Work and Travel Company can help you to find short or long term accommodation, fill out the form here or contact us for details: [email protected] or come to the office for assistance.
Please note: It can be difficult finding accommodation especially over Christmas and New Year, as summer is peak season in Australia. Be organised to avoid disappointment! REMEMBER TO BE AWARE OF SCAMS AND FRAUDS! Never pay any money without seeing inside the apartment and you can see the keys!
Useful Websites:
If you’re looking for more long term accomodation such as; sublets, rentals, and share houses, the following websites are a good place to start your search:
- Flatmates.com.au
- Flatshare.com.au
- Au.easyroommate.com
- Gumtree.com.au
- Flatmatefinders.com.au
Facebook is also a useful resource for finding accomodation in Australia. Most big cities in Australia (including Sydney and Melbourne) have multiple Facebook groups dedicated to real-estate. Join accomodation groups to see what’s available where you are.
When calling about properties or rooms, remember to ask about…
The Bond
Ask if there is one. A bond is money that you often have to pay before you move into a property. This money is kept by a bond holding agency until your lease expires. You will get this money back as long as you have paid all your rent, stayed the entire term of the lease and have not damaged the property. A bond is commonly 4 weeks rent, make sure you get a receipt when you pay the bond.
The Lease
The lease is the contract you must sign when you move into a property. Find out what the minimum stay for the lease is, this is important because if you leave before your minimum stay then you will lose your bond. Don’t sign anything you are unsure of or don’t understand.
Furniture
Ask if the property/room is furnished (does the room have a bed?). A furnished property will make it easier for you to set up your property/room.
Bills
Find out if bills such as electricity, telephone or internet are included in the weekly rent or are extra.
Also…
Make a good impression! It is always better for the person who is renting the room to speak to the landlord themselves, as it makes a better impression. You may be talking with the tenants that already live in the property. Remember that these people may be your future housemates so always be as polite and as friendly as possible as they could be the ones who make the decision as to whether or not you will be offered the place. When going to inspect the property make an effort to look clean and tidy as your appearance says a lot about you to the landlord. If you look untidy then they will probably think you are a messy tenant.
Don’t just check out the property. When considering a property, make sure that you consider things other than the place itself. Find out when at the public transport is like in the area, buses, trains, etc. Look at the neighborhood that you are in and make sure it is somewhere you can see yourself living. If it is a shared house, try to meet everybody that lives there. You will enjoy yourself a lot more if you are living with people that you get along with.