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Unfurnished Rentals
Unfurnished properties are
typically leased for 6 months or more and, as the name suggests, come
with nothing (they'll have a cooker and oven). Many unfurnished
properties are managed and leased by Real Estate Agents. However, you
can find a significant number of private landlords advertising their
properties in the West Australian, the Quokka or on internet sites.
Tip: The
Quokka comes out every Thursday morning and the West Australian on
Saturday has the best property classifieds.
Finding a suitable rental
property in Perth can be a real chore: there is usually lots of competition for
the few good houses, and lots of not-so-good houses. Additionally, many
real-estate companies don't bother publishing rentals on their web sites
as the rentals get snapped up so quickly, so you will need
to identify all the local agents in your target suburbs and do the rounds
every week to get their rental lists: makes for a lot of leg work...
Tip: If you
find a house you like, but it is missing something (like an air
conditioner, or a shaded patio), you can always ask to have it installed
as a condition of your tenancy.
Don't think that it's
plain sailing once you've found a property that you like. If the
property is managed through a Real Estate Agent you'll need to fill out
an application form and probably leave a deposit - even if there are
more than one applicant interested. The agent will then collect all
the applications and present them to the property owner to decide who
gets to rent it. Of course, you'll get your deposit back if you're
unsuccessful - but the whole process takes time - a precious commodity
if your furniture is due to arrive soon... Some agents may also require
references from previous landlords and/or bank references.
Tip:
Make sure that you take paper copies of references with you to speed up
the application process. Tip:
Make sure that you find out in advance whose responsibility it is to pay
for items as water (landlord usually makes a contribution), gas,
electric & telephone (you) and rates (landlord).
If you are successful in
securing the tenancy, you'll have to sign a tenancy agreement and pay
two weeks rent in advance. You'll also have to lodge a bond (four weeks
rent held in trust by the agent to cover any damage to the property). If
you have a pet (cat or dog), you may be asked for an additional pet bond
($variable) to cover any damage caused by the animal. You may also need
to pay the agent a letting fee (1 weeks rent).
Tip: Be sure to
check if the owner plans to sell the property during your tenancy, and
what your rights are if they do try and sell it - you don't want to have
house viewings whilst you're living there.
You will be required to
sign a Condition Report when you move in. This report will list any
existing damage to the property (e.g. cracked wall, torn flyscreen etc.)
and it will be compared directly with another report done when you move
out. Note that the tenant is not responsible for normal wear and tear.
Tip:
make sure that you go over the Condition Report really carefully and get
any additional items put in straight away - you don't want to pay to fix
someone else's damage. Consider taking photos and getting them
initialled by the agent.
Rental agreements are
typically for a fixed period - but can be negotiable. If you want to
stay past your agreed date, your landlord may agree to a ongoing
extension as long as you agree to a 21 day notice period.
Prior to leaving the
property, you will need to get the garden and house cleaned as well as
the carpets professionally cleaned (the Agent will need to see the
receipt). Tip:
Make sure that the house, windows and garden are spotless. You will be
charged premium rates to get gardeners and cleaners to carry out any
extra work. |
