Inthedeep

Hey .. i had the same problem in our last rental. Like you, had also used the foam pads under the legs etc .. i also had dogs living there (which were allowed) .. both furniture and dogs had left marks .. i was so worried about it when vacating as we thought they would try and go for the bond to re-do the floors. Alas, after weeks of worryign what may happen .. we got the full bond back and the agent actually commented at what a good state we had left the property in. Good luck!

You should check out the British Melbourne group on meetup -- http://brit.meetup.com/cities/au/melbourne/ they organise drinks and events in and about the city for expats!

Yeah its 5 metres around here in Vic .. 50 metres is a tad extreme - i wonder if it was it a typo?

I wish Port Phillip council were a bit more 'difficult' .. our street fills up with people parking for free, then jumping on the tram for a few stops to the city - there are never any ticket inspectors on and i have to say i hardly see people getting on the tyram swiping a met card or myki .. Annoys the hell out of me and my partner as he finishes work early most days and has to park down the other end of the street usually. Anyhow .. i do think it's relatively easy to park at the beaches, in the city (especially after 6pm) and near shopping strips .. as for parking at the metro stops - have to agree with what has been said previous. The car parks tend to fill up very early with the commuters. Not a problem if you start work early too i guess.

Australia not dog friendly? I don't know where you live but perhaps you chose the wrong suburb .. here in Port Melbourne i think most people in my street have dogs - there are plenty of dog beaches along Port Phillip Bay, plenty of off leash dog reserves and the pubs and cafes all have water bowls outside for dogs. I really don't recall much of that back in the UK (but then perhaps thats more to do with where i lived there too). Also there are plenty of doggy day cares about here .. i really think if you dog is your #1 priority then choosing the right suburb with a little reserch will pay dividends.

Hey Mark .. no worries. Meetup in general is actually a great tool .. theres plenty of other 'groups' but this one seems canny for a start. Theres no judgement form anyone, and it doesnt feel like it's an internet based type thing .. which is good as that can feel a bit awkward lol! Me and my partner are hoping to be mvoed to Point Cook in the next few months .. live in Port Melbourne now but need more spoace as our place is just too cramped with us and our 2 dogs - i know there aint much in choice with bars around Point Cook area but im sure we'd be up for a drink once there. Though like you we will likely still head to the city for a proper night out, theres a night out organised on this forum on 3rd March too --> http://www.pomsinoz.com/forum/socialising-get-togethers/138261-melbourne-drinks-3-march.html which always seems to attract a few people and a nice crowd. Cheers, Steve

Hello Baxters Indeed, i can't wait to have some space to store things and not have to feel all cramped in .. plus i cant wait for my dogs to be able to run more than a few metres than the small back yard they have now. Yes would be lovely to meet up, we are hoping to be there by April all going well. Nope it wasn't us looking at rentals (we are hoping to buy) .. but that's cool, like you say not that it matters but it's ncie to have a bit of a diverse community

Mark there's a good group on meetup.com .. Fairly young, mic of singles, couples .. Not kid orientated. Look for Melbourne British expats ..nthey do drinking nights, lawn bowls, there's a paintball one coming up etc. Have been to a few and met some great people. What suburb do you live in?

Hoping to be moved to Point Cook soon too. Ive noticed there's quite often meet ups with kids in the area which is great for those with kids (but being childless its not for me) Would like to meet friends for bbqs and meals / drinks etc once we move .. Ste

Thanks all for the replies so far Was definitely of the mindset that smaller house in a nicer area near to the cbd would be for us but reality is its just too small and uncomfortable .. No air con, garden, smaller rooms .. Have had a total change of heart after a year. I can sacrifice some aspects of a social life for 365 days of comfort in a big house Its pretty sad that you have friends there that know nobody ( my fear too ) but the same has happened in both suburbs I've lived in Melbourne (seaholme / port Melbourne) so it wouldn't be a shock. Perhaps we would make more of an effort as this would be a longer term move than the rentals we have lived in thus far. I know it's a very family suburb so for us as a (gay) couple moving there I am pretty anxious .. But we'll see.

