Search the Community

Good evening everybody, Until our furniture etc arrives in Melbourne in approximately April 2023, my wife, son and I are looking for a furnished place in Melbourne for a few months. Airbnb is ridiculously expensive so we are looking for another way to find a furnished place to live. Does anybody have any tips or know of anybody who might have a furnished place they would be willing to rent out come the end of January? Our budget would be about 600 a week and in a neighbourhood no more than 40 minutes from the CBD if possible. Thanks! Adrian

Hi all, I'm moving to Perth on a 491 in early/mid Sept. Currently have an expensive AirBnB booked for the first few weeks but would rather have a rental sorted before getting there and am looking into relocation agents in WA. I (foolishly) hadn't really budgeted for this and have been quite surprised by the high price tag some companies come with. This in mind, I can't really afford to pick a company that won't be able to give what I'm after (1-2 bed place, with utilises and internet set up for arrival). I have heard mixed experiences about Claymore Thistle and am considering them. Any experiences (good and bad) with any companies would be much appreciated. I'm currently in a WhatsApp group with many others who are making their way to Perth/WA and finding a rental seems to be quite stressful at the moment. Cheers!

Me and my girlfriend (Australian citizen) are currently living in the UK and have a mortgage. We are looking to move to Australia and when we do so renting out the property we both own in the UK. My question is would mortgage companies in Australia look at this and think we have two mortgages to pay and reject us? Or would they not factor it into play as rent covers the mortgage even though it is “another mortgage” furthermore I’ve read up about the tax threshold and know I’ll have to declare it on my AUS tax return and I’ll be WELL under the threshold. if anyone can be of help that would be great! Thank you!

Hi I'm moving home to UK after 21 years in aus Dies anyone know of company's that maybe help with rentals

Hi all, Any recent arrivals had good experience and preferably a cheap one with car rental firms? Arriving August and looking for 4-6 week car hire, 2 adults, 4 year old and 18 month old twins. We don't need people carrier, just bog standard vehicle, and 3 car seats. Any cheap places anyone knows of? thanks

Hey! If you've read my other house post I said my family are probably moving back to Australia in the near future and I posted on here just to get an idea of some good town areas in Southern Australia. This isn't urgent or anything, and my family has a general idea of what we are looking for, but I'm just on here for some additional insight from anyone living in Oz! The statement is quite vague sorry! But basically I'm wondering what town areas are 'good' to live in near the Adelaide area and also the Melbourne area. Somewhere near to the water (if possible), not too far away from main cities (we will have a car and don't mind driving around 40min-1 hour to get to the big city but would prefer it to be nearer if possible), ideally with a few shops/food places (because I'm a teenager and don't want to be bored ). This is a difficult question that I'm sure would be hard to answer, but if you live in or have visited any towns in those areas what would their pros and cons be in terms of quality of life, accessibility to main cities & stuff like that, stuff to do etc. Anything would be appreciated! Again, sorry for the extremely vague question! Thanks, have a good day!

