• Most house rentals in Australia are Unfurnished.
• Council rates are included in the rent charged.
• Water usage is sometimes included, but sometimes charged extra.
• Not all Landlords will allow Pets.
• Some States allow Landlords to charge a deposit for Pets, where Pets are actually permitted.
• Leases are normally from 6 months upwards, but often a 1 year tenancy is
  required.

Rental Terms and Conditions
Long Term Unfurnished Rental Properties are normally available for longer stays of 6 months upwards, although sometimes a 1 year tenancy is required.

These are cheaper than the Furnished rentals but do require that longer commitment.

Many Real Estate Agents will have a list of currently available properties on their books, but you can also look online at a couple of National databases of properties being advertised for rent.

Most Rentals will have cooking facilities built in, and some of the newer ones have dishwashers, but this is not fully standard.

Rarely will you get one with a washing machine. Tenants are normally only responsible for the following costs:

• Initial Rental Bond, Rent, Electricity & Gas (if applicable), Water usage
  excess charges, Telephone charges, Personal Contents Insurance and any damage to the property cause by the Tenant or Tenants guests.

The Landlord normally pays:

• Council rates, Water Access Costs, Property repairs, Property Insurance

The following costs can be paid by either, depending on the agreement:

• Swimming Pool Maintenance, Garden Upkeep, mowing etc., Pest Control.

Rental Bonds

You will generally need to put down a rental bond, equivalent to about 4 (or more) weeks rent, which the landlord deposits with a Rental Bond Agency in the State that the property is in.

The Bond is a guarantee to the landlord against any unpaid costs that the tenants may still owe when they vacate the property.

It is returnable to the Tenant when they move out from the property.

The amount returned will depend on the condition of the property when handed back to the landlord.

Some Examples of the ‘cheaper’ suburbs in Australia for Rental properties in Dec 2008

• Brisbane: $203 pw Russel Island
• Sydney: $200 pw Carramar
• Canberra: $350 pw Holder
• Melbourne: $185 pw Millgrove
• Adelaide: $195 pw Elizabeth
• Perth: $240 pw Hillman
• Darwin: $350 pw Moulden

Some median rents for 4 Bedroom Houses in the Brisbane area in March 2009

• $450 Brisbane (Dec 08 = $420)
• $450 Bayside (Dec 08 = $450)
• $550 City Inner (Dec 08 = $560)
• $595 North – Inner (Dec 08 = $560)
• $410 North – Outer (Dec 08 = $400)
• $520 North West – Inner (Dec 08 = $580)
• $450 North West – Outer (Dec 08 = $450)
• $450 South – Inner (Dec 08 = $430)
• $400 South – Outer (Dec 08 = $400)
• $530 South East – Inner (Dec 08 = $545)
• $460 South East – Outer (Dec 08 = $450)
• $530 South West – Inner (Dec 08 = $500)
• $410 South West – Outer (Dec 08 = $400)

Some High priced rental areas in Brisbane
Dec 2008

• $750 New Farm/Teneriffe
• $625 Ballymore/Ithaca/Kelvin Grove/Red Hill
• $500 The Gap
• $750 Balmoral/Bulimba/Hawthorne
• $530 Seventeen Mile Rocks/Sinnamon ParkMarch 2009
• $550 New Farm/Teneriffe
• $520 Ballymore/Ithaca/Kelvin Grove/Red Hill
• $480 The Gap
• $710 Balmoral/Bulimba/Hawthorne
• $510 Seventeen Mile Rocks/Sinnamon Park

Frequently Asked Questions

• Does an Australian Tenant have to pay rates ? 
  A: Australian Tenants do NOT pay rates, these are the responsibility of the Landlord.
• What is a Rental Bond ? 
  A: A Rental Bond is a deposit, normally equal to 4 weeks rent, that is often held by a government department and refunded to the Tenant after the tenancy expires. In the event of damage caused by the Tenant, then the Landlord can apply for this bond to be used for repairs, instead of being refunded to the Tenant.