Hi all, I know alot of Poms have moved to Point Cook so hoping for a few kind folk to answer some of my q's After weighing up many options and avenues, my Partner and I are probably going to build in Point Cook. We are living in Port Melbourne at the minute but we could only ever afford to rent here and after ongoing horrible experiences with one of our neighbours we have decided that it's best to move on and finally find a house we can be secure in (yes .. i know buying doesnt = good neighbours, however i feel more confident to tackle issues with neighbours when i don't have a landlord to appease). So we are looking at the Kingsford estate as they have the Telstra Velocity network there and seeing as there seems to be so much drama around internet in Point Cook it is a big relief to know that only the Kingsford estate will be able to connect to it - and since there are only a handful of homes there at present im guessing it wont be a problem in connection. If there is anybody else in Kingsford that can comment on the inter there (or Saltwater Coast too - as they have the same network) that would be great. Also .. has anybody put a pool in in Point Cook (any estate) and would you recomment or say it has been worth it? We are looking at single storey house with hopefully a bit of space on the land to the side of the house for a pool. We have both agreed that by moving back West and being further out from the city that we will want a few luxuries to enjoy the liufestyle out that way and a pool will be numero uno on the list. We are concerned about quite a lot of the plots having easements on them (sometimes 3 metres long for the whole of the back of the plot .. has anyone had permission to build over an easement in Point Cook (i am assuming it will be sewerage mains so it'll be the water board?) A few more Q's .. I know there are 'beaches' around the area .. now i aint expecting the golden sands of .. erm .. well Torquay. But really, what are the 'beaches' about this area like? Or when will the Werribee Marina beach be developed? Can you walk your dogs there? I used to take th dogs to Altona beach and whilst not the best place, was fine for that purpose .. i am so not a beachy person so aint looking to drop a towel and sunbathe (hence wanting a pool in the privacy of my own place)/ What are the pubs like about Point Cook? Will probabaly still head to the city for the odd 'night out' but it would be good to know what the alternatives are for a few drinks and maybe a bite to eat. I believe there is a bowling alley coming at the end of 2012 to Point Cook which is fab. I have heard / seen mentions of a cinema and someone said that it would be part of stage 3 of the town centre development? No idea if this is bull**** however .. do any residents know of this? Hmmm i'm sure there's loads more but my head is absolutely loaded from seeing a million house designs, plot locations recently. I am glad we have whittled it down to an actual suburb and estate as a few weeks ago we didn't evenm have a clue where we wanted to be.

AGL - They are rubbish.; They never come to take electric meter readings but somehow take gas readings (both boxes are always due to be read the same dates according to the bill but opnly the gas ever gets read) So the bill always ends up being corrected months down the line and we have ended up with massive bills thereafter. They cannot provide actual meter readings so you can verify the usage - we just have to trust that they are charging us correctly and i really don't trust them (for example the highest quarterly bill we recieved was during a period where we were away for nearly 4 weeks with all poweer turned off). I would move supplier but we are hoping to move soon so what's the point. However it still baffles me how they can charge usage when they dont know the previous and current usage totals .. totally rubbish service! Tru-Energy was the supplier in our previous home, they gave actual readings (that you could look on the box and verify yourself) and the bills seemed alot cheaper with them (despite that house being bigger and the aircon was on alot more ) - will make sure we connect with them when we move.

I agree with gothic. We Uploaded a PDF of our joint bank account (copies from first month it was opened then a statement from the same month every year after to show it was still continuous .. I don't think they need 15 x 12 months worth)? We also provided holiday bookings, 3 photos only (holiday, friends wedding, Christmas party), we had two statements from friends (one a nurse md one a lawyer so gave more credibility) .. Also our rental contracts .. A few bills in joint names etc. I really won't go too OTT unless the caseworker asks for it. I think the main thing is to do your statement and refer to the supporting evidence in it. Also the certifying was only the passport, birth cert etc.

Hey Steph, We are living in Port Melbourne & Been here 2 years too .. We are 29 and 30-something Haha .. always up for a drink or several

There's ALOT of places i'd hate to live. But these are places id rather move back to the UK than stay and live here. Broadmeadows Sunshine St Albans Deer park Footscray Brooklyn

Hey there, i went on Monday and Tueday .. off again next Mon (Hisense) .. when are you going?

Thanks .. yes just a bit. But they are worth it - ive had ups and downs in settling here but whenever i am away i always want to be back home with my boys. And i know it;s cheesy but home really is where the heart is .. so i guess whenever anyone asks me whether home is the UK or Oz my answer is always gonna be wherever they are lol!

Yup, thankfully we didnt have the stress of having to find a place knowing our dogs were en-route or anythign so my heart goes out. I would say that spend time on an application pack. I put together a great little folder along with the rental application form - showing we had paid rent in full, on time etc. Also provided a statement about our character, we offered to pay extra on the bond in the unlikely event of damage etc. The agent was really impressed at it that he actually recommended that the landlord choose us over the other person applying even though he had no pets (or the intention of getting a pet). We have a good relationship now with the agents and we also make sure the neighbours are sweet (in case they ever get asked how we or the dogs are) ..however we all have dogs anyway so everyone is pretty chilled about pets round here. Hopefully this will work since the attachment didn't Uploaded with ImageShack.us

I think there are different rules for Queensland than Victoria. http://www.rta.qld.gov.au/en/Renting/Thinking-about-renting/Renting-in-Queensland/Pets.aspx Good luck in finding your new home, your dogs are lovely

