Finding a house to live in (Australia)


Most houses are either owned by the people that live in them (sometimes with the assistance of a loan from a bank),

or by a person, with the person living in the house paying rent to live there.




Obtaining a rental property



1. Look for a real estate agency at a local shopping center

2. Ask to see the rental list of properties

3. Ask to see a suitable property



	
	Rents (Melbourne), typical figures. Year 2011.


				per week


	1 bedroom flat		$200

	2 bedroom flat		$250

	house			$450 



4. Sumbit an application to the real estate agent (paper form of information)


5. If approved, a deposit equal to one-month's rent is generally required (state of Victoria) plus the first month's rent in advance.


6. Lease terms are generally 12 months. The lease must be signed by both the tenants and the owner.


7. The tenants are responsible for keeping the property clean, and the cost of natural gas, electricity, water and telephone services.


8. The owner is responsible for keeping the property maintained (replacing broken tiles, shutters etc).


Rental dates are strict (i.e. the rent must be paid on or before the due date). Rent is normally paid at the real estate agency office.





Rent			Money paid each week, fortnight or month to the owner for the right to live in a property.

Owner, Landlord		The legal owner of a property, not living in it.

Tenant 			A person or people living in a house, or occupying a business premesis, but not owning it.




