Renting a place

aicee · January 2022

Happy New Year to everyone! I would like to ask if you can share technique/ways how to rent a home(Canberra)? We have been applying for 2wks but all our applications have been declined. We are 491 visa holders and we are applying by ourselves as we want the contract be under our name for residency proof in visa 191 later. We still have no jobs and no IDs yet(only passport, foreign IDs) coz when we applied for Medicare & TFN, they said it would take 20dys to receive the ID.
We tried to offer like 6months to 1year upfront payment of the rental fee in order to compensate our unemployment status, but so far, still unsuccessful.
Hope someone can share what we are missing in the process?
Thank you in advance.

maguero · January 2022

@aicee Mahirap talaga to get your first rental because the market is quite competitive. Are you able to give a local reference in your application, such as the owner of the house where you are currently staying?

For a quick local ID, you can apply for a proof of age card.

maguero · January 2022

@aicee BTW, walang ID ang TFN. They'll just send you a letter na nakasulat yung number doon.

aicee · January 2022

@maguero: Thank you so much for all your info. I'll note all of it.

Regarding local reference, we are currently living in our family member here in Sydney and put them as our reference. I am not sure if it would count since we are living here for free.

red_lion · January 2022

I'll be in the same boat this coming Feb , I'm a 491 visa holder as well. Good luck to us @aicee would it be okay to share a bank statement with the landlord as proof of funds?

athelene · January 2022

@aicee
I agree with @maguero, you can get a Proof of Age card (also called Photo Card in NSW) since you're still living in Sydney. That was one of the very first things I did after arriving in Australia, para hindi kailangan bitbitin ang passport everywhere I go. Pagkalipat nyo sa Canberra, try to get an ACT Proof of Identity card and ACT driver's license para additional ID.

Offering to pay the rent 6-12 months in advance is not advisable (it sounds dodgy, even). It's a big financial risk to anyone, kaya fortnightly ang bayad ng rent in Australia. Landlords or property agents generally look at employment talaga (they look at whether you have a stable job and source of income) and rental history. I'd say try looking for short-term/temporary accommodation in Canberra via Flatmates.com.au, maybe at least 3 months. Minsan kasi less strict ang mga potential landlord or flatmates na nag-aadvertise dun since hindi ka kasama sa lease contract, so that's a good way to start. And then after a few months, once you've secured a stable job in ACT, you can ask your current landlord and/or supervisor to be your referees when applying for a rental.

Most real estate agents will call your referees to verify your character, your behavior towards rental properties (like if you keep the property clean and organized), your history of paying rent on time, and your capacity to pay.

NSW Photo Card: https://service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/apply-nsw-photo-card
ACT Proof of Identity: https://accesscanberra.act.gov.au/s/article/proof-of-identity-cards-tab-overview