PS - Good luck to everyone in this situation. My advice is to be honest and speak to the agent .. i am now in a lovely house, happy that with my 2 babies and no issues from the landlord. They are outside when we are out but sleep on my bed at night. We have put rugs down and they haven't damaged the house at all .. in fact i think we are far more likely to cause damage than my boys. If you're a responsible owner then there should be no issues really. [ATTACH=CONFIG]11308[/ATTACH]

Where are you moving to Fisheys? I would check the Residential Tenancy Act for the particular state as not all will be the same. However i believe some of the advice given out here is wrong - for instance in Victoria you cannot be evicted from your homw simply for owning a pet when your contract said you can't. I would direct you page 2 of this PDF file from the actual Civil Tribunal website. http://www.vcat.vic.gov.au/CA256902000FE154/Lookup/residential_tenancies_list/$file/answers_to_questions_asked_at_the_residential_tenancies_conference_18-4-07.pdf If a tenant moves into a property and does not notify the landlord he has a pet, then upon inspection, the agent finds a pet on the premises then what grounds do we have to make the tenant vacate or get rid of the pet? Answer : The only way it is permissible to terminate a residential tenancy is in accordance with Part 6 of the Residential Tenancies Act 1997. There is no notice to vacate on the specific grounds that the tenant has a pet. Section 248 cannot be relied upon either because the Tribunal cannot make a compliance order pursuant to section 209 of the Act, as there is also no duty provision with respect to the keeping of pets. If the animal damages the property or causes a nuisance however there may be a breach of a duty provision such that the sections may be of effect. In these circumstances, an order may be made for the removal of the pet and a failure to comply may result in an order being made pursuant to section 248. In any event a tenant will be liable to compensate the landlord for any damage done to the rented premises by an animal. As per my previous post, i believe that VCAT are very unlikely to make an order, in fact from memory a recent case proceeded to hearing where the owner was allowed to remain at the property with the pet with a few conditions to the contract. Now there is nothign stopping that landlord evicting the tenant when the lease comes to an end in the normal way (which i am sure they will do) as hiding a pet cannot really be good for landlord / tenant relations, however they cannot evict on the sole basis that you have a pet.

I moved into a unit when i first got to Australia with no pets. My landlord owned all 3 units on the plot and the other 2 neighbours both had pets (one had 2 cats and another had a dog). I asked the agent if she could forsee a problem of us having a pet down the line to which she said no since the other renters had them. After 6 months we asked if we could have a dog, the landlord refused saying he believed the garden was too small for a pet. Now we were really pissed off about this as the other tenants had pets and we actually had the bigger house / garden of all 3 units. We only wanted a king charles too .. a small dog. Anyway we waited another 6 months, continued to be good tenants, paid our rent on time in full, improving the property inside and out of our own accord (whilst the other tenants moved out and the houses remained empty for weeks and months) and asked again if we could have a pet, to which we were refused once more. So we handed in our notice and moved to a property (which was not advertised as pet friendly) which we were successful in getting and also were allowed a pet. At the time i was working for VCAT and i had considered taking the landlord to the tribunal as i felt that permission was unreasonably witheld and they were restricting my ''quiet enjoyment'' of the property. However it was easier at that point to move on (since they had also requested a rent increase of 10% and were generally terrible landlords!) One thing i will say however is that in Victoria, the Residential Tenancies Act doesn't mention any rules on pets. The landlords & agents wuse the Real Estate Institute of Victoria's tenancy agreement which has the clause ''The tenant must not keep any animal, bird or other pet on the premises without first obtaining the written permission of the landlord or agent. Permission will not be unreasonably withheld'' when you sign your contract .. but .. like i said .. the actual LAW does not mention this. Havign worked in VCAT and having spoke to Tribunal members and colleagues in the RT list, i know that they are reluctant to make an order against a tenant with a pet (even if they agreed to the clause in the initial rental contract). A ruling has to be made on other grounds .. such as nuisance or causing a danger. Now if you are a responsible owner, i am sure that your pet won't be a nuisance or a danger and therefore whilst potentially fancing action at VCAT, should ultimately have nothing to worry about - whether it is right or not is a completely different matter and down to your own moral judgement.

Hmm that's so odd and gross, have you returned it back to the supplier? i can't say it's ever happened to me (in Melbourne) - where abouts are you buying the meat from?

I can't take the credit for organising this meet however since i am in the group on meetup and seems there's a bunch of poms planning on going to this i thought i'd post it on here for anyone not aware. Belgian Beer Cafe is located at 557 St Kilda Road , Melbourne, Vic, 3004. The start time is 5:30pm but im sure most people will turn up later than that. Hopefully it's a nice evening and a good turn out. Steve

Freedom .. Love that shop!