If you're planning to move to Australia permanently and need a place to stay, here are some things you need to know before moving. Here some points of major consideration when looking for a living space when you arrive in Australia: 1) Cost of accommodation (Big City vs Small City. CBD vs Outer suburbs. Short Term Rentals vs Shared Rentals) 2) Job availability and distance from work place - Assuming you don't have a job yet you will not really know which suburb or city you may get a job in, so it would be quite difficult to decide at the onset as to which suburb you will eventually live in. Besides whilst job hunting you may prefer to live close to the CBD where most of the offices are in order to save on transport costs. 3) Support system - If you have friends or family, it is but natural that you will (at least initially) live in the vicinity of this support group. 4) Means of Travel - Big cities have excellent public transport but if you were to move to a regional city like Townsville it becomes quite challenging without a car. Which also means that you need to apply for a licence within the first few months of landing. 5) Size of family and amount of luggage - Some may arrive singly and with just a suitcase whereas others will arrive as a family and be bringing all the household goods when arriving. The biggest challenge by far when you are looking for your first rental will be that you do not have any rental history in Australia. Additionally, you may not have ample proof or residence (Australian Driver's Licence, Electricity Bill etc.) to meet the 100 point test. Here is my suggestion: MOVE INTO TEMPORARY RENTAL ACCOMMODATION In most cases when you first arrive you will have to live in some form of temporary accommodation until you figure your next move or at least until you get some kind of short term rental (Unless you are lucky to be put up with a friend or a family member). 1) Rentality (www.rentality.com.au) - a online community that provides a range of temporary accommodation for rent. The great part of this arrangement is that you deal directly with the owner, you can book immediately, the rates are more affordable than short-term rentals and properties listed go through a rigorous validation process to ensure no fraudulent properties are listed. Other similar sites are: https://www.housetrip.com/ https://www.roomorama.com/ https://www.homeaway.com.au/ https://www.vrbo.com/ https://Wimdu.com.au/ https://www.airbnb.com/ 2) Service apartments – This is the more expensive but easier option. Bookings can be made before you even arrive. When deciding on location, it is recommended that you select a place close to public transport and as close to city as possible to save on daily commuting costs to city. 3) Shared accommodation - A cheaper alternative, especially for single or couple migrants. Depending on your circumstances, you might find it easier to apply to share accommodation, rather than renting a house or apartment on your own. Check out following websites: Flatmates Flatmate Finders 4) Rooms to rent are sometimes advertised on notice boards in local shops, post offices and libraries or on the following websites: Gumtree Craiglist When looking for accommodation through Flatmates, Gumtree and Craiglist be careful of fraudulent listings. Do not ever pay upfront to the homeowner in order to secure a booking on Flatmates, Gumtree and Craiglist\. A lot of people have been cheated through this. Inspect the home first, meet the homeowner, then pay them (NEVER PAY IN CASH as there would be no evidence you paid the homeowner). If you aren't able to inspect the home, then I recommend using my recommendations in Point 1 and Point 2. LONG TERM RENTAL Once you are ready to look for a long-term rental you can check out the following top Property Websites in Australia: Realestate Domain

Hi All, We are moving to Melbourne in October - arranged by my employer - and I'm trying to get organised well in advance for rental accommodation. We are looking at living in the Eastern outer suburbs but wont settle on an area straight away until we have been to them in person. We have 2 children so we want to be settled in a home as soon as possible so that schools can be arranged. My questions are: 1. What paperwork/references will we need to provide to the letting agents? 2. What do you normally have to put down upfront before renting (fees? deposit? - what are the deposit rules? (in UK its normally 1.5 x monthly rent in deposit)) 3. Is the rental market aggressively competitive? Will we struggle finding a home? I have looked online and there seem to be lots of properties for rent so I am hoping its not too bad! 4. How secure is renting? We have had such a nightmare in the UK renting where we've had to move every 2 years with little notice due to the landlords change in circumstances (selling the house, giving it to their own children, wanting to massively increase the rent or do renovation while we are living there)? We want to feel we can settle in a home without the constant threat of having to move. Many thanks in advance. ?

Hi Group, Me, my partner and son (3yrs) are moving to Victoria in June. We are looking for a suburb that is located within a 35-40 minute commute of Melbourne's CBD, it will only be myself that will be working from the start whilst we find our feet so needs to be reasonably priced and we would like a house, any suggestions would be so helpful. The area needs to have plenty to do for my partner and little one during the day. What would the cost of living be roughly (i.e. Electricity, Gas, Internet, phone line...) Thank you to any one that can help. C

Hello, myself and my partner will be arriving in Adelaide in the next couple of weeks and our work accommodation has fallen through. So we are seeking a short term rental (ideally furnished) within commuting distance to Roseworthy. We are a hardworking, friendly, quiet couple from a farming background. Happy to house share etc. Any suggestions greatfully received. Thanks in advance!

