properties can be rented even with a temporary stay visa. Here I will talk about my experience.
Finding the real estate
Get the rental list
To find a rental property, go to a real estate agent in the area and get a rental list. The properties that are currently available for rent are listed there, and if you like the property, you can make a preview reservation called inspection.
Rather than having a real estate agent take you by car as in Japan, you go to the site yourself and meet with the real estate agent there to unlock your house.
Use the website
Alternatively, there is a famous website called realestate.com.au, from which you can enter your desired area, rent, etc. and find a house that suits you.
We will call the preview reservation and meet with the real estate agent on the day of the event. After viewing the property, if you like the property, you can get an application form called an application form from a real estate agent, fill it out and bring it with you, or attach it by e-mail and send it.
It’s difficult to pass the background check
Conditions are important
When renting a rental property, you must undergo the same examination as in Japan. Even temporary residents such as working holidays will not be unable to rent a property. In fact, I was able to borrow it with my husband, who was my boyfriend at the time.
However, it seems that the landlord does not want to lend the property to people whose income is unstable. Visas such as Working Holiday have a limited length of stay.
Who can guarantee your situations?
We didn’t have anyone who could be a guarantor, so we took the form of an institutional guarantee. I was told that if I didn’t pay the rent or broke the rules, I would be blacklisted immediately.
I think all I submitted was a copy of my passport and my income statement. This is when you rent real estate in an urban area.
They are more strict for Asians
When we moved to the countryside and searched for rental properties, we heard rumors that “the screening of rental properties for Asians with temporary stay visas is strict.” The rumor was true and it took a lot of effort to actually get the deal.
At that time, I and my husband had a decent income with a work visa. I submitted all the tax payment certificates and employment contracts that I was asked to submit, and I think I applied for about 15 in total, but the examination did not go down at all. I was also working and had a work visa, so I was very stressed that I couldn’t get the examination.
Fortunately, I finally over budgeted a little, but the house was decided. It seems that the landlord decides whether or not to judge, not the real estate agent. The possible “reason why the examination did not go down” that the real estate agent told me is that there is considerable discrimination against Asians in the countryside, and Asians may use the property as a share house. It was something that happened. Certainly, as a landlord, if an unspecified number of people who do not have a name in the contract come and go, distrust will increase. Therefore, it is said that they will not be allowed to enter the room before problems occur. On the contrary, when we decided to move in, the rent was a little high, so it seemed that the property was not rented by the locals and was judged.
Moving in and moving out
Moving in
When you move in, you pay a deposit called a bond. This is usually one month’s rent, but often you pay two weeks’ rent. Australian rent is paid weekly. Some people pay for one month in a lump sum.
The contract usually lasts from half a year to a year, so you have to live during that time. If you move out within the contract period, the bond will not be refunded and you may be charged for any damage.
Moving out
If you move out, report to the real estate agent 2 weeks to 1 month before you move out after the contract period has expired. All you have to do is empty your house and return the key by the day you move out. Usually, when you move out, you ask a cleaning company to clean it. Therefore, you must also submit the receipt to the real estate agent.
However, in the end, it is said that where and where is dirty, and there is a high possibility that it will be pulled from the bond, so there is also a way to leave the cleaning to the real estate agent from the beginning. Real estate agents are also businesses, so they sometimes complain and try to get money from Bond.
Real estates in Australia
Basically, it may not be more difficult for a Japanese to rent a rental property in Australia than for a foreigner to rent in Japan. In the case of Japan, you may not even be able to apply for a temporary stay visa. However, Australian real estate agents are not as kind as in Japan, and are often treated as a business. In addition, there is a possibility of discrimination in such places, so even real estate agents can say that the inside situation is quite different between Australia and Japan.
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