Links

• QLD Median Weekly Rents

Australian Tenants Rights Information

• ACT –  Tenants Advice Service, Havelock House, Gould Street, Turner.  Tel Enquiries: (02) 6247 2011 (9.30am – 1.00pm)
• ACT - www.tenantsact.org.au – Tenants Union of ACT
• NSW - NSW Office of Fair Trading, 1 Fitzwilliam Street, Parramatta NSW 2150, Australia, Tel: (02) 9895 0111, Fax: (02) 9895 0222
• NT - Consumer and Business Affairs – Tenancy Unit Tel: (08) 8999 1999, Toll Free: 1800 019 319, Fax: (08) 8999 6260
• QLD –  Residential Tenancies Authority Tel: 1300 366 311, Fax (07) 3361 3666, International calls +61 7 3013 7400
• QLD – Tenants’ Union of Queensland Tel: 07 3257 1108, Toll Free: 1800 177 761,
• SA –  Office of Consumer and Business Affairs, Level 1, 91-97 Grenfell Street, ADELAIDE SA 5001 Tel: (08) 8204 9544, Fax (08) 8204 9570
• TAS – Tenants’ Union of Tasmania, Macquarie Street, Hobart 7000 Tel: 6223 2641 Monday – Friday 9.30am – 4pm
• VIC –  Tenants Union of Victoria, PO Box 234, Fitzroy, VIC 3065, Australia Tel: (03) 9416 2577, Fax (03) 9416 0513
• WA – Tenants Advice Service, PO Box 8437, Perth Business Centre, PERTH W.A. 6849 Tel: (08) 9221 9499, Fax : (08) 9221 9609

The cost to Students is often in the region of A$200 to A$240 per week, plus setting up costs.

Homestay Hosting

Most Homestay hosts are families with children around the same age group as the students being hosted, but there are no fixed rules for this, and any suitable hosts may be considered by the hosting organisation.

$200 to $240 per week is a normal range that may be paid to the hosts for a single placement. This is to cover normal food and other incidental costs. This payment is considered to be not taxable by the Australian Tax Office, although this should be checked for any upto date advice.

Australian Taxation information for Homestay Hosting

• Australian Tax Office re Homestay Taxation

Links

• Brisbane Educational Consultants & Brokers
• Oz Homestay student accommodation – Sydney
• Monash University FAQs for Homestay Students
• Queensland University Technology – Tips to Hosting an International Student
• Griffith University – Become a homestay host
• Homestay Network – Sydney
• Nacel Australia – Perth Homestays

Finding suitable short term accommodation for your initial stay in Australia is not always easy, but the following links may make things a bit easier.

SOMEWHERE to stay when you first arrive, may be the first thing that you need to think about.

There are a number of properties around Australia that have been specifically set up by new migrants themselves, to be let out to new arrivals and we hope to list as many as we can on this website.

There are also some who provide a “Meet and Greet” service for you, from the Airport to your accommodation.

These often also include some very useful “local” information

Short Term Furnished Rental property in Brisbane, QLD

• SEQ Rents – An Internet Rental Accommodation Service for SE Queensland, where property owners can register properties for rent.
• Stayz Brisbane Bayside – A selection of properties in Brisbane Bayside, with some on the islands at low prices.
• Stayz Brisbane – A selection of properties in Brisbane.

Short Term Furnished Rental property in Perth, WA

• Accommodation Services WA Pty Ltd - Fully-furnished homes.
• Cedar Cottage Rockingham – 2 or 3 bedroom properties in Rockingham, Perth, WA
• Rockingham Holiday Homes – A large selection of properties for holiday period rentals.

Short Term Furnished Rental property in Adelaide, SA

• Adelaide Regent Apartments – studio, 1,2 & 3 bedroom apartments and town houses.

Short Term Furnished Rental property in Melbourne, VIC

• Australian Home Away - Melbourne apartments, flats and houses

MORE TO FOLLOW

Council rates are included in the rent charged.

Water usage is sometimes included, but sometimes charged extra.

Not all Landlords will allow Pets.

Some States allow Landlords to charge a deposit for Pets, where Pets are actually permitted.

Leases are normally from 6 months upwards, but often a 1 year tenancy is required.

MORE TO FOLLOW

Each State has its own rules and regulations on purchasing property.