Hi again, My wife and I moved to Oz from UK in 2011, were AU residents 2011-16, and citizens 2015-16. We're now back in the UK, and belatedly filing our 2015-16 AU Tax Return. Since we were renting out our UK house, around half-way through our AU residence, we paid off enough of the mortgage that we started receiving a moderate net income from the house that was still well within the personal allowance. All the time we were in AU, we were declaring the net income on our AU tax return, and paying tax on it. So - I was doing the 2016 return, and I had forgotten how we had declared the house the previous year. I did some googling, and came to the conclusion that we should declare it in the UK. HMRC general advice on dual taxation UK - AU dual taxation convention Specifically the text is: ARTICLE 6 Income from real property 1 Income derived by a resident of a Contracting State from real property may be taxed in the Contracting State in which the real property is situated. 2 The term "real property" shall have the meaning which it has under the law of the Contracting State in which the property is situated. The term shall in any case include: (a) a lease of land or any other interest in or over land; (b) property accessory to real property; So - it seems we should have been assessed for tax on it in the UK primarily, in which case it would be within the UK personal allowance, and no tax paid. Hence no tax paid in AU either? This HMRC consultation from 2014 about removing the personal allowance for non-residents appears to confirm the case, by virtue of the fact the consultation sees it as a loophole that HMG want to close! So, my questions are: Am I reading this right? Can I declare it on my UK tax return, and pay nothing on my AU tax return? If we've been doing this for 2011-14, can we re-file previous years' returns to reclaim the tax paid in those years, if significant? How far back should tax be reassessed (as I think we were originally claiming a deduction on a net loss on the house of mortgage over rental income during around 2011 to ?) Many thanks! Damo

Hi, we have a property which we are renting out in the UK whilst here on a 457. We declared the income from our UK property rental on our Australian tax return last year but now have been told we also need to complete a UK tax return. How do we ensure that the income from our property is not taxed on our uk tax return when it has been taxed in Australia - we obviously don't want to pay tax twice?

Hi all, We're looking for someone to take over our lease in Graceville having had to break our lease when we bought a house on the next street. We will pay the first 2-weeks rent if someone wants to move in. It's a lovely 3-bed townhouse in Graceville Park with a pool onsite. The advert from realestate.com is below. Please either PM me or contact the agent for a viewing or more info. http://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-graceville-409903887

Hi all, Having established in recent threads that depreciation reports are a great way to minimise tax on rental income, I'm really struggling to find a company in the UK that is aware of the ATO's requirements for such a survey, or is even familiar with the idea of depreciation reports for domestic properties. I've tried e-mailing two different guys at Davis Langdon, which is the only UK company I could find who seem to offer the service, but I've not had a reply from either of them. So: does anyone here have a UK rental property for which they've been able to get a depreciation report done to ATO standards, for use in their Aussie tax return? TIA Tarby

Hello. I am moving back to Bayside area in May with my family and we will need a 3 bed house/unit - our past experience of trying to find a home to rent was terrible and this is the part of the move that I am dreading. As we don't want to ship belongings we will have to furnish from scratch also and I know that furnished properties don't come up but I am wondering does anyone now of any independent rentals (not through agent ) that might come furnished and/or have any short term rentals to allow us to get on our feet. We can stay with family but as I am starting a new job we would ideally like to have our own space. I would be looking around Chelenham/Mentone/Parkdale/Mordialloc/ Heatherton or further afield if necessary Thank you

I know how hard pet friendly accommodation is to find. We have a piece of software that shows us all the pet friendly properties in the area and thought I would put the link to this if anyone is interested, it is in Lyndhurst, a lovely suburb close to the beach, the highway and the rainforests: LOT 923 SILVERWATTLE PLACE, LYNDHURST, Victoria 3975 - House to Lease #404304261 - realestate.com.au

Moving to Sydney and looking at suburbs to rent in. Eastern Suburbs seem like obvious choice for a life in walking distance to the beach, with local cafes and shops, decent pubs and transport links to CBD where I will most likely end up working. I loved Coogee when I was in Australia 10 years ago but thinking maybe Maroubra will be cheaper rent wise but still in reasonable travel distance to the centre. Am I missing a jewel in Sydney's crown of suburbs? My dream is to live Northern Beaches but commutes to centre put me off, Mona Vale, Dee Why, Manly. So think they have to wait for a couple of years until I might be in position to work from home. Thoughts/Suggestions/Experiences welcome

We are planning to come in June, when it's probably at it's Coldest in Sydney. I had heard that it would be easier to get a rental place then. Would it likely to give us any kind of cheaper deal too? I am only asking as I am trying to work out a budget for rent.

Hi everyone, After 5 years in Melbourne, we're relocating to Perth with my job. As a result we'll be breaking a lease on a 3 bedroom townhouse in Altona, Melbourne and are looking for someone to take it over. The house was brand new when we moved into it in 2011. It has a huge downstairs and 3 bedrooms upstairs. The main bedroom has an en-suite and walk in wardrobes (and balcony) and the secondary bedrooms have built in wardrobes. Outside is a very decent sized garden for a townhouse and not some tiny patch of grass that is so common is lots of the smaller townhouses now. The house is only one block from the water and also one block from Altona coastal park (a huge open area with walk paths and kids playground). Its been brilliant for us and our growing family (have had our two boys since living here) and we would not be moving out if we were staying in Melbourne. The rent is $570/week and we will likely be moving out around middle/late February 2015 (just trying to finalize plans with work now). Pictures below are from the real estate websites - obviously its a bit more 'lived in' now but my photography skills wouldn't do it justice. If you need any more info please just drop me a line. Happy to help out with any advice regarding the Altona area / Western suburbs also.

I am looking for accommodation as near to Cranbourne North as possible between 10th - 15th December 2nd - 12th Jan We are visiting family and need space for 4 adults, 3 children and a baby. I have been looking on AirBnb and Homeaway but I am struggling to find anything as near as I would like. Any suggestions?

BREAK LEASE FULLY FURNISHED APARTMENT AVAILABLE NOVEMBER CENTRAL PERTH (Opposite Perth Arena) $650 a week 2 Bedrooms 2 Bathrooms Large Balcony Air con throughout Facilities: On site Pool, Gym, Sauna and common area with pool table

James Dean Residential presents this fresh, large four bedroom low set brick home family home in a great Wynnum location which has easy access to the Port of Brisbane, the Wynnum Central precinct as well as the Wynnum foreshore, local parks and schools. This property is very well presented and features: - Ceiling fans installed through-out. - A separate lounge with wood stove - Separate Dining area - Separate tiled family room with split system air conditioner - A tidy centrally located kitchen. - Built in robes in three bedrooms with an ensuite off the master bedroom. - Double lock up garage with remote control and internal access - Separate laundry area. - Fully security screened throughout - A covered entertaining area with built in BBQ. - Set on a 750m2 block with a fully fenced back yard which borders parkland and bush reserve. Amazing birdlife. - Pets may be considered upon application. Train Wynnum North (15 minute walk) Bus 223 and 224 on Constellation Way Tranport network 25 minute drive to city via Gateway Bridge 25-35 minute drive to city via Wynnum Road Airport - 18 minutes (plus DFO 24hr shopping) Schools Wynnum State School, Boxgrove Road Childcare Mother Duck, Tingal Road, Wynnum Montessori, Glenora Street, Wynnum Gundala kindergarten C&K Kindergartens x 3 in local area Wynnum Family Day Care Catchment area Rent and pets negotiable. www.jdre.com.au http://house.ksou.cn/rp.php?q=Wynnum&sta=qld&id=276886 Go through agent for viewing, available immediately due to break lease.

Currently, we are living in Taringa and now we are looking for a long-term rental close to Brisbane or surrounding areas. Preferably 2 bed. If anyone knows where we can find one, please leave a reply. Thank you.:notworthy:

Hi everyone My girlfriend and I arrive in WA on 14th September and start work with WAPOL on 6th October, spending 13 weeks at their training academy in Joondalup. Is anyone currently looking to rent out a room in their apartment/house close to this area or know of anyone who is? Any contacts would be much appreciated. Thanks RandC

After a very positive conversation with the CO yesterday, we have decided to head back to Brisbane in early June as wifey needs to start getting some time under her belt on her one year RRV. It's fine for me to enter on a tourist visa while waiting for my sub class 100 to be granted subject to usual "no work" and "leaving every 3 months for a few days etc" If all goes to plan, I should only need to go offshore twice before visa is granted late September(ish!) With that in mind, we are looking for a 3-6 month lease on a 1 or 2 bedroom furnished property anywhere along the Brisbane/Gold Coast corridor. Most agents are looking at a minimum 6 months and Gumtree is always a bit hit and miss so any suggestions welcome:notworthy: Thanks in advance peeps!